Buccaneers Roster Ready-Made for a Super Bowl run in 2022

According to the tier organization of the NFC by one NFL analyst.

NFL.com's Mark Sessler wrote the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looked like they were sailing into darkness until quarterback Tom Brady reversed his course and put the team back onto a championship path. 

Bruce Arians' retirement from being the head coach of the team will certainly impact the outlook some have on the team, but it's not like Todd Bowles is the new guy in town, and Byron Leftwich has been there for three years, including the last two with Brady. 

So the Bucs are once again darlings of the NFC, but they're not alone, since the defending Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams still exist. 

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"If the Rams stay healthy, their biggest obstacle remains the Buccaneers," Sessler wrote. Noting the losses of offensive linemen Ali Marpet and Alex Cappa while applauding the additions of guard Shaq Mason and wide receiver Russell Gage. 

Even with tight end Rob Gronkowski contemplating retirement, the 2022 NFL Draft class looks to have enough talent to help bolster a unit that would lean on veteran Cameron Brate as the top guy in the group. 

If Gronk returns, then it's still likely the team adds a tight end in the draft, just at a lesser level of immediate need. 

With Gage, Tampa Bay has a solid chance at fielding mismatches all over the field against any defense they face in the season, and with plenty of talent to be had in the draft, they'll only get better - if they choose to do so. 

The question right now mostly exists around the defense with starting safety Jordan Whitehead departed for the New York Jets, and questions handing around young cornerbacks Jamel Dean, and especially Sean Murphy-Bunting. 

Keanu Neal and Logan Ryan are strong free-agent additions to the secondary, but none figures to take the group off the draft needs list at any point in the draft this year. 

READ MORE: Chance Gronk Plays for a Team Other Than the Bucs?

And of course, with Ndamukong Suh still unsigned as of this writing, the need for defensive line help is immediate and persistent.

Like any team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have vulnerabilities. The key is having assets in place to minimize them against opponents with the capabilities of exploiting those weak areas. 

That is the challenge that awaits Jason Licht, Todd Bowles, and the Bucs moving into the end of April. 

Get it right, and they'll be primed for the next challenge. Reclaiming the throne as the best team in the NFC.

For more on this and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers check out James Yarcho and David Harrison on the Locked On Bucs Podcast!