Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN is staying on board the offensive lineman train for the Buccaneers in his Mock Draft 2.0. He has the Bucs taking offensive guard Quenton Nelson out of Notre Dame with their first pick at seven.
Some experts introduced trade possibilities this week, including Pewter Report's Scott Reynolds, who has the Bucs trading down with the Buffalo Bills to nab picks 21 and 22 in the first round. Reynolds has the Bucs nabbing a running back with the departure of Doug Martin earlier in the week, as well as a defensive tackle, which is interesting considering the presumable need for more pressure from the edge.
As always, we want to know how you would weigh in on all this. What position do you think the Bucs should address first in the draft? Make your pick below.
Vote here.
NFL.com
View photos of Charles Davis' first mock draft. Photos by AP Images.
Charles Davis (February 20) – CB Denzel Ward (Ohio State)
Charley Casserly (February 13) – DE Bradley Chubb (NC State)
Lance Zierlein (January 30) – DB Minkah Fitzpatrick (Alabama)
Bucky Brooks (January 30) – DE Marcus Davenport (UTSA)
Daniel Jeremiah (January 28) – DE Marcus Davenport (UTSA)
CBSSports.com
Chris Trapasso (February 26) – DB Minkah Fitzpatrick (Alabama)
Trapasso: "Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama. Fitzpatrick is half cornerback, half safety and would give the Buccaneers precisely what their secondary needs -- length."
R.J. White (February 22) – G Quenton Nelson (Notre Dame)
White: "The Buccaneers need to upgrade several spots on their offensive line, and while left tackle is arguably a bigger need, Nelson is the best offensive line prospect in this class and well worth selecting in the top 10. He's the type of prospect that isn't going to bring a lot of excitement to a franchise but about as unlikely to turn into a bust as anyone after dominating top-tier talent at the collegiate level."
Pete Prisco (February 15) – CB Denzel Ward (Ohio State)
Jared Dubin (February 15) – G Quenton Nelson (Notre Dame)
ESPN
Mel Kiper Jr. (February 21) – G Quenton Nelson (Notre Dame)
Kiper: "Nelson moved up to No. 4 on my latest Big Board, and there's no question he's the favorite to be the first offensive lineman off the board in April. He's a plug-and-play starter who dominates defenders and can get to the second level. Tampa Bay had one of the league's worst running games in 2017 -- it averaged only 3.7 yards per carry. Nelson would be an instant upgrade."SB NATION
Dan Kadar (February 26) – DE Harold Landry (Boston College)
Kadar: "If Landry's health checks out at the combine, he's a player who could skyrocket as the draft approaches."
Pewter Report
Scott Reynolds (February 26) – RB Sony Michel (Georgia) and DT Taven Bryan (Florida) at Picks No. 21 and 22 via trade with Buffalo
Reynolds on Michel: "With the release of Doug Martin, though not surprising, the Buccaneers are left with an unknown for the their running back position. Jacquizz Rodgers is under contract for one more year, but appears to be a depth player for the Buccaneers. Charles Sims is an unrestricted free agent and might not be back. Peyton Barber, who finished the years as the team's starter, played well down the stretch, but well enough to warrant a feature role by himself? That's unlikely. The Bucs are likely going to be players in bringing in a free agent running back, but likely will spend one of their Top 100 picks (first three rounds) in the 2018 NFL Draft on running back, too. If they make the deal with Buffalo to move back to the 21st and 22nd spots, expect one of them to be for a running back. Georgia's Sony Michel should be a top option."
Reynolds on Bryan: "After selecting a running back with their first of two picks, the Bucs then dip into the draft well to grab one of the more flashy defensive tackles in the 2018 NFL Draft. Gators defensive lineman Taven Bryan is more like Gerald McCoy than he is say a true nose tackle, but if this team is moving to a 3-4 alignment as their base, Bryan at one defensive end spot and McCoy at the other would spell trouble for opposing offenses. They could get very creative in their fronts with those two."