Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Redrafting the 2017 draft class

Nick Mullens, Quarterback, Southern Miss

Originally an undrafted free agent signed by the San Francisco 49ers

The seventh-round is usually a long shot for most players, but the addition of Nick Mullens here would’ve been a welcomed sight. Stevie Tu’ikolovatu was another one of the players from this group that had almost no impact for the Buccaneers, so any pick here that panned out was better than the original.

Nick Mullens has shown flashes that could indicate his emergence as one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL. With Bruce Arians as the head coach, the young quarterback could’ve developed well in the Buccaneer offense. Mullens was able to outperform his expectations during his first starting stint with the San Francisco 49ers, and he has even shown decent abilities in some of his losses.

Mullens would’ve been a much better backup than Blaine Gabbert and has much greater potential than Ryan Griffin. While his potential is not that of a franchise quarterback, he could be a mediocre bridge option for the Buccaneers at some point.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on pace to be without a quarterback in 2022 after Tom Brady’s contract is up, and while it was a long shot, Mullens could’ve received a shot at that point to compete for the starting role.