The Pewter Plank
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3 positions Buccaneers could draft in first round of 2023 NFL Draft, 2 to steer clear of

By Josh Hill

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 12: Hendon Hooker #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers before the game against the Missouri Tigers at Neyland Stadium on November 12, 2022 in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Tennessee Volunteers won the game 66-24. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 12: Hendon Hooker #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers before the game against the Missouri Tigers at Neyland Stadium on November 12, 2022 in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Tennessee Volunteers won the game 66-24. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY – NOVEMBER 12: Will Levis #7 of the Kentucky Wildcats against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Kroger Field on November 12, 2022 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY – NOVEMBER 12: Will Levis #7 of the Kentucky Wildcats against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Kroger Field on November 12, 2022 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Avoid: Quarterback

Possible Picks: 

  • Will Levis, QB/Kentucky
  • Anthony Richardson, QB/Florida
  • Hendon Hooker, QB/Tennessee

Let’s not do this — at least not here.

To be clear, this isn’t a plea for the Buccaneers to pass on taking a quarterback at all in the draft this year but it can’t happen in the first round.

Doing so would mean a number of things, none of which are particularly attractive. The Bucs could trade up to land a quarterback, as they’ve been predicted by some to do, but that would mean mortgaging the future to land what could end up being the third or fourth best quarterback in the class.

Taking a guy at No. 19 would likely mean passing on guys like Darnell Wright or Broderick Jones, both of whom fill bigger positional needs and could be better prospects. Ditto for guys like Brian Branch, Deonte Banks, and even Bijan Robinson.

The Bucs could draft a quarterback — and have it make sense — but they don’t need to do it in the first round. Right now the hype on Hendon Hooker is that he’ll be a first round quarterback but that’s probably going to normalize by Thursday and he’ll be available on Day 2. Beyond him the Bucs have options in Aiden O’Conner from Purdue and Clayton Tune from Houston.

Neither of those guys are coming in as starters in training camp, but they could be guys that challenge Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask for the gig. More importantly, the Bucs can try to take a swing on a young quarterback without needing to overpay and without taking themselves out of the running for possibly drafting a franchise quarterback in next year’s class.

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