Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Derrick Brown in 2020 mock draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dip back into the barrel of defensive lineman in a new 2020 NFL mock draft by taking an SEC standout.

Way-too-early mock drafts serve as a great source in order to identify potential players to watch for the upcoming season. In one 2020 NFL mock draft via NBC Sports, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Derrick Brown, defensive lineman out of Auburn.

This draft had the Buccaneers selecting with the fourth overall pick in the draft one year after selecting Devin White with the fifth overall pick in the draft. There is no disclaimer as to how the draft order was set.

It would appear the thought behind this selection is to find the replacement for Gerald McCoy immediately for the Buccaneers. Ndamukong Suh is only on a one-year deal, and it would be an absolute shock to see him re-up in Tampa Bay without sniffing out his next big contract in 2020.

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Over the past two seasons with the Auburn Tigers, Brown has tallied right around 10 tackles for loss and four sacks in each of these seasons. Last year he recorded 10.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks for Auburn while batting down two balls at the line of scrimmage and forcing one fumble.

"“Another prospect who chose to hone his skills for another year on the college level. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound lineman collapses the pocket from the inside” (Ben Standig via NBC Sports)."

Brown has one more year at the collegiate level to sharpen and fine tune his abilities before taking the jump to the next level. He is named a top-five player here, and if he performs like it he may find himself as one of the top picks in the 2020 draft.

The Buccaneers did just select Vita Vea in the first round a year ago, but due to the lack of depth currently along the offensive line, they may need to dive back into the defensive tackle pool of players again. While it is too early to tell, Brown is a name to monitor as the season progresses.