Mock draft season is in full swing, sparking endless debate. The conclusion of the 2022 football season for the Buccaneers prompts change during the offseason frenzy. The 2023 NFL Draft is three months away, engendering speculation and analysis from NFL pundits. Names will begin to headline compilations in an attempt to answer the permeating question: Which collegiate athletes will Roger Goodell read from the podium? See the full list of draft predictions for the Buccaneers below at pick 19:
NFL.com
- Pick: CB Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
- Comments: The Mississippi State corner profiles as a guy who will continue to fill out and get stronger. He improved in every metric necessary to find next-level success, racking up 14 interceptions and 17 pass breakups during his college career. Forbes forecasts as a really impactful player in Todd Bowles' system.
CBS Sports
- Pick: CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
- Comments: Christian Gonzalez, a Colorado transfer, is a big-time athlete who is still growing into the position. He has the size, strength and speed to line up against NFL wide receivers; he just needs to improve in run support.
The Draft Network
- Pick: SAF Brian Branch, Alabama
- Comments: Tampa Bay could go a lot of ways here. They have needs on both sides of the line of scrimmage, could use another receiver and even a running back. In the end, the team elects to take Brian Branch, a versatile chess piece in the secondary who can start at either safety position and play nickel for the Buccaneers' defense.
PFF
- Pick: CB Deonte Banks, Maryland
- Comments: Banks is a long, nimble cornerback who could backfill the potential losses of Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting this offseason. Head coach Todd Bowles needs aggressive press cornerbacks to execute his scheme defensively, and Banks can be that after allowing only 26 catches on 60 targets for 258 yards in 2022.
Sports Illustrated
- Pick: CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
- Comments: The Buccaneers need a quarterback following Tom Brady's retirement, but there aren't any worth taking. The team needs to reload their secondary with the anticipated departure of several players including Jamel Dean. Porter Jr. is yet another cornerback who can be argued as the top in the class and his shutdown potential makes him a great value a 19.
