Moving on to the offensive line, the Buccaneers use the 38th overall pick on Alabama’s right tackle Jedrick Wills in order to shore up their offensive front. Both left and right tackles Donovan Smith and Demar Dotson have been abysmal this year for the pewter and red.
While the Bucs are on the hook for Smith’s salary for at least another year, Dotson is in the last year of his contract, and given his age and his play, it is a pretty good guess that he will not be back in Tampa in 2020. Wills could be a day one plug and play starter at right guard for the Bucs as they seek to replace their longest tenured player on the roster.
Wills is gathering quite a bit of steam from the draft community and may end up a first round pick by the time the draft rolls around; many are saying that he may even be better than his Alabama counterpart Alex Leatherwood. At this point, however, Wills is still on the board in the early second round, as the Bucs make a significant upgrade to their offensive front.
First round: Justin Herbert. Second round: Herbert’s protection in Jedrick Wills.