Peter King is the latest expert to lock in his final NFL Mock Draft prediction and has the Buccaneers going what feels like a familiar route.
It’s that time of year, where the NFL Mock Draft frenzy gets whipped up so ferociously that rumors get flung against the wall with reckless abandon.
Look no further than Hendon Hooker being mocked as the No. 5 overall pick by ESPN, and another mock draft suggesting the Minnesota Vikings will trade up to No. 2 and draft Will Levis. We’ve reached mock draft critical mass and nobody is safe from the ramblings of folks who have mercifully been putting them together for the last few months.
The end is finally near.
Peter King hasn’t gotten too wild with his NFL Draft predictions, but he’s adding to the pile of them stacking up on desks everywhere as Thursday quickly approaches.
NFL Mock Draft: Peter King locks in final prediction for Buccaneers
In what is quickly becoming the consensus pick for the Bucs at No. 19, King has Tennessee tackle Darnell Wright penciled in as his final prediction.
King writes:
"The Bucs need young replenishments all over the field. This is probably a year too early for a quarterback, so getting a tackle to pair for the next few years with Tristan Wirfs makes sense for GM Jason Licht."
It seems like a question of when, not if, the Buccaneers will draft Wright. As mock drafts begin to settle in the days before the actual draft, wild scenarios involving the Bucs trading up for a quarterback or taking Bijan Robinson have fallen to the wayside and Wright has emerged as the popular pick.
We’re to the point where the Bucs not taking Wright would be a surprise, and would sort of be a bummer given how much he’s been hyped up. He checks a ton of boxes, not the least of which potentially forming an offensive line tandem with Tristan Wirfs that gives the Bucs a pair of anchors up front for the years to come.
The real question is whether the Buccaneers will have to make a move to get Wright. Jason Licht traded up in three years ago to ensure the team didn’t lose out on a tackle while there was a run on them in the draft.
He ended up with Tristan Wirfs, which has worked out excellently. There’s expected to be a similar run on the top tackles again this year, which might require the Bucs to move up to get head of teams like the Steelers to make sure they get the guy they want — and the guy everyone seems to think they’ll add.