2021 NFL Draft: Buccaneers mock draft to repeat in the Super Bowl
By Rob Leeds
The steal of the draft for the Buccaneers
Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Memphis
Memphis is officially RBU. Antonio Gibson, Darrell Henderson, and Kenneth Gainwell all have the perfect traits to succeed as a modern NFL running back, and the Buccaneers need to take notice.
The Bucs missed out on Gibson last season, but for a good reason. Instead of taking a running back in the second round, Tampa Bay made the far smarter decision in drafting Antoine Winfield Jr. We’ve all seen how that worked out in the end.
The Bucs then drafted Ke’Shawn Vaughn, who didn’t get a fair chance, but they can’t wait for him to grow into a player that he may never become. The Buccaneers need a proven third-down back, and Kenneth Gainwell has the tools to be one of the best in the league.
As a player who essentially split reps between receiver and running back in college, the Buccaneers would acquire a swiss army knife with this pick. Gainwell can catch out of the backfield better than any other player for the Bucs right now, and his efficiency as a runner would compliment Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones perfectly.
Tom Brady would immediately fall in love with Gainwell as a far more athletic version of James White, but there is an excellent chance that Gainwell’s stock will rise in the coming months and will be off the board well before the Buccaneers have a chance to make this selection.