2022 NFL Draft: Tampa Bay Buccaneers retool in 7-round mock draft
By Kyle Edmond
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers retool in this 7-round mock draft for perhaps one last big run.
The defending Super Bowl Champions will not be returning to the NFL’s biggest stage. In fact, they won’t even get the chance to play for that opportunity, being eliminated by the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. Now, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking towards the 2022 NFL Draft, just like 27 other teams around the league.
This upcoming offseason will be an incredibly important one for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They have benefited the last two seasons from veterans taking pay cuts to play with Tom Brady for a shot at a ring. That could continue, but there’s no guarantee that Brady will be back on the field next year. On top of that, the Bucs are set to potentially lose a lot of key pieces.
The list of upcoming free agents for the Buccaneers is a lengthy one. On the offensive side it includes nearly the entire running back room, two starting offensive lineman and Chris Godwin. As for the defensive side, Ndamukong Suh, William Gholston and Jason Pierre-Paul are all set to enter free agency along with Carlton Davis and Jordan Whitehead in the secondary.
Even if Brady returns, this Tampa Bay team will surely look different going into next season around him. Whether it be cheap veterans or a slew of youth, the Bucs’ front office is going to have to get creative this offseason, and that starts with the 2022 NFL Draft.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2022 NFL Draft 7-round mock
Before we jump into the picks, one baseline tidbit. I’m going into this with the thought that Brady is in fact returning. He’ll turn 45 in August and he’s hinted for awhile that playing at 45 was the goal. It’s also hard to see him going out without at least a championship round appearance if he can help it. With Brady returning and Kyle Trask from the 2021 NFL Draft’s second round, there isn’t a need for a quarterback in this class, which is slim pickings anyway.
Note: This draft was completed using the mock draft machine at The Draft Network.