Bucs' Biggest Needs in 2020 NFL Draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have plenty of key decisions to make this offseason, with big needs looming on both sides of the ball.

Here are their biggest areas of need as we look ahead to the 2020 NFL draft:

Offensive Tackle

The interior of the offensive line could certainly use some upgraded depth, but the need is more immediate on the outside.

Donovan Smith has been reliable in terms of his availability, missing just one start in five seasons at left tackle, but his performance has been a roller-coaster throughout that time. Demar Dotson is the longest-tenured player on the roster, and is a well-respected leader in the locker room, but injuries and age are likely to catch up with him sooner than later.

This year's draft class is deep at this position, which should give the Bucs plenty of quality options on Day 2, if they're not able to grab one of this year's top prospects at No. 14 overall. Keep an eye on Houston's Josh Jones, Georgia's Isaiah Wilson and TCU's Lucas Niang in that range.

Defensive Line

This unit was dominant across the board for Tampa Bay in 2019, both in terms of pass rushing and stuffing the run. Shaq Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul and Carl Nassib combined for 34 sacks, while the interior anchored the NFL's top-ranked rushing defense.

Unfortunately, the contracts of Barrett, Pierre-Paul, Nassib and Ndamukong Suh are all expiring, and with other expensive decisions on the table this offseason, the Bucs may not be able to afford to bring them all back.

That could leave them targeting the best available prospect, whether it's an interior defender or an edge rusher, with their first-round pick. South Carolina's Javon Kinlaw or Iowa's A.J. Epenesa could be sensible targets in that range.

Running Back

In his second NFL season, Ronald Jones II showed flashes of the playmaker he was at USC, but with Peyton Barber's contract expiring, the Bucs need another dynamic back to push Jones and potentially give them an upgrade at the top of the depth chart.

Dare Ogunbowale earned captain status as a special-teamer, and proved to be valuable on third downs, but he had issues with fumbles and in the return game. T.J. Logan should return to handle the return duties, but there's still room for this unit to get better by adding another big-play threat.

This draft features another deep, talented class of runners, which should present the Bucs with some potential bargains in the middle rounds. Don't be surprised if they prioritize the trenches on both sides of the ball first, hoping to land a runner like Alabama's Najee' Harris or Florida State's Cam Akers after addressing bigger needs in the first two rounds.

Quarterback

This, of course, is the ultimate wild-card of the Bucs' offseason. Even if Jameis Winston returns on the franchise tag for the 2020 season, Tampa Bay might want to draft an insurance policy in case he struggles with turnovers again next season.

If the team does move on from Winston, they would likely prefer to bring in an experienced veteran to serve as their starter in 2020, but that still may not prevent them from bringing in a rookie to develop behind that starter for a season.

Will that happen in the first round, where the top three passers are likely to be off the board by the time the Bucs pick? I doubt it. But a promising prospect like Washington's Jacob Eason or Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts could be tempting on Day 2.

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