NFL Draft: Buccaneers Pass on Top Quarterback Prospect in First-Round Mock
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to find their quarterback of the future following Tom Brady's retirement.
With 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask waiting in the wings for two years he's looking to compete for the Bucs' top job.
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However, free agent Baker Mayfield's arrival has tilted opinions toward thinking Trask will remain a backup quarterback for a third year.
Still, with both men carrying more potential than proven value, the Buccaneers could add to the room in the NFL Draft if the right prospect is available at the right time.
The question that Bucky Brooks' latest mock draft for NFL.com presents is whether or not Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Will Levis is the right man at pick No. 19.
And the answer is a resounding 'no'.
"Fixing the offensive line is a top priority for the Buccaneers," Brooks writes as he projects the team will pass on the surprisingly available Levis in favor of Tennesee Volunteers offensive lineman Darnell Wright. "Wright is a natural right tackle, so Tristan Wirfs would need to shift to the blindside spot vacated by Donovan Smith to make this move work."
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Not only did Tampa Bay pass on Levis, but so did every other team as Brooks has the once top-level prospect falling completely out of the first round.
What might surprise some here is that not only did the Bucs pass on Levis they also passed on Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson who fell to No. 20 and the Seattle Seahawks.
Richardson has been on a somewhat meteoric rise since late January while Levis appears to be falling in the eyes of draft experts everywhere.
Both quarterbacks fall below recent projections but don't present enough of an enticement to take the Buccaneers away from their top need on the offensive line.
Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82
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