2020 NFL Mock Draft: Bucs Grab Top Tackle at No. 14
The NFL Scouting Combine is just a couple of weeks away, and that means the 2020 NFL draft itself is not far off, either. We're already waist-deep in mock draft season, and projections are flying in from every direction.
The latest first-round projections from CBS Sports have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers going in a sensible direction, spending the No. 14 overall pick on Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs.
Here's what Ryan Wilson from CBS Sports had to say about the selection:
Wirfs was dominant last season and he can play either right or left tackle. In Tampa, Demar Dotson will be a free agent in March and Donovan Smith signed an extension that will keep him in Tampa through 2021. Now the Bucs just need to settle on a quarterback. QB Jordan Love makes some sense here, but if the Bucs prefer a veteran (whether it's Jameis Winston or, say, Philip Rivers), Love wouldn't likely be targeted this high.
This pick makes plenty of sense for Tampa Bay, even if Dotson returns on a team-friendly, short-term deal to give Wirfs a little time before he's thrust into the starting lineup. Even if Dotson doesn't return, though, Wirfs is polished and battle-tested after playing against top competition in the Big Ten, and would be as pro-ready as any tackle in this year's deep draft class.
The fact that top prospects at other positions of need were already off the board, particularly South Carolina defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw, makes this an even more sensible selection for the Bucs.
To check out the full first-round projection at CBS Sports, click here.
