2020 NFL Draft: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Draft Grades
By Evan Bachman
Grading and analyzing each of the seven selections made by Jason Licht and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2020 NFL Draft.
There’s no doubt that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had a splashy offseason, changing the direction of their franchise with the Tom Brady signing. He doesn’t have too many good years left, so they need to make the most of his final years (or year) before he retires. So, heading into this draft they’re looking to add some pieces to a potential super bowl contending roster.
Coming into the draft the Brady signing made it obvious they wouldn’t be taking a quarterback high, but adding to their defense which was abysmal last season, in particular at safety was a big priority. On offense, filling a hole at right tackle to make sure Brady is well protected was also a big priority.
Unless otherwise noted, all combine results were found at 247 Sports.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at all seven selections.
1. player. 48. Pick Analysis. Tristan Wirfs. Scouting Report. OT. Iowa
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to trade up one spot to ensure they got protection for new quarterback Tom Brady. They ended up giving up their fourth-round pick and received a seventh-round pick from the San Francisco 49ers to move up from 14th overall to 13th overall.
With the 34-year-old Demar Dotson still not resigned heading into the draft, it was obvious the Buccaneers were looking to find his replacement in a loaded tackle class. Tristan Wirfs is a perfect fit as someone who can start right away and also has a lot of room to improve and develop into a high-level protector.
Wirfs is a very intriguing prospect who has a ton of potential. He’s 6-foot-5, 322 pounds, and moves pretty well for a man for that big. The best part of his game, however, is his ridiculous strength. He simply manhandles defenders at times on film.
He’s always firing off the snap as a run blocker and he could become an absolute mauler in that area. He also has the athleticism to be a nightmare to beat in pass protection.
He put on an absolute show at the combine posting a 4.85 40 yard dash, a modern offensive linemen record 36.5-inch vertical leap, and a tied for modern offensive linemen record 10-foot-1-inch broad jump, according to NFL.com. This performance showed just how athletic he is and solidified him as a top 15 pick.
Ultimately, getting Tom Brady more protection was a priority and that’s what they’re getting with this selection. This is an offense that was already capable of being one of the NFL’s best and adding Wirfs to this line only makes them more unstoppable.