2021 NFL Draft: Buccaneers trade up for rising star in new mock draft
By Rob Leeds
The Buccaneers find a third pass-rusher in the 2021 NFL Draft
Round 2-64: Joseph Ossai, Edge, Texas
After making a trade, the Buccaneers were still able to keep their original second-round pick. Mond was the much more likely option to come off the board sooner than expected, so he was the first target, but Ossai also brings plenty to the table.
The Bucs desperately need a third-pass rusher. Anthony Nelson is not the answer on a team that has aspirations to repeat in the Super Bowl, and the Bucs need to try to find a successor to Jason Pierre-Paul as well.
Ossai is still a little raw around the edges, but his opportunity to fit in with a Todd Bowles-led defense is clear. With the size and speed to specialize on the outside, Ossai gives the Bucs an option to use with or in place of either starting linebacker.
There were numerous situations last season where the Bucs used JPP on the inside of the line as a matchup nightmare on the guards, but without a proven option to bookend the line, the Bucs had to use this sparingly.
With Ossai on the roster at the end of the second round, the Bucs lock up their two most important positions while also finding players that contribute on the road to return to the Lombardi Trophy.