3 trade targets for the Buccaneers before the 2020 NFL Draft
By Rob Leeds
Trent Williams, OT, Washington Redskins
The Buccaneers need an offensive tackle to replace Demar Dotson more than anything. Most optimistic mock drafts have the Bucs landing one of the dominant offensive tackles that will come off the board in the first round, but that seems like a long shot.
Jedrick Wills, Andrew Thomas, Mekhi Becton, and Tristan Wirfs are four of the best prospects in the entire class and could very well be off the board before the 10th pick, much less before the 14th overall pick. Josh Jones is talented, but he isn’t worth a pick that early.
If Tampa Bay didn’t want to trade back or up, Trent Williams is looking for a change of scenery, and the Redskins will be motivated to find a trade partner.
The reason why this trade makes the most sense for the Buccaneers is that even though Williams has not played a snap since 2018, he is still a more sure option than any of the rookies.
Moving from college to the NFL is a massive jump. Playing against college players that couldn’t cut it in the NFL pales in comparison to lining up across from players like Khalil Mack or Aaron Donald. Players can have all of the college talent in the world or have a favorable combine and still fail in the NFL.
Trent Williams has not only faced NFL talent and succeeded, but he has dominated. Williams made the Pro Bowl from 2012-2018 and showed an impressive skill for keeping the quarterback protected.
The Buccaneer offensive line would immediately improve with the addition of Williams, and most of the pressure on draft night would dissipate if an established offensive tackle was found beforehand.