With the 2018 NFL Draft in a couple weeks, draft analysts have been honing in on mock drafts and predicted strategies for all 32 NFL clubs. Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks broke down what they think Tampa Bay should do at number seven overall on Wednesday.
The pair pegged Saquon Barkley out of Penn State as the Buccaneers' ideal first round pick. A talent like Barkley could boost Tampa Bay's running game and become an instant complement to running backs Jacquizz Rodgers and Peyton Barber.
Recognizing that Barkley may be well off the board before the Bucs have a chance to select the running back, they offered another option in guard Quenton Nelson out of Notre Dame. Truthfully, he may just as unrealistic depending on how the first six picks go and how many quarterbacks are among that lot, specifically. Nelson is an outstanding guard that could help Tampa Bay solidify the interior on the offensive line in order to help open up the run game that way. The Bucs are far from the only ones who have their eye on the Notre Dame product, so he could undoubtedly be selected before No. 7 as well.
In the second round, Jeremiah and Brooks have Tampa Bay addressing their secondary needs and taking safety Jessie Bates III from Wake Forest. He's an athletic defensive back with a baseball background. Brooks commented on his ability to drop down and cover the slot in addition to the ease in which he goes sideline-to-sideline because of that athleticism. He was Jeremiah's No. 38 ranked prospect in his Top 50 Prospect list, so going to the Bucs at the No. 38 pick would, well, make sense.
