Will Buccaneers regret passing on RB J.K. Dobbins?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made the decision to pass on RB J.K. Dobbins in the second-round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Will they regret that choice?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made an analytical move Friday night during the second-round of the 2020 NFL Draft when they selected S Antoine Winfield Jr. with the No. 45 overall pick.
The Buccaneers were in deep need of shoring up the secondary and Winfield Jr. adds an extra burst of athleticism and versatility that will prove to be invaluable in the defensive backfield.
To select Winfield Jr., though, the Bucs had to move on from another prospect who was heavily linked to them: RB J.K. Dobbins.
Will the Buccaneers live to regret passing on Dobbins? Well, that remains to be seen.
There are many who believe fully in Ronald Jones II moving forward and that may very well be the case. Jones II has shown great talent, but let’s not pretend that he’s proven to have the ability to be an every-down running back.
In 2019, Jones II rushed 172 times for 724 yards (4.2 YPC) and six touchdowns. While that was a major step forward from his 2018 campaign when he only carried the ball 23 times, it still tells me that the Bucs need help in that category.
Afterall, Tampa Bay has finished in the bottom of five of rushing in each of the last five seasons. The Bucs haven’t been able to get much of anything going consistently in the running game and that’s absolutely going to have to change in 2020 for them to have success with Tom Brady at the helm.
The question is simply this: Can Ronald Jones II become a 1,000-yard rusher and carry the rushing attack to a new level? If he can, then putting all the eggs in his basket was the right call.
If he can’t though, the Bucs could live to regret not taking a running back with the explosive ability and high-caliber of talent of J.K. Dobbins.
Of course, all of this is said with a caveat. The NFL Draft isn’t over yet and the Bucs still could address the position with another talented player. They could also wait until after the draft is over and sign a talented veteran to pair with Jones II.
As far as the Winfield Jr. pick is concerned: I still am of the belief that it was the right call. He was the most talented safety in the draft and raising a question has nothing to do with his talent, but rather the fact that the rushing game has to improve.
Next. Draft Grade: Bucs go analytical with Antoine Winfield Jr.. dark
It will be interesting to see what happens and I don’t think that Tampa Bay will regret their decision to pass on Dobbins when it’s all said and done, but it’s still something that many Buccaneers fans will wonder over the course of the next few months.