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Will Buccaneers Continue Youth Movement on Defense in NFL Draft?

After spending top picks on defense the previous two years, will the Tampa Bay Buccaneers do it again?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have spent top picks on defensive players in four of the past five NFL Drafts. 

Going back to 2018 when the Bucs took Washington Huskies defensive tackle, Vita Vea, in the first round and followed that up with the selection of LSU Tigers linebacker Devin White the following year. 

Right tackle Tristan Wirfs was taken out of the Iowa Hawkeyes program as the lone offensive player in the mix, and Tampa Bay went back to defense in 2021 by taking Washington outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka in the first round. 

This was followed by Houston Cougars defensive lineman Logan Hall this past year. 

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Hall is the only second-round pick here but was still the Buccaneers' top pick of the NFL Draft. 

And if The Draft Network's (TDN) latest 2023 mock draft is correct, the Bucs will make it six of the last seven by selecting Illinois Fighting Illini cornerback Devon Witherspoon in the first round. 

"The Buccaneers will be without Tom Brady either via retirement or free agency, but reaching for a quarterback did not seem like a smart move in this NFL mock draft," TDN says while cleverly working the legendary quarterback in for sake of the search engines. "This defensive secondary has a few cornerbacks on expiring contracts. Devon Witherspoon would be a nice fit for Todd Bowles’ defense. Witherspoon is a physically-striking tackler with tight coverage skills."

Cornerbacks Jamel Dean, Sean Murphy-Bunting, and Dee Delaney all have expiring contracts. 

Most foresee Tampa Bay bringing back Dean on a new contract, while Murphy-Bunting will likely leave for greener pastures. 

Delaney could return on a relatively cheap deal and would give the Bucs a cornerback group featuring Dean, Delaney, Carlton Davis III, and rookie Zyon McCollum. 

That's not a terrible four-man group, and we could see why outsiders could predict the first-round corner here.

The question then would be about what that means for the long-term development of McCollum who has struggled but has also shown promise in his first NFL season. 

But the Buccaneers aren't done adding to the defense in this mock draft according to TDN, though. 

And in the second round, Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Nolan Smith joins the roster. 

Doing so would mean that around 70 percent of the Bucs' last ten Day 1 or 2 picks have gone to the defense. 

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"Nolan Smith is an aggressive and physical edge defender," says TDN. "He is already one of the better run defenders in the class. The pass-rush upside is enticing and should draw Todd Bowles in."

If Tampa Bay goes defense in the first two rounds of the next draft then that means it's likely either Blaine Gabbert or Kyle Trask is starting at quarterback for the team. 

Is it possible the current version of the offense gets better without Brady and no top picks dedicated to it? 

Or is the plan ahead to simply build the league's best defense?

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