2019 NFL Draft: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7 round mock draft
By Joe Romano
With a new coaching staff ready to lead the way, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to reverse last season’s fortune and it starts with the 2019 NFL Draft.
Despite no roster moves happening yet, there is optomism in Tampa Bay that the 2019 season is going to be much better than the 2018 season was. There is a new coaching staff in place, lead by veteran Bruce Arians. He has already spoken about empowering former number one overall pick Jameis Winston and fans are hopeful he can push Winston to another level. There is talent in a lot of key areas for this team. A strong 2019 draft will help propel them back to the playoffs in a very tough NFC South division.
This mock draft was done using Fanspeak’s On the Clock tool.
Round 1 – Pick 5
Jonah Williams, T, Alabama
With the first four picks being defensive lineman, that left the Buccaneers with complete control of this board. They could have gone in a ton of directions. There were edge players available like Clelin Ferrell or Brian Burns. Tampa could have addressed their secondary with Greedy Williams or Byron Murphy. In the end, it was a franchise tackle that was the most logical choice.
Alabama’s Jonah Williams has some doubters but I am not one of them. To me he is a franchise left tackle that can come in and play right away. I understand he does not have ideal measurables but the tape shows that this guy can play.
Williams is a perfectionist with his technique in pass protection. Going against some of the nation’s best pass rushers, he showed a blend of anchor ability and light feet. Of course longer pass rushers can get on top of him with deep drops from the quarterback. Over the 2018 season though Williams has been working on running those players up the arc. In the run game, he will need to get nastier but he has the ability and hand placement to be excellent when he brings his base.
Tampa Bay’s left tackle Donovan Smith is set to be free agent. It is likely he will be retained but a move to the right side may help his career. Smith struggled last year despite a strong start to his career. Protecting Jameis Winston will be key for Arians to get the most out of him.