Mistake Buccaneers should avoid in the 2022 NFL Draft

Tampa Bay should avoid making this costly mistake in the 2022 NFL Draft.

We have seen NFL teams in the past make mistakes in the NFL Draft. Whether that is taking the best available player or a player that might not be as highly thought of by the overwhelming majority of scouts/analysts.

The Bucs seemed to have remedied this in recent history, hitting on a number of their picks, especially in the middle rounds.

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Damian Parson of the Draft Network, just released an article on mistakes all 32 teams should avoid making in the 2022 NFL Draft. Many Bucs fans and those who cover the team will agree that the mistake Parson identifies for the Buccaneers is the correct one.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: PASS ON DRAFTING ZION JOHNSON

Quarterback Tom Brady’s return was great for the Buccaneers. Center Ryan Jensen has re-signed and they traded for Brady’s former teammate Shaq Mason to play right guard. All that leaves is the void from Ali Marpet’s retirement to fill.

Offensive lineman Zion Johnson is the ideal candidate for this position, helping to give Brady the protection he requires to slice and dice opposing defenses. They could add another receiver or cornerback, but over Johnson? That would be a bad decision considering the plug and play impact he would have on that line.

The Bucs have done a great job in retaining and building their offensive line since the return of Tom Brady from his retirement, but can they afford to pass on one of the better guards of this draft in Zion Johnson out of Boston College?

At 6'3" and just shy of 320 pounds, Johnson is just the type of athletic big body the Bucs should be looking to add to their offensive line. Johnson can not only help protect Brady in the passing game, but can be an addition to the run game as well.

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In his last season with Boston College, Johnson posted grades of 80+ in both run and pass blocking, while only receiving one penalty all season. He also shined during the Senior Bowl, where he did not lose one single rep in pass protection.

The Bucs do have Aaron Stinnie, who played admirably in the postseason leading up to the team's Super Bowl win when Ali Marpet went down with an injury, returning next season. He would be a serviceable starter now that Marpet is gone, so ultimately the team should look at Johnson as a plug-and-play player that would help with depth along the offensive line.

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It has been reported that the Bucs are set to host Arkansas Razorback WR Treylon Burks, but they would be smart to draft help on the offensive line before starting to look for playmakers on the outside or help in the secondary.

Stay tuned to BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the offseason.

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