Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans can look all over the team's roster and find small holes that need fixing. They may even find some glaring needs. When you look at the WR room, however, the initial peek doesn't seem like all that much of a need.
Yes, the Buccaneers lost Mike Evans this offseason. When you look beyond his longevity with the team, you can see declining production. His roster spot will be filled with Emeka Egbuka, but Chris Godwin isn't exactly a sure thing anymore. Baker Mayfield needs weapons on offense, and when you dive into the roster, it gets pretty clear that there is a need in the WR room.
Bleacher Report sees this as a potential problem that can be remedied in this month's NFL Draft. It's not likely Jason Licht hits the position in rounds one or two, but the mid-rounds could provide opportunities.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers' wide receiver room could use an NFL Draft boost on day three
BR sees the receiver room as a "surprising need." It's not all that surprising if we're being honest. Egbuka showed promise last year, but also showed he needs more time to develop. Evans is gone, and Godwin has injury concerns. The rest of the unit is made up of mid-to-late draft picks or cheap free agents.
BR's Alex Ballentine believes Tampa could consider three potential fixes. Notre Dame's Malachi Fields, Washington's Denzel Boston, and Georgia State's Ted Hurst. All three would make an impact on the Bucs' roster and provide Baker Mayfield more weapons.
The problem here is that Boston and Hurst are considered day two picks. Boston has come off the board in some mock drafts in the late first round. Hurst is considered an early third-round prospect.
The fourth round would be ideal for the Buccaneers. Fields has generated a lot of draft buzz. At 6' 4", he has the size to provide Mayfield with a tall option in the red zone. Fields is an ideal athlete with a lot of potential at the next level, but he isn't the only mid-round option.
If Licht does wait until the middle of the draft, he could also look at Ja'Kobi Lane, should he fall, or Elijah Sarratt. Tampa needs to address the position, but not at the risk of losing a solid player who fills a bigger need. Drafting a WR will be smart, depending on when they use capital to do so.