Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2020 NFL Draft Live Blog, Day 2
The 2020 NFL Draft continues with rounds two and three tonight! Stay tuned for live updates, as we give Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans all the information they need.
10:20 PM EST - Bucs select Vanderbilt running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn in the third round
Tampa finally gets a running back. After most of the highly coveted tailbacks were taken off the board, the Bucs found a potential sleeper in Vanderbilt RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn.
After two years at Illinois, Vaughn transferred to Vanderbilt and made an immediate impact. In two seasons, he ran for 2272 yards and 21 touchdowns, averaging 6.4 yards per carry. He also caught 41 passes for 440 yards and three touchdowns.
Vaughn will likely play a complementary role to third-year Bucs RB Ronald Jones. As a compact runner, he is hard to bring down and squeezes through gaps. His production in the SEC indicates that despite his unremarkable physical profile, he finds ways to get the job done against high-level competition.
10:15 PM EST - Bucs pick coming, two teams trade ahead of them
The Bucs are up for their third-round selection, but two teams traded up to get ahead of them. The Saints traded up two spots ahead of the Bucs for Wisconsin linebacker Zach Baun, and the Lions traded up for Ohio State guard Jonah Jackson.
9:40 PM EST - The third round begins
One round down, one to go tonight. The Bucs have the 76th pick, which is currently their last pick until the sixth round. Look for Tampa to address depth on the defense by taking a player like Wisconsin defensive end Zack Baun. Tampa could still pick up a running back, such as Utah's Zack Moss.
8:45 PM EST - Cam Akers off the board
It was unlikely that the Florida State running back would fall far enough for the Bucs to get him, but the LA Rams took the option out of their hands. Akers was taken by the Rams with the 52nd overall pick.
Tampa is poised to start the 2020 season with Ronald Jones as their featured ball carrier. While they could still select a running back later in the draft, it appears the Bucs are not worried about their running back depth.
8:10 PM EST - Bucs select safety Antoine Winfield Jr.
Tampa goes defense with their second-round pick, taking Minnesota S Antoine Winfield Jr. The son of two-time All-Pro cornerback Antoine Winfield, Winfield Jr. was a 2019 unanimous All-American and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Winfield is a prolific ballhawk, recording seven interceptions in 2019. He could make the Bucs' rising secondary even more dangerous, adding a presence in pass defense along with cornerbacks Carlton Davis, Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean.
7:55 PM EST - Two running backs off the board before Bucs pick
Tampa's options at running back are starting to dwindle. The Lions took Georgia RB D'Andre Swift with the third pick of the second round, and the Colts just traded up for Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor.
Swift was likely a top target for the Bucs given his power and pass-catching skills. Taylor was probably not as highly valued as a more traditional power back with limited production in the pass game.
The Bucs still have a shot at Ohio State RB J.K. Dobbins and Florida State RB Cam Akers. Akers in particular should be of interest from an athletic standpoint.
7:20 PM EST - Colts take Michael Pittman Jr.
The run on wide receivers continues with the Indianapolis Colts taking USC WR Michael Pittman Jr. The son of former Bucs running back Michael Pittman, the 6'4", 220 pound receiver is a big target with an even bigger catch radius.
Wide receiver is not a position of need in Tampa Bay, but given the depth of this class, the Bucs might consider taking advantage of this year's particular bounty.
6 PM EST - We're live!
The Bucs start the evening with the 45th and 76th picks, though with general manager Jason Licht, a trade is always a possibility. One big move the Bucs might make today is trading O.J. Howard, who may be the odd man out in Tampa's crowded tight end room.
Though Licht downplayed the idea of trading Howard, the former first-rounder could yield a pick for the Bucs tonight in a year where the tight end class lacks top end prospects.
After filling their biggest need at tackle by taking Tristan Wirfs last night, the Bucs will look to bolster their roster at running back, wide receiver and defensive line.
Running back should be a primary target for the Bucs in the second and third round. Talented young backs like Georgia's D'Andre Swift and Ohio State's J.K. Dobbins are steals in the second round. The Bucs would continue to find good value in the third round with the likes of Utah's Zack Moss, Florida St. RB Cam Akers and Memphis RB Antonio Gibson.
Also look for the Bucs to address defensive depth, particularly at pass rusher. Though the Bucs have two entrenched starters in Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul, pass rush depth is the hallmark of championship defenses.
Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos and Wisconsin's Zach Baun should be on the Bucs' radar with their second-round pick. They could also wait to nab pass rushers like Utah's Bradlee Anae in the third-round.
If the Bucs simply go for the best available player, they wouldn't go wrong with a defensive back like Alabama safety Xavier McKinney, LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton or Minnesota S Antoine Winfield Jr. They wouldn't go wrong picking a running back like Swift or Dobbins, but should they opt to improve their defense, the Bucs have plenty of options.
