The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold the 14th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. As such, the field for potential first-round draft picks is wide open and despite it being January, draft pundits from around the country continue to weigh in.
The Bucs' needs and draft focus will be largely affected by what they are able to do (or not do) in free agency. With that in mind, let's see who the analysts have as front-runners to land in Tampa Bay come end of April.
Todd McShay, ESPN (Dec. 16)
Pick: IDL Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina
Comments: "The Bucs still need to answer the "Is Jameis Winston our quarterback?" question, and that offensive line shouldn't be ignored. But with no value available on the board at either position, we turn to the best available player: Kinlaw. Ndamukong Suh, Beau Allen and Jason Pierre-Paul are all set to hit the open market, so Tampa Bay could use Kinlaw's versatility and twitchiness on that defensive line."
Pick: OT Tristan Wirfs, Iowa
Comments: "From what I am continually told (by TDN's Trevor Sikkema), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to keep Jameis Winston next season. If they want to draft a QB to develop behind him, that's fine, but I would imagine there are bigger needs that dictate the Buccaneers look for franchise players outside of the quarterback position in the first round.
Here, it's at offensive tackle where Tampa might need two starters, even if it doesn't want to admit it. A great interior offensive line is wasted on the Buccaneers roster, with the issues outside: Tristan Wirfs helps solve that problem."
Mike Renner, PFF (Jan. 14)
Pick: DL Derrick Brown, Auburn
Comments: "Brown feels like a pretty safe projection with how much he dominated week in and week out in the SEC. He had only one start this season (LSU) where he earned a below-average grade. That will pair nicely next to Vita Vea on Tampa Bay's interior."
Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports (Jan. 9)
Pick: EDGE Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State
Comments: "The Bucs' 2019 draft class was defense-heavy and the results were immediate; the unit was the No. 5 defense in the league but the D-line could look completely different next season; Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul and Rakeem Nunez-Roches are all soon-to-be free agents. Gross-Matos has the size, strength and quickness to play the edge but he's still raw. The good news is he'll only get better with experience."
Kristopher Knox, Bleacher Report (Jan. 15)
Pick: EDGE K'Lavon Chaisson, LSU
