Post-Free Agency Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2021 NFL Draft Needs
The 2021 NFL free agency period is all but over with the majority of top free agents having inked or agreed upon contracts with new, or their former, teams.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have not made any outside signings to this point, but have been plenty active in retaining their own talent in hopes of a second consecutive Super Bowl title this season. The club has re-signed numerous starters in edge rusher Shaq Barrett, linebacker Lavonte David, tight end Rob Gronkowski, defensive end Ndamukong Suh, and kicker Ryan Succop, franchise-tagged wide receiver Chris Godwin, and extended quarterback Tom Brady and left tackle Donovan Smith.
The ability to bring back so many important players leaves Tampa Bay without many pressing needs in the upcoming NFL Draft. Not all too many positions could realistically field a rookie as a starter based on the way Tampa Bay's roster is currently shaped.
However, the Buccaneers can afford to address long-term needs provided that flexibility and make luxury selections, taking the best available player at a given time. With that being said, we've assessed five positions that we believe Tampa Bay could, and should, target during the draft below.
Defensive end
Even though Ndamukong Suh finally agreed to a new contract and will rejoin the Bucs in 2021, defensive end remains a need for the Buccaneers from a long-term perspective. Suh turned 34 this offseason, and fellow defensive end starter William Gholston will be 30 in July.
When general manager Jason Licht mentioned the idea of addressing long-term needs in February, the first position that came to mind was defensive end. Suh and Gholston are set to be free agents next offseason, and they surely aren't in the Bucs' long-term plans at their ages beyond the Super Bowl window.
The defensive line class isn't all that great this year, but a run on such prospects could form at the end of the first and into the second round. Tampa Bay owns the No. 32 overall pick, the final selection in the first round, and could opt to grab one of the defensive line prospects before they fall off the board.
Notable defensive line prospects Tampa Bay could covet in that range include Alabama's Christian Barmore, Iowa's Daviyon Nixon, Washington's Levi Orwuzurike, and Wake Forest's Carlos Basham Jr.
Offensive tackle
Left tackle Donovan Smith just signed a contract extension worth $30 million in guaranteed money and Tristan Wirfs might have been an All-Pro snub as a rookie on the opposite side. Smith has been inconsistent throughout his career until a strong end to the 2020 season though, so at one point offensive tackle looked like it could have been an important need.
Now, any such selection could be a luxury for Tampa Bay. The Bucs could provide Smith with some competition should he regress, or at worst, find themselves a swing tackle who can emerge as a spot-starter and important depth piece on the offensive line.
Oklahoma State's Teven Jenkins would be a fantastic option should the Buccaneers address offensive tackle in the first round, should he make it to No. 32. He has played every spot on the offensive line except center, lined up as a jumbo blocking tight end which is a role Tampa Bay has utilized recently, and even met with the Bucs virtually this offseason.
Other potential offensive tackle prospects for the Buccaneers at the end of the first round and into day two include North Dakota State's Dillon Radunz, Alabama's Alex Leatherwood, Notre Dame's Liam Eichenberg, Clemson's Jackson Carman, among others.
Running back
Leonard Fournette is the leader of the four running backs now on the free agent market that ended the 2020 season with the Buccaneers. And even if he is to return to Tampa Bay, it would still be in the Buccaneers' best interest to invest in a running back via the NFL Draft.
Tampa Bay could not rely upon Fournette or starter Ronald Jones II much in the passing game last year, as receivers or as blockers. Each running back fits the Buccaneers' power-rushing style of offense, but doesn't offer much on passing and third downs.
Would selecting a committee running back be a bit much in the first round? Probably, as first-round running backs aren't the smartest investment in general. The No, 32 pick is a lot easier to sell than a top ten selection on such a player though, so Tampa Bay could opt to take one there and claim him as a future starter as Jones will be a free agent in 2022.
Clemson's Travis Etienne, Alabama's Najee Harris, and North Carolina's Javonte Williams and Michael Carter could emerge as a first-round running back for Tampa Bay if the Bucs go that route. Should they wait until day two, Mississippi State's Kylin Hill and Memphis' Kenneth Gainwell could present solid value.
No. 2 cornerback
There aren't many positions on the Buccaneers' depth chart that scream for a new starter, but the No. 2 outside cornerback spot might be the closest one to needing an upgrade if the opportunity presents itself.
Jamel Dean made some plays on the ball earlier in the 2020 season but didn't keep up that pace as the year went on. He was also susceptible to double-move routes by receivers and gave up some chunk plays as the Bucs' defense struggled against up-tempo passing offenses around midseason.
Dean is serviceable and familiar with the defense, so we don't expect the Buccaneers to prioritize replacing him. Say, however, a top cornerback was available at the 32nd pick. The idea of pairing South Carolina's Jaycee Horn, Northwestern's Greg Newsome II, Georgia's Eric Stokes, or Virginia Tech's Caleb Farley with Carlton Davis III on the outside is incredibly intriguing.
Horn and Newsome in particular are considered strong press-man coverage cornerbacks, so they'd fit into the Buccaneers' defense quite well. Horn should be long-gone by No. 32, but again, this need is a bit more hypothetical than others.
Edge rusher
Even after Shaq Barrett received a long-term extension, Tampa Bay could afford to add an additional edge rusher to its defense.
Not only could such a prospect fill in for sub-packages to keep the starters fresh, but starting edge rusher opposite of Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul, is 32 and entering his 12th pro season. Pierre-Paul will also be a free agent in 2022, so finding his eventual heir could be a wise decision.
Miami has a pair of talented edge rushers in the class in Gregory Rousseau and Jordan Phillips, although Rousseau is a bit of a one-year wonder (15.5 sacks in 2019) after tearing his ACL in 2018 and opting-out of the 2020 season, while Phillips has an injury history that led to a previous medical retirement from football. Each presents a project for their NFL position coaches, but Tampa Bay could afford to take a chance on projects this offseason - particularly with Barrett and Pierre-Paul locked in as starters this year.
Texas' Joseph Ossai, Washington's Joe Tryon, Penn State's Jayson Oweh, and Florida State's Janarius Robinson would also make sense should the Buccaneers target an edge rusher on day two.
