A.J. Epenesa lands with Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 mock draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a premium on pass rushers right now; one mock draft addresses their shortage by slotting A.J. Epenesa to them.

Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller, host of the Stick to Football podcast, released a top-five 2020 mock draft today with the draft order set by betting odds from Caesars. With that being said, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are slotted as the fourth overall pick in this mock and land Iowa pass rusher A.J. Epenesa.

Epenesa is touted as a top EDGE prospect this year, along with Ohio State’s Chase Young (who goes first overall to the Arizona Cardinals here), Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos, and Notre Dame’s Julian Okwara. Listed at 6’5 and 277 pounds, Epenesa is a massive prospect coming off the edge, and is entering his junior year with the Hawkeyes.

Bursting onto the scene last year for Iowa, Epenesa tallied 16.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and knocked down three passes at the line of scrimmage. Given the lack of depth off the edge for the Buccaneers, adding help along the defensive front would make a ton of sense.

Drafting Epenesa’s teammate in the fourth round this year in Anthony Nelson, this mock draft would reunite the two again in Tampa Bay. With the injury to Jason Pierre-Paul, the Buccaneers are left with Nelson, Carl Nassib, underachiever Noah Spence, and newcomer Shaq Barrett. Nassib, Spence, and Barrett are all only under contract in Tampa Bay through 2019, however, so the Buccaneers may be looking an overhaul at the position in the face.

If the Buccaneers are picking in the top-five again in 2020, then it means they will be taking a quarterback. It is still fun however to identify players who could be on the team’s radar; here it is Epenesa who becomes a Buccaneer in fantasyland.