Round 2, Pick 39: Jeffery Simmons, DL, Mississippi State
This selection as a worst-case option for the Buccaneers with the 39th overall pick has nothing to do with the talent of Jeffery Simmons and everything to do with the urgency to be competitive in 2019. With Simmons likely to miss the entire 2019 season after tearing his ACL while preparing for the draft, the Buccaneers would be better suited to pursue a prospect who can make significant contributions as a rookie. If Simmons somehow falls to the third round, then this is a different story altogether, however that is extremely unlikely to happen.
Simmons will go to a team who is in a position to shelf him for a year and before he sees the field like the Miami Dolphins, who are in full tank mode. He will also more than likely become a star in this league, but the Buccaneers are not in position to waste a high second rounder on a player who cannot contribute right away.
With Tampa Bay entering the last year of Jameis Winston’s rookie year, the Buccaneers window is hanging by a thread. With that being said, taking a player at the caliber of safety Johnathan Abrams, pass rusher Chase Winovich, or even an interior offensive lineman would suit the Buccaneers better with the 39th overall pick.