Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft profile: Offensive Lineman, Isaiah Wynn
There are those who don’t think Quenton Nelson will fall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at number seven, those who believe the team is targeting Saquon Barkley anyway and then there are those who believe the team should trade back with the Buffalo Bills for two first round picks instead of one.
No matter which side – angle – leg? – of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft strategy you agree with, the bottom line is, the team needs to add some offensive weapons.
Isaiah Wynn from Georgia isn’t the most popular Bulldog, but he’s a good one and part of the reason the other two had as much success as they did.
Jason Licht has already addressed the offensive line in very real ways, but if the team truly hopes to resurrect their once promising running attack, he shouldn’t stop with what he’s done so far.
The early twenties is a good spot to pick Wynn, and would give the team an immediate starter to go opposite Ali Marpet and play next to new center Ryan Jensen.
Wynn’s College Career
As an All-American and All-Conference selection in 2017, Wynn capped off four years of play with a pretty solid campaign.
During the season, the offensive lineman played as the starting left tackle where his lack of top tackle athleticism was masked by his skill as a blocker and his strength.
Because of guys like him, Georgia was able to make it all the way to the National Championship Game where they eventually fell to Alabama but got there on the arm of a freshman quarterback.
Of course, two day one or two running backs helped carry the workload a bit, but again their success can be directly tied to Wynn’s success on the offensive line along with the rest of the linemen.
Perhaps the most valuable thing about Wynn’s college career is the fact he played and started inside and out. He did both successfully and was never considered the weak spot of his unit.
Pros
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There’s a solid difference between being an athletic guard and an athletic tackle. While Wynn may not be the most gifted of the latter, he’s a pretty good sample of the first.
He’s incredibly aggressive in run blocking and looks like he truly enjoys moving huge men from one place to another. Especially when that other place isn’t where they wanted to go.
Perhaps a more underrated part of Wynn’s resume is his football smarts. Several times per game you could see the lineman calling out signals and informing teammates of schemes and assignments.
While a lot of teams rely on the center and quarterback to do this, it was clear Georgia trusted Wynn’s eyes and instincts.
This is a skill which will transfer nicely to the NFL.
Cons
Plays short armed a bit in pass protection and will let rushers get into his body more than he should. If caught off guard with a speed or bull rush, this isn’t going to translate well at the pro level.
I feel like we talk about every young player letting his pad levels get too high coming out of college. Well, this isn’t going to be any different.
It isn’t an all the time problem, but if Wynn goes more than a second without getting engaged he tends to rise up. Stunting linemen or late blitzing defenders from the second or third levels will use this to knock his center of gravity off balance in the NFL.
Finally, he doesn’t always attack the next level of defenses as aggressively as I’d hoped he would going into watching games on him.
He does fine, don’t get me wrong, but what sets Quenton Nelson above him in the draft is Nelson’s nose for contact and desire to hit someone even after moving past his initial blocks.
Why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Need Isaiah Wynn
There were some complaints last season the team had too many tackles converted into guards on the roster. In general, I agree. It’s not quite as dramatic, but I view tackles moving inside akin to wide receivers moving to tight end.
Well, this isn’t the same case with Wynn. See, Wynn was a guard playing tackle in college. So while some may see him as a converted tackle, he’s actually a guard who Georgia converted to tackle, who will move back to his original position in the NFL. See?
Bottom line though is the Bucs just don’t have the offensive front figured out yet. Donovan Smith looked better, Jensen is an upgrade and Marpet moving back to guard is beautiful.
The other guard position is still a question mark and now so is the right tackle.
Wynn is a guy who can bring a lot of answers and leave just one more position of need up front. Chipping to the right or lining up O.J. Howard over there helps mitigate some of that, so the team would still be in a good position.
Next: Experts disagree on Bucs pick at seven
Will It Happen?
It’s hard to tell right now. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been busy with visits, and one thing has been made clear by those visits.
They aren’t averse to trading back. The visit of Notre Dame’s Mike McGlinchey alone demonstrates this. McGlinchey simply isn’t a guy who will be there come day two. So why visit with him? Because there’s a chance the Bucs will be picking in the mid to late first round.
Exactly where McGlinchey, and Wynn, should be drafted.
If the Bucs stay at seven, Wynn won’t become a member of the team. So the real question is, will the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stick at seven?
Give me your thoughts on Isaiah Wynn and catch all of our draft profiles as we log one player per day until the beginning of the 2018 NFL Draft!