Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3 steps necessary to win the draft
By Rob Leeds
Step One: Add a day-one starter in the first round
The first way for the Buccaneers to win the draft is to take a player who is going to start and contribute from day one. Perhaps more specifically would be to draft a player who could be in Pro Bowl contention in their first season.
Last season, seven rookies made the Pro Bowl and four rookies (Derwin James, Quenton Nelson, Darius Leonard, and Michael Dickson) were First Team All-Pro. These rookies have proven that players in their first year can possess the capacity to change the face of their team and be ranked in the top group of all NFL players.
Fortunately for the Buccaneers, this draft is full of defensive players that possess the potential to have an immediate effect that could be on par with previous rookies Derwin James and Darius Leonard. Ed Oliver, Montez Sweat, Josh Allen, and Devin White all have the capacity to have an impact on the Buccaneers defense as starters.
All of these players have the athleticism and college experience/success to indicate dominance in the NFL, especially after their respective combine and pro day results. With the fifth pick in the draft, the Buccaneers must add one of these players who can start right away