The draft begins this Thursday, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are gearing up to make their selection in the first round. But what need will they address with the No. 19 picks?
Every position is technically on the table, but there are a few that are far more likely than others. Here are the odds you’ll see each NFL position picked by Tampa Bay in the first round, ranked from greatest to least:
Offensive line
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O-line is certainly the Bucs’ biggest need as it stands. The team needs both guards and tackles, but tackle is far more pressing — with the departure of Donovan Smith, Tampa Bay is looking for its left tackle of the future and will most likely try to find it with their first pick. Guard is still a bit of an issue, but the veteran signing of OG Matt Feiler makes it considerably less so.
Potential picks: Darnell Wright, Anton Harrison, Paris Johnson
Edge rusher
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Shaq Barrett is coming back from an Achilles injury that may leave him a shadow of his former self and DE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka isn’t exactly a world-beater in his first few years. An EDGE is always valuable to a team and the Bucs may be looking to get younger at the position while they still can.
Potential picks: Lukas Van Ness, Nolan Smith, Will McDonald IV
Defensive back
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S Ryan Neal gives the Bucs a bit more leeway in the secondary, but the team is still in serious need of a CB3 after the departure of Sean Murphy-Bunting. Tampa Bay could look for one with the No. 19 picks, and Alabama DB Brian Branch has been the most common player tabbed for such a pick.
Potential picks: Brian Branch, Julius Brents
Defensive line
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The Bucs will also need some depth on the defensive line, too, and the draft would be a great place to address that. With the signing of Greg Gaines in the offseason, though, it becomes significantly less of a need, and this position is the first on the list that may be considered a surprise if the Bucs end up going in this direction.
Potential picks: Calijah Kancey
Running back
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The emergence of RB Rachaad White should prevent Tampa Bay from selecting a running back in the first round, but never say never. The Bucs have made their love for RB Bijan Robinson known, and while it isn’t particularly likely at all, there’s a small chance GM Jason Licht wants to get a weapon right away.
Potential picks: Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs
Tight end
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The Bucs should be happy with TE Cade Otton’s performance in 2022 (as far as tight ends go), so going TE in Round 1 would be quite a shock. The only TE considered a worthy first-round pick is Utah’s Dalton Kincaid — he’ll be there, just don’t expect him to be a Buccaneer. Perhaps Day 2 will be more likely for a Bucs TE pick.
Potential picks: Dalton Kincaid
Quarterback
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It seems as if the Bucs are settled on either Kyle Trask or Baker Mayfield, so despite what many mock drafts seem to think, going QB here would be quite a surprise. It’s also worth mentioning that QB Will Levis’ draft stock has soared in recent days, leaving few quarterbacks the Bucs would really risk the pick to take.
Potential picks: Will Lewis, Hendon Hooker
Linebacker
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Sure, the Devin White situation is ongoing, but an off-ball linebacker with No. 19 would still be a shocking decision. The team still has Lavonte David and (likely) White for one more year, and the talent in this particular pool isn’t nearly as praised as others.
Potential picks: Drew Sanders, Jack Campbell, Trenton Simpson
Wide receiver
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Receiver is certainly the least likely position the Bucs will go in the first round of the 2023 draft. Tampa Bay already has three strong options from the jump, so adding a fourth when other positions could be looked at would be an incredible blunder at this stage in the team’s development.
Potential picks: Zay Flowers, Jordan Addison
Story originally appeared on Buccaneers Wire