NFL free agency is starting to wind down with two weeks now in the books since the start of the new league year, and while there will still be plenty of moves made as the offseason progresses, many have started to turn their attention to the NFL Draft that is set to commence in less than a month from Green Bay, Wisconsin.
With mock drafts running amok all over the internet, it becomes excruciating not to think about what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will do when it’s their time on the clock. Mock drafts can get tiring, so there are always ways to garner the attention of fans, and FOX Sports did just that by releasing their top draft picks at each pick position over the last decade.
You might think that the Bucs could have easily posted numerous players on this list, but as it ended up, FOX only had one Tampa Bay player as the top option at his selection number in All-Pro offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, who the franchise chose with the 13th overall pick in the 2020 draft.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers ffensive tackle Tristan Wirfs at the line of scrimmage against the Kansas City Chiefs. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images
“As we mentioned, the talent and depth among players taken at No. 13 is incredible. Five of the 10 guys taken 13th already have multiple Pro Bowl nods, and two more have at least one,” FOX Sports reporter Greg Auman wrote. “We’ll go with Wirfs here, already an All-Pro at left and right tackle, and this competition is deep enough we’ll give shout-outs to two who would get honorable mentions at most spots: edge Haason Reddick and tackle Rashawn Slater.”
It is hard to argue that Wirfs doesn’t belong here despite the 13th being one of the more deep picks in the past decade. Wirfs won a Super Bowl his rookie season and since has accumulated four Pro Bowls, two All-Pros (one from each tackle spot) and earned himself a five-year, $140 million contact that made him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history.
Slater, in my opinion, would be the clear next in line behind Wirfs, but it’s also great to see the Buccaneers’ recent signing, Haason Reddick, being mentioned here even after last season where he was pretty much non-existent for the New York Jets after holding out for almost half the year.
Wirfs might have been the only Buccaneer to make the list, but Tampa Bay also featured three honorable mentions with aforementioned and newly signed edge rusher Haason Reddick (13), Vita Vea (12) who was beat out by Dallas Cowboys’ linebacker Micah Parsons and Calijah Kancey (19) who was beat out by Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons.
