2021 NFL Draft: Way too early mock draft for the Buccaneers
By Rob Leeds
Trey Hill, IOL, Georgia
The interior of the Buccaneer offensive line may be the best part of the roster in Tampa Bay. Ali Marpet, Ryan Jensen, and Alex Cappa have experienced a phenomenal start to the 2020 NFL season. Keeping this group together is pivotal for remaining relevant in a Super Bowl run.
All three of the above linemen are on the roster until the end of next season, but after that point, only Marpet is still set to return in 2022. While the Buccaneers should do everything in their power to keep this unit together for the future, building depth on the inside of the offensive line is a safe move with this pick.
Georgia’s Trey Hill is massive and could be the primary backup for Ryan Jensen at center next season. It is unlikely that he would get much playing time without a catastrophic injury occurring elsewhere, but he would give the Buccaneers some assurances that aren’t currently in place.
The Bucs have to keep Tom Brady protected above all else, but drafting Hill is looking out for Brady’s replacement as well. Tampa Bay won’t want to leverage its entire future without looking out for the next face of the franchise, so bringing in a player like Hill to learn from the best of the best is a phenomenal use of a late-round pick.
Offensive line depth pieces don’t get a ton of game time to build their skills, but Hill has the potential to be the next dominant Buccaneer lineman.