We’re just days away from the start of the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a team that appears to be able to go a number of ways on Thursday night in the first round.
The Bucs hold the 26th overall pick and have a number of different ways they can go. With needs at cornerback, guard, center, edge, cornerback, and linebacker, there are a number of players who could be attractive options to Bucs general manager Jason Licht.
Here are six players who would be logical selections for the Bucs when they make their pick on Thursday night.
C Jackson Powers-Johnson
It goes without saying that the Bucs can use a makeover on the inside of their offensive line. If – and it’s a big if – Powers-Johnson is still on the board late in the first round, he is the kind of player that the Bucs need. The entire line had a different attitude with Ryan Jensen anchoring it in the middle during the Bucs’ Super Bowl run. Powers-Johnson is a tough and athletic specimen who should mark a significant upgrade over Robert Hainsey.
OL Graham Barton
Barton is a specimen at 6’5″, 313 pounds. He can play pretty much anywhere along the line too, which is an added bonus. With the left guard spot up for grabs this year and the Bucs also needing improvement at center, Barton could serve as a significant upgrade somewhere in the interior.
CB Nate Wiggins
Adding another boundary corner should be in the team’s plans after shipping Carlton Davis to Detroit last month. Wiggins has size (6’2″, 185 pounds) and provides a physical presence on the edge. He would be a day one starter for a defense that needs to get better in the secondary. He could be a player the Bucs have to jump up to take.
Edge Laiatu Latu
He might leave something to be desired as a run defender at this point, but Latu has been superb getting after the quarterback. His 23.5 sacks over the last two years prove that. While sometimes talent overrules production on the college level (i.e., scouts drooling over Chop Robinson despite a lack of sacks), Latu has proven that he’s among this draft’s best off the edge. If the Bucs are satisfied with his medical report, he could be an answer to a big question mark on the roster.
CB Kool-Aid McKinstry
McKinstry has good length at 6’1″ and is a smart, instinctive player. He posted an 87.8 Pro Football Focus coverage grade in 2023. He should be able to hold his own in zone and man coverages. There’s also a decent chance he’d still be on the board at 26, so parting with picks to get him likely wouldn’t be an issue.
Edge Jared Verse
Verse is more likely than not to be gone by 26. But if he’s still there at 20, he would be worth going up after. Verse is a very capable defender both against the run and off the edge as a pass rusher. His pass rushing numbers were strong in 2023, with 9 sacks and a 90.8 Pro Football Focus pass rushing grade.
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