Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Who is the pick at seven?

Jerry Stalheim

With the NFL Draft FINALLY here it’s time to make our final predictions on who the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will select with the (right now) seventh pick.

With needs for the Buccaneers still at: running back, cornerback, o-line/d-line, and safety there are many different directions that that they could go at seven depending on who is picked before them of course.

As I have mentioned in my previous articles my feeling is that the Buccaneers have three players in mind at seven and they are in no particular order: Saquon Barkley, Quenton Nelson, and Bradley Chubb.  If any of those players slip through all the way to seven you will see a celebration in the Buccaneers war room because they got a player that can help this team immediately.

Now if the draft gets to pick seven and none of those players are there for the Buccaneers to select my guess is that GM Jason Licht has already been talking to some teams below them looking for a possible “if who we want is not there we will trade down for these picks” kind of deals to drop down into the teens most likely.

Now say none of those players that the Buccaneers really covet are there at seven and they cannot find a trading partner to get down into the teens what are the other options?  One option is to possibly trade down even further like into the twenties which is maybe a little further down then they want to go, but it will provide them more compensation as it is expensive to trade that far up for a team.

The second option is to pick another player of lesser need that they may not covet as much, but still could provide help to the team as a whole and provide that spark in the starting lineup.  Those players might include: Derwin James, Denzel Ward, Vita Vea, or Minkah Fitzpatrick. Players that are high on their board but just not as high as the top three options.

Let’s not delay the inevitable any longer, so who do I think the Buccaneers will select in the first round of the NFL Draft …. (drum roll) …. Let’s answer that question with a quick mock:

1.) Browns – Quarterback Sam Darnold
2.) Giants – Defensive End Bradley Chubb
3.) Jets – Quarterback Josh Allen
4.) Browns – Running back Saquon Barkley
5.) (TRADE) Bills – Quarterback Josh Rosen
6.) (TRADE) Cardinals – Quarterback Baker Mayfield

7.) Buccaneers – Guard Quenton Nelson

There you have it that is my prediction of who the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take in the first round now the mock may not be accurate, but what do I look like Mel Kiper? (As a former Colts GM would say: “Who the heck is Mel Kiper anyway?).  I’m no expert I just write about my favorite team for a great site.

Either way, it’s great that the draft is finally here and I hope the Buccaneers grab some great players this weekend, so everyone enjoy and as always … GO BUCS!!!