Mock Draft: Three Top-5 Quarterbacks and Buccaneers make intriguing trade
The 2022 NFL Draft is in Las Vegas, Nevada and according to Chad Reuter of NFL.com several teams could choose to gamble on prospects and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may find themselves watching it all unfold on Day 1, without a first-round pick.
Liberty's Malik Willis is the first quarterback off the board at No. 2 to the Detroit Lions, and that's where things start to get weird.
Next, the Seattle Seahawks move up to No. 4 to take Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral as their heir to Russell Wilson's vacated spot.
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Then at pick five, the New Orleans Saints move up and take Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett off the board, and Jameis Winston starts scouting teams that will need a quarterback in 2023.
Speaking of the Buccaneers, they don't pick at No. 27, instead opting to bypass defensive tackle Devonta Wyatt from Georgia, cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. from Clemson, and wide receiver Jahan Dotson from Penn State, and trade the pick to the New York Jets in exchange for picks in the second, fourth, and fifth rounds of this year's draft.
With the first of those picks, Jason Licht adds Minnesota edge defender Boye Mafe to Todd Bowles' defense following up with Georgia running back James Cook, both in the second round.
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In the third, offensive lineman Cole Strange from Tennessee-Chattanooga joins the squad while Sam Houston State cornerback Zyon McCollum and Stanford defensive lineman Thomas Booker are the final picks for the Bucs in this four-round mock.
An interesting occurrence to see a 'win-now' team pass on a potential blue-chip player in favor of adding a couple more role players, but if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers feel they have their starters in place, they could look to add depth in chunks.
Which is what this mock draft achieves.
For more on this and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers check out James Yarcho and David Harrison on the Locked On Bucs Podcast!
