Buccaneers trade back and rebuild offensive line in latest 7-round NFL Mock Draft

Now that the NFL season is over, it's time for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to start thinking about ways to make this another successful offseason.

Part of what saved things last year was the team's ability to put together a home run draft class. With tons of dead cap space and hardly any money to spend in free agency, Jason Licht worked his magic at the NFL Draft and landed key players like Calijah Kancey, Yaya Diaby, and Cody Mauch.

He has a knack for nailing the draft, which should have Bucs fans fully confident in his ability to help reload the roster again and inject it with another youth movement.

Latest Buccaneers 7-round NFL Mock Draft

In this mock, we have the Buccaneers trading out of the first round with the New England Patriots who moved up to draft Michael Penix Jr. For their part in that, the Bucs picked up picks No. 34 and No. 68 while shipping out a seventh-rounder alongside the No. 26 pick.

The Bucs maybe could have picked up a fifth round pick -- which they don't have this year -- but if the Patriots really do offer this package Tampa Bay should jump all over. For what it's worth, the deal was submitted and approved by PFF's Mock Draft model.

Round 2, Pick 34: Troy Fautanu, OT/Washington

Re-signing Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans (and giving Antoine Winfield Jr a blank check) are at the top of the Bucs offseason to-do list, but fixing the offensive line is essentially tied with being just as important. We saw this year how far the team can go with how things are now, and everything outside of Tristan Wirfs should be up for debate.

Tampa Bay has some more money to spend in free agency but the Bucs are going to try and get younger this year in an effort to truly improve over the long haul. There's no better way to do that than use a top pick on an offensive lineman who can help anchor things for the next decade alongside Wirfs.

Washington's Troy Fautanu seems like a perfect candidate.

Fautanu has some of the highest upside of any player at his position, up to and including the fact that he could fill two different spots on the Bucs offensive line. He's entering the draft as a tackle but projects even better as a guard prospect, which is exactly what Tampa Bay needs. The interior offensive line was abysmal last season and Fautanu showed high-end ability as a run blocker who can also adequately pass-protect.

Keeping pressure off Baker while also finding ways to improve the run game are key areas the team needs to address, and Fautanu feels like he could help out with both.

Round 2, Pick 58: Tyler Nubin, S/Minnesota

Improving the offense will be a focal point for the Buccaneers in this year's draft, but that doesn't mean the defense should be neglected. Tampa Bay could double dip on offensive linemen with its second pick from the Patriots trade, but an even better player is sitting right there for them who fills another major need.

The Athletic's Dan Bugler described Tyler Nubin as having a 'four-down skill set with playmaking instincts', which sounds delightful to have next to Antoine Winfield Jr for the next handful of years. Nubin is the top safety in this year's class and coincidentally went to Minnesota which would give the Bucs a pair of potential Pro Bowl Gophers in the secondary.

Christian Izien deserves to be a part of the future but everything else about the safety position is a total crapshoot. Ryan Neal was largely a bust and Kevon Merriweather battled injuries all season. Tampa Bay needed to solve depth issues at the position last season and it seems we've circled back around to arrive at the exact same spot again.

Adding Nubin is sort of a luxury given the Bucs have an All-Pro at free safety and a stud rookie in Izien playing next to him, but that shouldn't stop them from making the pick. Part of the team's identity has been a brooding defense (one that won a Super Bowl) that has oftentimes kept the team in games it otherwise shouldn't have been.

Reloading with young guys like Calijah Kancey and Yaya Diaby worked fantastically last year, and adding Nubin into the mix makes the Bucs better and sets a solid foundation for the future.

Round 3, Pick 68: Junior Colson, LB/Michigan

Tampa Bay threw zagged when everyone thought they'd zig last year by choosing to spend most of their picks on the defensive side of the ball. The pendulum should swing more toward the offense but picking up a potential stud linebacker feels like the perfect move to pepper into the mix.

Michigan's Junior Colson has established himself as one of the best linebackers in the country, if not the most talented one in this year's draft. There's a case to be made for Edgerrin Cooper out of Texas A&M, but the Bucs would perhaps be getting the better player in Colson.

Last year was a standout year, with Colson helping lead the country's No. 1 defense to a national title, but he's had sustained success over his career at Michigan. He recorded 196 combined tackles over the last two seasons, and has speed that allows him to be a disruptor almost anywhere on the field.

That includes his ability to pass rush and run stuff, which is something that Todd Bowles loves to see out of his linebackers and could be useful in replacing Devin White. Tampa Bay's linebacking group is going to look different in a few years with White likely gone, Lavonte David near the end of his Hall of Fame career, and young players such as Yaya Diaby and SirVocea Dennis looking to make a name for themselves.

Colson could step in and be the guy who replaces White while also forming a nasty trio alongside Diaby and Dennis for years to come.

Round 3, Pick 89: Christian Mahogany, G/Boston College

Okay, back to the other side of the ball for this one. As tempting as it might be to dip into the skill position pool, the Bucs would be wise to keep looking for ways to rebuild the offensive line with young talent. Jason Licht has shown an ability to find guys and Christian Mahogany fits the bill.

A recurring theme for the Bucs over the last two seasons has been how bad the run game has been. Last year made it more clear than ever that the issue is upfront on the inside of the line as Rachaad White flourished in every way other than running the ball. There were spurts where Tampa Bay moved the ball on the ground but the sort of explosive talent that White showed should only further emphasize how important it is for the Bucs to find a way to get some run-blocking help.

Mahogany was an anchor for a run-focused Boston College offense that almost always seemed to be using him as a sled to move the ball. His pass protection might not be exactly where the Bucs need it but he's far and away better than what they've been working with in terms of getting someone who can open lanes.

Putting him next to Tristan Wirfs could be the perfect spot for him to take his game -- and the Bucs run game -- to another level.

Round 4, Pick 127: Sedrick Van Pran, C/Georgia

Losing Ryan Jensen was such a massive blow to the Bucs offensive line that the team was never able to truly recover. His absence made Tom Brady's final year in Tampa Bay a living hell and we again saw how much he was missed last year despite how things leveled out with fewer injuries to add to his loss.

Robert Hainsey filled in as center last year but Tampa Bay can't ignore finding someone in the draft to potentially take over as soon as this season. Georgia's Sedrick Van Pran is a Top 100 prospect who helped anchor the Bulldogs line during two national championship runs and could help offer some stability for the Bucs.

His strength is pass protection, with his run blocking lagging behind a bit, and he's being dinged for having just average size. It's his leadership and the experience he brings from being in such a high-profile and successful system that could be the biggest and most immediate benefit for the Bucs.

Tampa Bay could find a veteran center to work with Baker over the next few years, but Van Pran offers the chance for Tampa Bay to have a bit of a youth movement on the offensive line. Wirfs is the clear leader, and is the perfect teacher to take guys like Van Pran under his wing and mold them into exactly what Tampa Bay needs.

Round 6, Pick 204: Frank Gore Jr., RB/Southern Miss

Offensive line isn't the only area on that side of the ball the Bucs should think about addressing in the draft. Skill position players are always fun to think about and this could be a spot where Jason Licht flexes his draft muscles and pulls out a few sleepers on Day 3.

Rachaad White is the clear-cut RB1 for Tampa Bay moving forward, and all of the free agent rumors so far deal with players who essentially do the same thing he does. The Bucs don't need another dual-threat running back cut from the same cloth as Christian McCaffrey, they should be looking for complimentary help.

Enter Frank Gore Jr., who offers both name recognition and skills that supplement White in the backfield.

Last year an intriguing mid-to-late-round option for the Bucs was Kansas State's Deuce Vaughn; Gore provides many of the same skills that should pique some interest. At 5'8", 201 pounds, he offers a younger version of what the Bucs had in Chase Edmonds last year which seems to indicate he could be a fit based on how the team is looking at its running back room.

Drafting Gore doesn't mean that Edmonds can't come back, but he's also a cheaper option which could help the team reallocate funds to helping other areas of the roster. Tampa Bay's run game was once again Not Great, but when it did show flash Edmonds was part of that. Swapping him out for Gore feels like it has more upside than using this pick somewhere else.

Round 7, Pick 255: Donte Kent, CB/Central Michigan

Day 3 picks are essentially lottery tickets, but it's also where Jason Licht has cooked up some truly delicious selections in the past. Turning attention back to the defensive side of the ball. Donte Kent feels like he checks a ton of boxes for the type of guy Licht likes to target as a potential impact player.

Last year undrafted rookies like Christian Izien, Kaevon Merriweather, and Keenan Issac all worked their way into playing meaningful snaps during the season. That was a testament to Licht and his scouting department's ability to find guys late in the draft who had skills worth developing, and Kent fits that sort of mold.

He comes from MAC school -- another Licht specialty -- and fills a few different needs the Bucs have. Cornerback depth was an issue at times last year, especially with both Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean missing time due to injuries with the Week 3 loss to Philadelphia being a total nightmare scenario. Josh Hayes was drafted last year to add some depth, and Kent could step in and provide some more.

PFF has him graded in the 70s for his ability to work in zone coverage, which he's better suited for than man coverage. We all know how much Todd Bowles loves his zone coverage, and Kent fits right in. He's on the shorter side at 5'11" and he needs to work on his coverage skills -- he allowed 65% of his targets to become receptions -- but only gave up three touchdowns last season and has the sort of raw ability that is worth taking a flier on as either the team's last pick or scooping up as part of the next UDFA class.

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