Tampa Bay Buccaneers weekly 7-round mock draft (Vol. VII)
By Cory Kinnan
Round 1, Pick 5: Josh Allen, EDGE, Kentucky
The Buccaneers can only hope that teams in desperate need of a quarterback jump into the top-five picks in the draft in order to grab them, pushing elite defensive players down to the fifth pick in the draft. In this scenario, the dream comes true and the Buccaneers have the elite pass rushing prospect in Josh Allen fall in their laps.
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After struggling to produce a pass rush in 2018 with Jason Pierre-Paul as the only player in double-digit sacks, the Buccaneers went out and signed former Denver Bronco and consistent performer Shaquil Barrett in free agency. Here they bookend the other edge with the 2018 SEC Defensive Player of the year in Allen.
Allen had a massive Senior season at Kentucky, producing 17 sacks and 31.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, apparently setting up a camp site and pitching a tent in opposition’s backfields. Choosing to return to school after receiving a third round grade a year ago, nobody helped their draft stock more by returning to school than Allen.
Again, the dream option for the Buccaneers is to have a Quinnen Williams or Allen land in their laps at the fifth pick; two of very few situations where Tampa Bay absolutely not trade their pick. Here they nab Allen with the fifth pick in the draft and put him in the pewter and red.