Buccaneers Trade Down in 3rd Round With Green Bay Packers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are moving down in the NFL Draft with their NFC Rivals, the Green Bay Packers.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided not to trade out of their first two picks in the NFL Draft, drafting edge rusher Rueben Bain with pick No. 15 and then linebacker Josiah Trotter with the No. 46 pick. That won't be the case with their initial third-round pick, though, as they're officially trading out of that pick with an NFC rival.

The Green Bay Packers moved into Tampa Bay's No. 77 spot, and with that pick, they drafted Missouri defensive tackle Chris McClellan. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, picked up pick No. 84 in the third round while also taking pick No. 160, which will be the 20th selection in the fifth round.

Buccaneers trade down with Packers

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love shows off the belt that will go to the winning team in the Green Bay Charity Softball Game | Mike Sherry/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Packers got their guy in McClellan, trading up with the Bucs to make sure they did so. The Bucs, meanwhile, have some extra ammo in the fifth round, and they still have a third-round pick to make at No. 84.

The Buccaneers took care of defense with their first two picks, and they still need plenty of depth on defense at spots like cornerback and defensive interior. There are still a few offensive players that they could use, though, with positions like guard and tight end still in the cards for Tampa Bay as the draft continues.

The Buccaneers were widely expected to try and trade down from their perch on No. 15 in Round 1, but when Bain fell into their lap, they simply couldn't resist drafting him. The team also clearly liked Trotter enough to stay there, too, but now, they get the picks they wanted to stock up on depth across the team.

Tampa Bay's next pick is No. 84. After that, it'll pick as scheduled (for now) at pick No. 116 in the fourth round.

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