ESPN NFL draft predictor tool shows obvious fit for Buccaneers
By Rob Leeds
The Buccaneers and an interior offensive lineman? What a shock that the numbers see the same thing that everyone else thinks will happen.
There are some question marks about what the Buccaneers will do with their first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but the one thing that seems to be the most common is that people believe the team will target an interior offensive lineman.
The loss of Ali Marpet stings. Losing one of the best offensive linemen in the league during a possible Super Bowl run helps very little, so it makes sense that the most valuable pick in the class for the Bucs will go towards remedying this problem.
As it stands, the most likely option is Iowa guard Tyler Linderbaum, according to the predictor. Zion Johnson and Kenyon Green also follow as likely options for the Bucs as well.
The Bucs would get decent value and production from any of these players, but let’s not pretend that taking a guard in the first round is anything to celebrate. This would likely be more of an example of drafting for need, and the Buccaneers need to avoid this in the draft room at all costs.
There may not be a better option and the intersection of value and talent could be too great for the Bucs to pass up. But as history would tell us, talented guards fall to Day Two or Three every year. The likelihood of finding a starting guard in one of those rounds is much higher than the likelihood of finding a starting corner or another key position.
None of us know how the draft will fall just yet. This move could give the Bucs the best chance at winning immediately, but sometimes a need that is this great causes teams to reach. The Buccaneers should only make that reach if they really love the prospect.
Buccaneers have legitimate competition brewing at key position. light. Trending
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