NFL power rankings: Who is biggest threat to Patriots?
By Brad Weiss
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, NFC South
One of the more exciting teams heading into the 2017 NFL regular season is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by one of the better young quarterbacks in football. Jameis Winston was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, and he was well worth the pick. He has gotten gradually better in each of his first two seasons, and has his Bucs on the verge of being a perennial playoff contender.
Wide receiver Mike Evans is another incredible young talent, and has the ability to score at any moment. This offseason, the Bucs went out and added DeSean Jackson to the fold, giving them another guy who can stretch the field. At tight end, the Bucs can now compliment Cameron Brate with O.J. Howard, who could prove to be one of the bigger steals of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Not only is Tampa Bay solid on offense, but their defense is going to be fun to watch as well this season. The front line on defense is led by Gerald McCoy, Robert Ayers, and William Gholston, giving them one of the better units in all of football. The team also went out and revamped their secondary, led by cornerback Brent Grimes, so the unit should be better in 2017.
The NFC South is going to be a tough one, and it could yield up to three playoff teams. The Bucs will play second-fiddle to no-one this season, and Winston could emerge as a top-5 quarterback in the NFC. Doug Martin needs to stay healthy to give this team a legitimate run game, and if he does, the sky is the limit for the Bucs.