Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7 takeaways from the 2020 NFL Combine
By Rob Leeds
The 2020 NFL Combine is coming to a close and the stage is being set for the draft at the end of April with the Buccaneers looking to win big.
Off the top, it should be clear to anyone that combine drills are one of the smallest parts of the evaluation of a college prospect going into the NFL. A player that can run ridiculously fast in a 40-yard dash isn’t going to magically cause their college tape to go from bad to good, although it could potentially help their professional outlook.
With that being said, the on-field workouts this past weekend can validate a player’s college tape and there are a handful of occasions where a player could jump up the draft order or see their stock drop.
The draft order has likely shaken up after the results of this weekend and the Buccaneers need to take advantage of any opportunities that are presented. Here are the biggest takeaways for the Buccaneers from the 2020 NFL Combine.
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1. Any of the offensive tackles in the first round would be a steal for Tampa Bay
If this weekend proved anything it was that this group of tackles is elite in almost every single way.
The Buccaneers would immediately improve their offensive line with the addition of Jedrick Wills, Mekhi Becton, Tristan Wirfs, or Andrew Thomas. Fortunately for the Bucs, one of these four will likely be available as the top half of this first round is loaded with diverse talent.
2. The Bucs almost can’t go wrong with their first-round pick
Offensive tackle, defensive tackle, and quarterback are all deep position groups in the first round and are the most likely positional picks for the Buccaneers to make.
Tampa Bay would be lucky to have any of the offensive tackles, any of the defensive tackles, and there is also a chance that one of the top quarterbacks falls to the 14th pick if the Bucs do plan to move on from Jameis Winston.
3. Day three is a prime location to draft a running back
The top running backs in this draft class will likely come off the board in the first three rounds but the Buccaneers will have some great later round options if they hold off on drafting high.
This running back class will have a lot of great players in rounds four and five and the Bucs could take a chance on several talented players while also saving one of their earlier picks for a position of greater priority.
4. The Buccaneers should let Breshad Perriman walk
It has already been said a lot but this wide receiver class is one of the deepest in a long time. Dozens of talented receivers will slip on to later rounds while also being overqualified to be the WR3 or WR4 in the Buccaneer offense who will be far cheaper than retaining Perriman.
The Bucs did use a draft pick on Scotty Miller last year but keeping depth at this position is vital as this was a glaring problem to end the 2019 season.