Buccaneers Projected to Take Top Tight End in Way-Too-Early 2024 NFL Mock Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft just wrapped up and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers addressed some of their needs for the upcoming season. Overall, many around the league believe that the Buccaneers' draft was a success, but at the end of the day, it doesn't seem like the Bucs' updates to their roster will move the needle all that much when it comes to winning games in 2023.

According to CBS Sports' NFL Draft expert Ryan Wilson, the Buccaneers' 2023 season won't result in the team being as successful as they have the past few seasons with Brady under the helm, as he projects the Bucs to be picking within the top-10 in his latest way-too-early 2024 NFL mock draft.

It’s never too early pic.twitter.com/fyuntmXL3b
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) May 1, 2023

Wilson has the Bucs taking future NFL stud tight end out of the University of Georgia, Brock Bowers, with the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Some could make the argument that the Bucs could potentially pick higher than the sixth overall pick considering they will be playing a schedule fit for a team coming off a playoff season. The Buccaneers probably could have had a worse season in 2023, but nonetheless, they made the playoffs before quickly being escorted out by the Dallas Cowboys.

With Tom Brady now sailing off into the Tampa Bay sunset, the Buccaneers have made moves to try and start a new era. If this season goes as many believe it will, the Bucs will have a great shot at landing one of the top players come next April.

The Buccaneers currently have Cade Otton and Ko Kieft currently on their roster, however, they also drafted Purdue standout tight end, Payne Durham, in the fifth round of this year's draft. The potential seems to be there for Otton to take the mantle this upcoming season and perform with higher expectations.

However, if the Bucs are indeed able to grab Bowers at the sixth spot it would make a ton of sense as you rarely get a tight end of his caliber. There could be more suitable options for the Bucs following the 2023 season, but that is something to think about throughout the course of the year.

As for Bowers, he is a man among boys at the tight end position. Through his two years at Georgia, Bowers has amassed a whopping 119 catches for 1,824 yards and 20 touchdowns while also adding 13 carries for 165 yards and 4 touchdowns. While it could be tempting to go elsewhere in the draft, leaving a talent such as Bowers on the table early on in the 2024 draft could be costly for the Bucs.

Yes, it is still way too early, but it is interesting and enjoyable to think of the possibilities the Bucs could have at their disposal come the 2024 NFL Draft.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2023 offseason.

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