With the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl LIV victory, the draft order is now firmly set and so begins the multi-round mocks. NFL.com's Chad Reuter released his on Monday and he has the Buccaneers taking two offensive players in the first two rounds before acquiescing to a defensive need in the third.
At pick No. 14, Reuter has the Bucs taking Louisville offensive tackle Mekhi Becton, having this to say about the junior:
"While it is unclear who will be playing quarterback for Bruce Arians' Bucs in 2020, he should find a starting-caliber tackle at this point in the round. Becton's massive frame and nasty attitude should make him a favorite among NFL offensive line coaches."
What's interesting here is that in his mock, both Georgia's Andrew Thomas and Iowa's Tristan Wirfs were still on the board, yet Reuter chose Becton for the nasty attitude. It should come in handy for the Bucs who could use some help up front as a means of getting more production from the ground game.
Round two has Tampa Bay further addressing the run by actually taking a running back. In this case, Reuter picks Wisconsin junior Jonathan Taylor, joining Dare Ogunbowale as a fellow Wisconsin alum in the Bucs' running back room. Taylor rushed for over 2,000 yards in 2019 for the second year in a row. He's one of only three players with multiple 2,000-yard rushing seasons and the only FBS player to ever rush for 1,900 or more yards in three consecutive seasons. He amassed 6,174 yards and 50 touchdowns in his three-year Badger career, ranking second all-time among Big Ten players in rushing yards and No. 6 among all-time FBS players.
Rounding out the three-round mock, Reuter has the Bucs addressing the other side of the ball, taking edge rusher Josh Uche from Michigan. He was another player to improve his stock in Movile at the Senior Bowl. He stood out for his physicality and with the Bucs' uncertainty at who they'll be able to re-sign in free agency, Uche could be an economical answer.
To see the full mock, visit NFL.com.
