Buccaneers need to target surprising position in 2023 Draft

The Buccaneers should know with some certainty at this point that wide receiver is going to be a major need as the team goes into the 2023 NFL Draft.

As some Buccaneers fans start to look ahead during a period of decline for the franchise leading into the playoffs, positions of need are starting to make themselves a bit more clear for a team that is sure to be in a rebuilding stage in 2023 if all other events hold constant.

The Buccaneers should lose Tom Brady in some way, and the GOAT won’t be the only key player to depart Tampa. Big names are going to leave by virtue of a very tight salary cap that will be hard to circumvent again, and the Bucs are going to need to do everything in their power to put together an excellent draft class in the 2023 NFL Draft to keep their future bright.

This likely means targeting a bit of a surprising position.

Wide receiver has become one of the most important positions in the NFL. Bucs fans know this well. The trio of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Antonio Brown dominated the league en route to a Super Bowl and a deep playoff run in 2021 (although there were injuries in 2021).

This brings us to the crux of the problem; the room that was once the best in the league by a wide margin has taken a step back.

Injuries are actively hurting the Buccaneers, wide receiver as much as any. Sure you have guys like Russell Gage and Julio Jones providing depth for Evans and Godwin, but all four players have missed time this season and perhaps only one has a handful of games where he has been 100%.

With injuries and age starting to take their toll, the Bucs need to identify some great depth for this room in the draft. Value is going to be great for the Buccaneers at this position with one of their few early picks, even if it isn’t a glaring need compared to some of the other positions.

Wide receiver has become one of the most important positions in the league. It might seem like Tampa already has enough in this area to focus on other roles, but history tells us that being proactive with this and trying to address some of the shortcomings in the starters’ games due to injuries and age is going to help in a major way.

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