The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may decide to look at quarterbacks later in the 2020 NFL Draft. Here’s a few the organization could target.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have plenty of decisions to make over the course of the 2020 offseason.
The Buccaneers will be tasked with re-signing major free-agents on the defensive side of the ball, as well as making a decision on QB Jameis Winston.
There’s plenty of speculation surrounding what the Buccaneers will do at the QB position, and because of that, we’ve seen mock drafts that have Tampa Bay selecting QB prospects like Jacob Eason and Jordan Love, or even trading up to get guys like Justin Herbert or Tua Tagovailoa.
What if the Buccaneers elect to bring Winston back, though? Tampa Bay could still look for a project at QB in the later-rounds as a guy to play second-string behind Winston for the next couple of seasons.
Here’s a look at four late-round quarterbacks who could be potential steals for the Buccaneers.
4. James Morgan, Florida International
If you’re looking for a prospect who check all the right boxes, but likely won’t be drafted until Day 3, James Morgan may be the QB for you.
Morgan, a 6-foot-4, 213-pounder, is projected to be a 3-6 rounder and has been a quick riser among NFL scouts.
Though he completed just 58 percent of his passes during his final collegiate season, Morgan shows a strong arm and simply doesn’t turn the ball over. He threw just 12 intercepts over the past two seasons and will certainly get a shot at an NFL franchise.
He has some accuracy issues that look to be fixable and would be an option for the Buccaneers if the organization wanted to take a player in the middle-rounds of the draft.
3. Khalil Tate, Arizona
Khalil Tate didn’t show the arm ability for an organization to draft him in the early rounds, but his pure play-making ability make him an interesting prospect as a ‘project QB.’
Tate played on an Arizona team that was clearly out-matched to the rest of the Pac-12 and still find ways to get move the ball. He did throw 11 interceptions during his junior season, but Tate would still be a QB who the Buccaneers could take a chance on in the later rounds (5-7) if they saw fit.
Tate isn’t going to be a guy that comes in and makes an impact right away. He has accuracy issues and is a bit shorter (6-foot-2) than what most want at the QB position, but he’d still be worth a look for a late-rounder with plenty of athletic promise and potential.
After all, you could always convert him to a slot WR if he didn’t work out at QB.
2. Mason Fine, North Texas
Mason Fine is a smaller bodied QB (5-foot-9, 190 pounds) who has plenty of question marks when it comes to playing the QB position at the next level.
However, he put up really nice numbers this past season (3,088 yards, 29 TDs and nine INTs) and played really well at the East-West Shrine Bowl.
He’d be a QB that the Buccaneers could likely get in the 6th or even 7th round and potentially projects similarly to a Case Keenum in the NFL.
Fine would have plenty of question marks, but could be a polished option as a second-stringer for Tampa Bay who could develop into more with years of experience.
1. Steven Montez, Colorado
If the Buccaneers want to draft a QB in the middle-rounds (3-5), Steven Montez may be the prospect with the most promise.
Montez (6-foot-4, 240 pounds) checks all the boxes for what an NFL scout is looking for in terms of raw ability.
He doesn’t show good footwork which contributes to accuracy issues and is very streaky, but if you’re talking about a guy with great pure arm strength and ability to develop into a potential star with the right direction, Montez may fit the bill more so than any other QB prospect in the draft (outside of that top group).
He certainly needs improvement, but wouldn’t be the worst selection in the world for the Buccaneers looking towards potential in the future.