Would Bucs Spend 1st-Round Pick on a Running Back?

The Bucs need a boost in the backfield, but would they spend their top pick to make it happen?

It's no secret the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have struggled to find a true impact player at running back for some time now. They haven't had a 1,000-yard rusher since Doug Martin in 2015, and their most recent attempts to find that kind of runner have fallen short.

Tampa Bay spent a second-round pick on Ronald Jones II two years ago, but he's yet to live up to his draft slot. He struggled mightily as a rookie, and though he bounced back last year in his first season in Bruce Arians' offense, the Bucs are still likely to see if they can find something better this offseason.

The 2020 NFL Draft is a perfect place to start, but how early would the Bucs be looking to dip into this year's running back pool?

Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report says the No. 14 overall pick isn't too early.

That's where Reynolds has Tampa Bay addressing their need at running back in his latest seven-round mock draft for the Bucs, as he sends Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor to Tampa Bay. Here's some of what Reynolds had to say about the pick:

There is nothing wrong with drafting a running back in the first round – if it’s the right one. And drafting the right one means finding an elite rusher with solid hands that can contribute in the passing game. That defines the kind of running back that Taylor is. The 5-foot-10, 226-pounder with the 4.39 breakaway speed was 13 yards away from 2,000 yards as a freshman. That would have made Taylor the first running back in college history to record three consecutive 2,000-yard seasons at the FBS level.

It's hard to argue with Reynolds' thought process here, especially considering Tampa Bay's top targets at other positions of need may be off the board. The top four offensive tackles are likely to be gone, and players like South Carolina defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw could also be unavailable.

If that happens, it's possible Taylor could not only be the best fit for what Tampa Bay needs most in that scenario, but also the best overall value at that point in the draft. 

Taylor proved at the NFL Scouting Combine that he's an incredible athlete, and by all accounts, he's just as impressive as a person off the field. There's no denying his incredible production, as he would have easily become college football's all-time leading rusher had he returned to school for his senior season.

Sure, it may seem early to take a running back, but especially considering we saw three of this year's top running back prospects opt to return to school in 2020 (Alabama's Najee' Harris, Clemson's Travis Etienne and Oklahoma State's Chuba Hubbard), this year's running back class isn't as team as originally expected.

That could cause the Bucs to take advantage of the opportunity to grab the best one in this year's class, and finally address their desperate need for a game-breaking runner who can make plays on all three downs.