Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ranking top-five team needs entering the draft

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: Vita Vea of Washington poses after being picked #12 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: Vita Vea of Washington poses after being picked #12 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
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With the 2019 NFL Draft now just two days away, we examine the top-five team needs of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and what round they are likely to address it.

It is sweet music to the ears to hear only two days separate the 2019 NFL Draft from the rest of the world. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been working hard to prioritize and solidify their draft board, and hopefully general manager Jason Licht gets it right entering a make-or-break 2019 season.

Over the past three years, the Buccaneers have selected cornerback Vernon Hargreaves, tight end O.J. Howard, and defensive tackle Vita Vea with their first round pick. With the fifth overall pick on Thursday night, it would not be a shock to see them use that pick on the defensive side of the ball once again; in fact it would be a shock if they did not use their first round pick to address their defense.

With no cap space to play around with, the draft is going to be the way the Buccaneers primarily rebuild, so areas of need must be addressed early and often. As draft boards are being set and finalized, team needs play a large role in determining player rankings as well.

What are the Buccaneers top-five biggest team needs, and in what order do they rank? Spoilers: all five team needs fall on the defensive side of the ball as the offense posted over 24 points per game in 2018.

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