7-round Buccaneers mock draft after first wave of free agency
By Josh Hill
Round 3, Pick 89: Mason McCormick, G/South Dakota State
Jason Licht has shown a knack for putting together masterful draft classes by finding fantastic mid-major talent. Look no further than Mason McCormick for this year's potential stud that Licht puts in his NFL Draft Infinity Gauntlet.
McCormick hails from South Dakota State, where he graded out as one of the nation's best guards as both a run blocker and protecting his quarterback. The run blocking is key here, as the Bucs badly need to get the run game back to an operational level and that starts with getting some help upfront.
The good news there is that McCormick was elite as a run blocker, especially in zone schemes. He struggled a bit with pass protection but was still impressive and has plenty of room to grow. Tampa Bay needs to fix up things on the interior and McCormick would go a long way in filling a hole on the other side of the line from Cody Mauch.
Having a few linemen in this year's class would give Tristan Wirfs a nice little squad to develop for the future. That bridge to finally fixing things could start with McCormick anchoring things over at guard.