Now that the frenzy of the first round is over, it’s time to look ahead and at who tops the NFL Draft best available players list for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers heading into Day 2.
After months of speculation and throwing things against the wall, we finally saw how the first round of the NFL Draft played out. Bryce Young joined the NFC South after the Carolina Panthers called his name with the No. 1 overall pick, and from there, it was the exact amount of chaos we were all hoping to see.
Now that the frenzy of the first day is over, it’s time to start thinking about what the Bucs can do the rest of the weekend to try and build out the roster. It’s always fun watching the first round, but the draft is a marathon, not a sprint and now it’s time to settle in for the remaining two days of action.
Jason Licht and the Bucs front office have their work cut out, as the job isn’t over just because Calijah Kancey was landed at No. 19. Tampa Bay has two picks on Friday night — No. 50 and No. 82 — and there is a ton of talent left that can add value to both sides of the ball depending on where they team leans.
Ahead of Day 2 kicking off, let’s take a look at some of the best available options left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
NFL Draft best available players after Round 1 (Updated)
This isn’t a comprehensive list, rather it’s a snapshot of who the best available players are at each position. There are other players — obviously, because the draft still has four more rounds on Saturday — but this is a look at who tops the list and could be targeted on the second day of the draft.
For the Buccaneers, targets on the second day will likely include finding a safety or linebacker and perhaps targeting the running back pool to help compliment Rachaad White. One of the more surprising developments in the first round was the free fall that Will Levis experienced. There was a less than two percent chance he’d last until the 20s, and he’s still on the board as Day 2 begins.
Tampa Bay passed on him at No. 19 — rightfully so — but could be tempted to circle back if he’s still there at No. 50.
There were a few other surprises as well, with potential targets for the Bucs like Michael Mayer, Joey Porter Jr., and Brian Branch still available as well after the first round.
NFL Draft Best Available Quarterbacks
- Will Levis, QB/Kentucky
- Hendon Hooker, QB/Tennessee
- Tanner McKee, QB/Stanford
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB/UCLA
- Jake Haener, QB/Freseno State
- Clayton Tune, QB/Houston
- Stetson Bennett, QB/Georgia
Of those guys, it’s likely that maybe only Levis and Hooker end up as Day 2 picks. Clayton Tune and Tanner McKee are sleepers for the second day but everyone else seems like a solid third day
NFL Draft Best Available Running Backs
- Zach Charbonnet, RB/UCLA
- Devon Achane, RB/Texas A&M
- Tyjae Spears, RB/Tulane
- Tank Bigsby, RB/Auburn
NFL Draft Best Available Wide Receivers
- Josh Downs, WR/North Carolina
- Tank Dell, WR/Houston
- Jalin Hyatt, WR/Tennessee
- Cedric Tillman, WR/Tennessee
- Rashee Rice, WR/SMU
- Marvin Mims, WR/Oklahoma
NFL Draft Best Available Tight Ends
- Michael Mayer, TE/Notre Dame
- Darnell Washington, TE/Georgia
- Sam LaPorta, TE/Iowa State
- Luke Musgrave, TE/Oregon State
- Tucker Kraft, TE/South Dakota State
- Luke Schoonmaker, TE/Michigan
NFL Draft Best Available Offensive Tackles
- Dawand Jones, OT/Ohio State
- Cody Mauch, OT/North Dakota State
- Matthew Bergeron, OT/Syracuse
- Nick Saldiveri, OT/Old Dominion
- Tyler Steen, OT/Alabama
NFL Draft Best Available Interior Offensive Lineman
- O’Cyrus Torrence, OG/Florida
- John Michael Schmitz, C/Minnesota
- Steve Avila, OG/UCLA
- Luke Wypler, C/Ohio State
- Joe Tippmann, C/Wisconsin
- Chandler Zavala, OG/NC State
- Sidy Sow, OG/Eastern Michigan
- Andrew Vorhees, OG/USC
NFL Draft best available defensive players after Round 1
Just because the Buccaneers used the No. 19 pick on Calijah Kancey doesn’t rule out the chance they can take another defensive player with one of their Day 2 picks.
Kancey fills a hole up front with Vita Vea but there are other areas the Bucs need to take care of around the defense.
The NFC South welcomed both Bryce Young and Bijan Robinson to the division on draft night, and Derek Carr makes the New Orleans Saints better the second he walked through the door. With a shaky quarterback situation, the Bucs best bet to be competitive is to beat up offenses and revive a defense that carried it to a Super Bowl just three seasons ago.
NFL Draft Best Available Defensive Tackles
- Keeanu Benton, DT/Wisconsin
- Kobie Turner, DT/Wake Forest
- Siaki Ika, DT/Baylor
- Moro Ojomo, DT/Texas
- Zacch Pickens, DT/South Carolina
- Gervon Exter, DT/Florida
NFL Draft Best Available Defensive Ends
- Tuli Tuipulotu, EDGE/USC
- Adetomiwa Adebawore, EDGE/Northwestern
- BJ Ojulari, EDGE/LSU
- Nick Herbig, EDGE/Wisconsin
- Isaiah Foskey, EDGE/Notre Dame
- Derick Hall, EDGE/Auburn
- Isaiah McGuire/Missouri
The defensive secondary needs some attention at some point during the remainder of the draft. If the Bucs want to dip into the talent pools on Day 2, there are some great prospects to fill the shoes of guys like Mike Edwards, Sean Murphy-Bunting, and others who left in free agency.
There’s also the Devin White situation to keep an eye on moving forward, although this year’s linebacker class isn’t being talked about as one that the Bucs might find a replacement in.
NFL Draft Best Available Linebackers
- Drew Sanders, LB/Arkansas
- Daiyan Henley, LB/Washington State
- Trenton Simpson, LB/Clemson
- Demarvion Overshown, LB/Texas
- Dorian Williams, LB/Tulane
NFL Draft Best Available Cornerbacks
- Joey Porter Jr., CB/Penn State
- Cam Smith, CB/South Carolina
- Tyrique Stevenson, CB/Miami (FL)
- DJ Turner, CB/Michigan
- Clark Phillips III, CB/Utah
- Kelee Ringo, CB/Georgia
NFL Draft Best Available Safeties
- Brian Branch, S/Alabama
- Antonio Johnson, S/Texas A&M
- Sydney Brown, S/Illinois
- Jordan Battle, S/Alabama
- Jammie Robinson, S/Florida State
- Anthony Johnson, S/Iowa State
- Marte Mapu, S/Sacramento State
Keep an eye on the safeties. Tampa Bay managed to wrangle Ryan Neal away from the Seahawks last year, and he has the chance to be a sleeper star on defense. But the safety situation is just Neal and Antonie WInfield Jr., which means the front office could look to add a guy like Jordan Battle, Sydney Brown, or Jammie Robinson to help add depth there.