The dust has settled from free agency, causing prospects to rise and fall on mock drafts. Needs have become more clear for each NFL club with veteran departures and additions. Pro Days still loom, which will further cement draft projections. For Tampa Bay, Mike Evans, Jamel Dean and Rachaad White departed in free agency but the team picked up Alex Anzalone, Kenneth Gainwell, A'Shawn Robinson and Al-Quadin Muhammad among others. Here is an overview of recent predictions for the Bucs at 15:
NFL.com
Pick: DT Caleb Banks, Florida
Comments: "The Buccaneers may very well overlook Banks' recent foot injury -- which reportedly will sideline him until June -- because few humans possess his combination of size (6-foot-6, 327 pounds, 35-inch arms) and agility. AlongsideVita Vea, Banks will form a wall in the run game and provide some interior pass rush that'll make life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. Vea is a free agent next year, so a healthy Banks could fill those huge shoes, if needed, in the Bucs' defensive front."
CBS Sports
Pick: Edge Keldric Faulk, Auburn
Comments: "They need more help for their pass rush. Faulk seems to fit the type of player general manager Jason Licht likes to draft. His best football is in front of him."
The Draft Network
Pick: Edge Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
Comments: "The Buccaneers need more juice in the pass-rushing department and they turn to Texas A&M's Cashius Howell with this pick. Yes, his arm length will be a major pre-draft talking point, but the pure production speaks for itself. He's incredibly explosive off the snap, plays with a high motor, and has proven he can produce double-digit sacks at the college level."
PFF
Pick: TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
Comments: "A pass rusher was also a solid consideration here, but Kenyon Sadiq's athleticism is just too good for the Buccaneers to pass up. At the NFL combine, Sadiq displayed incredible speed (4.39-second 40-yard dash) and explosive leaping ability (43.5-inch vertical and 11-foot-1 broad) at 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds."
The Athletic
Pick: TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
Comments: "In this scenario, with their best-player-available philosophy, the Bucs would have been very tempted to try to trade up for Love. Despite free-agent additions of Al-Quadin Muhammad, Alex Anzalone and others, the Bucs' greatest needs remain on defense, and an edge rusher would be welcome. But Sadiq is an offensive weapon unlike anything they have, and he could help replace Mike Evans and stress defenses in ways that would create opportunities for the remaining wide receivers, as well as running backs Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell."
