2021 NFL Draft: Buccaneers sim mock reveals new options

Does the computer know best? Here it our first simulated mock draft for the Buccaneers in preparation for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Draft week is here, and it is currently anyone’s guess as to how the Buccaneers will handle the 2021 NFL Draft. The Bucs have no glaring needs and aren’t tipping their hand like usual to show which direction they will go, so at this point, the whole thing is up in the air.

As there is always plenty of error in mock drafts when people try to project which team will land each player, these projections should usually be taken worth a grain of salt. It’s like baseball; if you can hit right around .300 for your career, you’re in a good spot to lay a claim in the Hall of Fame.

In an effort to remove the human element from this equation and keep out any biases, here is a look at a projected mock for the Buccaneers. The computer for The Draft Network takes players based on value and team need. Here is what it got:

Simulated 2021 NFL Draft for the Buccaneers #1

Pick #1

Jayson Oweh, Edge, Penn State 

Pick #2

D’Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan 

Pick #3

Milton Williams, DL, Louisiana Tech

Pick #4

Kylin Hill, RB, Mississippi State 

Pick #5

Damar Hamlin, S, Pittsburgh

Pick #6

Brady Davis, QB, Illinois State

Pick #7

Royce Newman, OT, Ole Miss

Overall, this isn’t a terrible haul for a computer. It is able to address all of the biggest needs for the Bucs without taking anyone too far from where it will be feasible on Thursday.

Jayson Oweh and Milton Williams are both on the board for athleticism above all else. This can be a dangerous precedent, but no one would fault the Buccaneers for trying to get faster on this side of the ball.

D’Wayne Eskridge and Kylin Hill would fill the remaining holes on the offense, and they would also give the Bucs some ability to move players around later in a playoff push.

Picks five through seven are wild cards (the computer traded the other seventh-round pick), but the Buccaneers do need depth in these areas.

Would you be happy if this was the group Tampa added on Thursday? Let us know in the comments.

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