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For the past several years, we have heard the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the cusp. They have their quarterback in Jameis Winston, they fired Lovie Smith to keep Dirk Koetter and went 9-7 in 2016.
They then regressed in 2017, falling to 5-11 and now sit at the seventh pick overall with needs that fit with the best players available.
Here is a recap of the Revenge of the Birds 2018 NFL Mock Draft thus far.
The picks:
- Cleveland Browns - Sam Darnold, QB, USC
- New York Giants - Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
- New York Jets - Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
- Cleveland Browns - Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
- Denver Broncos - Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
- Indianapolis Colts - Bradley Chubb, DE, North Carolina St
That leaves the candidates as:
Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame - Nelson would be a prime fit for the Bucs and though he may not address their biggest need, his talent would be tough to bypass for the Bucs.
Derwin James, S, Florida State - This will likely be the most mocked pick for the Bucs, and for good reason. The Bucs need a defensive leader an enforcer and someone who can set the tone on defense. That is James. If Nelson or Bradley Chubb make it to seven, it would get a little more interesting, but if they both are gone, James makes sense.
Minkah Fitzpatrick, S , Alabama - From the top player in the draft to potentially the second safety off the board, this is similar to the Jamal Adams/Malik Hooker conundrum of last year and we saw how that worked out.
Who do the Bucs take?
Poll
Who do the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take seventh?
This poll is closed
-
45%
Quenton Nelson
-
34%
Derwin James
-
20%
Minkah Fitzpatrick