Texas Running Back Bijan Robinson to Buccaneers Picking Up Steam
It's speculation season, and that means there are some wild theories floating around about what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might do in the NFL Draft - including possibly taking Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Will Levis.
The support for taking Levis at No. 19 by the Bucs is that the team clearly doesn't have an established plan for the future of its quarterback position.
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Well, the same could be said about Tampa Bay's running back situation.
While the team is hopeful, and fans are optimistic, that 2022 NFL Draft pick Rachaad White can build on the potential he showed in his rookie season, hope isn't tangible.
And if the argument is going to be made that the Buccaneers should continue looking for top quarterback talent until they have an elite proven player at the top, then we can say the same about running backs.
This is why the idea the Bucs might target Texas Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson with their top pick is quickly picking up steam.
“Baker Mayfield is the quarterback for the Bucs, right? Listen if they want a shot at winning the South...you need to get Mayfield a run game," Kay Adams recently said on her show Up & Adams. "And this is a guy that can change the entire complexion of the offense. Especially with the way this kid can catch out of the backfield. There’s a lot of talent in Tampa but I think the recipe for winning the division is not having Mayfield drop back 50 times a game. It didn’t work for Brady, it’s not going to work for Baker.”
Adams has a point.
Brady spent much of his final season under duress, and even when he wasn't it was apparent the suspect performance of his offensive line was having a cumulative effect on the pressure he felt.
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If the greatest cerebral quarterback of all time is susceptible to that kind of mental wear and tear, then it's unreasonable to expect Mayfield to withstand the same.
And Tampa Bay is going to have to add a running back in the NFL Draft regardless, right?
White certainly can't do it by himself and the days of a single back leading the rushing attack in the NFL are all but gone.
In a world where teams like the Bucs should be investing in running backs every season due to their high propensity for being injured and breaking down, and with an unproven quarterback situation, if you're going to take a ball carrier...why not get the best one?
Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82
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