2020 NFL Draft: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-round mock

Third Round

While the Buccaneers could address offensive tackle at No. 14, they still need to have one of the top-four in the 2020 NFL Draft fall to them. That could happen, but in this mock draft, Tampa Bay opted to go with the defensive lineman Kinlaw out of South Carolina. They will now address the offensive tackle issue by taking Matt Peart out of UConn with the No. 76 pick in the third round.

Peart was a four-year starter at UConn. He played both right and left tackle in college, making First-Team All-AAC during his senior season in Storrs. At 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, Peart has the frame to put on a few more pounds to be an even more imposing presence on either side of the line. Though still a work in progress physically, you have to like him playing a ton while at UConn.

Surely, it will be a baptism by fire for Peart in the NFL. He will be in charge of keeping 43-year-old quarterback Tom Brady upright during his first year with the Buccaneers. It is a risky proposition, but we know how Buccaneers’ head coach Bruce Arians feels about taking risks. “No risk it, no biscuit.”

Even though the Buccaneers could get a better prospect at offensive tackle in the top half of the first round, collegiate starting experience is even more valuable under the new CBA. By drafting Peart in the third round, it allows general manager Jason Licht to take Kinlaw and Dobbins in the first two rounds. There is still room for Peart to grow as an offensive tackle.