Round 3, Pick 89: Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, C/Georgia
One way or another the Bucs are going to have to address the offensive line, and it's starting to look like the draft might be their best option. Already the free agency market is starting to look expensive, with guards expected to get monster deals all across the board which might price Tampa Bay out.
Sederick Van Pran-Granger doesn't fill the need at either of the guard spots but he does plug a hole at center. He helped anchor a pair of national championship-winning offenses and could fit on a timeline along with Cody Mauch and other potential first and second-year players in terms of developing into a strong unit.
He's also a nasty pancake artist who could bring exactly the grit the Bucs need upfront.
Sedrick Van Pran laddies & Gentleman… pic.twitter.com/Rww3MZs41E
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) December 30, 2023
Ryan Jensen officially retired this offseason and Robert Hainsey will need to prove he deserves the job by winning it at training camp. The loss of Jensen in back-to-back seasons came so suddenly that the Bucs weren't able to properly pivot, although Hainsey does deserve props for how well he was able to tread water and stand out on an otherwise horrid offensive line.
Just because he's capable of doing the job doesn't mean the Bucs should avoid drafting someone like Pran-Granger to develop the next generation of the line. Tristan Wirfs is the leader of the offensive line and getting young players alongside him in the trenches to develop and grow could result in Tampa Bay having a top unit in a few years.
Investing in the line hasn't been something the team has spent a lot of resources on in the recent past, but a total rebuild feels necessary. Tampa Bay hitting the reset button will take patience, but it seems like the right thing to do.