Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Draft Picks 2020: Round-by-Round Results, Grades

How will the Buccaneers use their picks in the 2020 NFL draft? We break down every selection.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers missed the playoffs for the 12th consecutive season in 2019, finishing the year just 7-9. In the process, they became one of just two teams not to qualify for the postseasons in the 2010s. This offseason, however, the Buccaneers looked to revamp their franchise as they added six-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady and his former teammate, Rob Gronkowski

In the 2019 NFL draft, the Buccaneers added linebacker Devin White at No. 5 before taking cornerback Sean Bunting at No. 39 overall. In the third round they added two more pieces to their backend, adding cornerback Jamal Dean and safety Mike Edwards. In the fourth round, Tampa Bay selected defensive end Anthony Nelson. In the fifth it added kicker Matt Gay. The Bucs then rounded out their draft by selecting wide receiver Scott Miller and defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. 

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According to the MMQB's NFC South team needs, Tampa Bay does not have as many holes as a "typical 7-9 team," and as a result should focus on finding ready-made players who can contribute right away. The Buccaneers are in need of additional help on the offensive line, namely replacing former starting right tackle Demar Dotson. Tampa Bay should also target a wide receiver at some point in the draft as the team is short on depth after Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. An athletic safety or man-to-man corner is another possible defensive area of need. 

A full list of Tampa Bay's picks will be updated below as the draft progresses. You can also follow the AllBucs live blog

Round 1, Pick 13 (No. 13 overall, via trade with San Francisco): Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

Analysis from Andy Benoit: If you’re going to invest in a 42-year-old Tom Brady, you need to fill your glaring hole at right tackle. Insert Wirfs, who was an efficient, compact starting right tackle for three years at Iowa. Though his measurables are mostly normal—he’s nearly 6' 5"and has 34-inch arms—some feel that Wirfs’s playing style is better suited for the guard position. That’s an unlikely move for the Bucs, who have a quality left guard in Ali Marpet and spent a third-rounder on right guard Alex Cappa in 2018. Consider this a straightforward, value-needed selection. Grade: A-

Round 2, No. 25 overall: Antoine Winfield Jr., DB, Minnesota

Andy Benoit's analysis: Safeties are important in defensive coordinator Todd Bowles’s scheme. Incumbent 2017 second-rounder Justin Evans flashed decent range in 2018 but spent last season on IR. Versatile 2019 third-round pick Mike Edwards is intriguing, but was taken off the field at times in passing situations. Jordan Whitehead, a fourth-rounder in 2018, has some coverage versatility and at times flashes good closing speed, but he can’t quite be viewed as a cornerstone starter at this point. By drafting Winfield, the Bucs—theoretically—stabilize one safety spot, which, given their decent options in the players outlined above, makes it easier to stabilize the other safety spot. Grade: B+

Round 3, No. 76 overall: Ke'Shawn Vaughn, RB, Vanderbilt

Andy Benoit's analysis: Vaughn was a straightforward, one-path runner at Vanderbilt, which means the Bucs see him as a base down player. Is he here to add backfield depth? Or does Tampa Bay’s brass envision Vaughn challenging Ronald Jones? Grade: C+

Round 5, No. 161 overall: Tyler Johnson, WR, Minnesota

Round 6, No. 194 overall: Khalil Davis, DT, Nebraska

Round 7, No. 241 overall: Chapelle Russell, LB, Temple

Round 7, No. 245 overall: Raymond Calais, RB, Louisiana-Lafayette

This story will be updated


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Ben Pickman
BEN PICKMAN