Donovan Smith making a compelling case to return in 2021

Even with the shaky regular season, starting left tackle Donovan Smith may not be on his way out of Tampa like most fans would believe.

While Bucs fans are blessed to not see many mock drafts at this point of the season due to the present playoff success, the few that have started to circulate often have one common theme: a replacement left tackle for Donovan Smith in the early rounds.

During the middle of the season, this conjecture made sense, but that may not be the focus for the Buccaneers after Smith’s recent uptick in production.

If there was ever a game to gamble a career on, it was the wildcard game against the Washington Football team, specifically for Smith. Any game that has you up against one of the best defensive lines in the NFL is already challenging for an offensive lineman, but the risks and rewards were even higher.

In the Buccaneers’ first playoff game since 2007, every eye in the stadium was on rookie pass-rusher Chase Young. As the second overall pick in the draft and with some bold comments to the media, Young was supposed to be the x-factor in a massive Washington upset.

Everyone knew the game was going to be a tough fight for both teams, and the Buccaneer victory came down to their left tackle having the best game of his career.