Bucs seven-round mock draft: Tampa Bay trades down, but gets its tackle
The 2023 NFL draft is fast approaching, so what better time for a seven-round mock?
Bucs Wire used PFF’s Mock Draft Simulator to run through every round and pick of the NFL draft with trades allowed. We’ve compiled the Bucs’ picks from that mock draft down below, and we came out of the mock with a few surprises — namely, how Tampa Bay uses its first two picks.
Check out how the mock shaped out below:
Round 1, Pick 28 (from CIN) T Anton Harrison, Oklahoma
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Trade details
Cincinnati receives pick No. 19
Tampa Bay receives pick No. 28 and pick No. 60
The Bucs want a left tackle here, but they still think they can get it by trading down. The Bengals offer to give Tampa Bay their second-rounder, to which the Bucs oblige — the Bengals drafted Brian Branch, but Tampa Bay’s gambit paid off and they were able to select Oklahoma tackle Anton Harrison. Harrison will slide in right where Donovan Smith left off and RT Tristan Wirfs won’t have to move as a result.
Round 2, Pick 50: G Steve Avila, TCU
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Could the Bucs go o-line twice in a row? They do in this mock, as edge rushers like Mazi Smith, Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Derick Hall are already gone, so Tampa Bay continues to bolster its offensive line by grabbing TCU’s Steve Avila. Avila has played in big moments and has good strength and size as a guard, so he’d compete for one of the Bucs’ two open guard spots immediately.
Round 2, Pick 60 (from CIN): CB Clark Phillips III, Utah
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Slot corner is still a priority, and the Bucs get who they’re looking for with Clark Phillips III with the pick it got from the Bengals. Phillips has great ball instincts and coverage skills, and he would almost certainly start in Todd Bowles’ offense right from the jump.
Round 3, Pick 82: EDGE Nick Herbig, Wisconsin
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Tampa Bay addresses its EDGE problem by grabbing Nick Herbig in the third round. Herbig is a tad undersized for his position, but he was a big producer in sacks at Wisconsin, where plenty of great edge-rushing prospects have hailed from. His high motor will likely be attractive to Todd Bowles and Jason Licht, and he could see some decent initial playing time.
Round 5, Pick 153: C Juice Scruggs, Penn State
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Ryan Jensen is set to be at center for at least one more year, but the Bucs pick their third lineman of the draft and plan for the future. Scruggs is a late riser in the draft after his Combine, and Tampa Bay could brace itself for Jensen’s departure with some value in the fifth round.
Round 5, Pick 175: LB/S //Marte Mapu, Sacramento State
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Mapu has been on Tampa Bay’s radar for the whole draft process, and it isn’t without good reason. Mapu has been a playmaker at multiple positions for the Hornets, but he’ll likely play safety at the NFL level — he’s another late riser from the Senior Bowl that the Bucs could grab at the end of the fifth round here.
Round 6, Pick 179: IDL Brodric Martin, Western Kentucky
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More interior defensive line depth is never a bad thing, especially in later rounds like this. Brodric Martin has good physical measurements (aside from his hand size) and has good burst speed, so he would be a decent pickup who could rotate in with the Bucs’ defensive line depth if needed.
Round 6, Pick 181: QB Clayton Tune, Houston
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The Bucs take a chance on Clayton Tune here, who has already visited with the team. Tune is an accurate passer on the short and intermediate range with good size for a QB and the stats to back it up, but he falls to the sixth round here because his long-ball strength leaves something to be desired at the next level.
Round 6, Pick 196: G Anthony Bradford, LSU
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Tackles are a premium in this mock and have all but dried out at this stage of the draft, so the Bucs take another guard in Anthony Bradford. Bradford is a strong athlete whose size allows him to take on multiple assailants, but he may be a little slow to slide and could be scheme-dependant in the run game.
Round 7, Pick 252: LB Troy Brown, Ole Miss
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Tampa Bay goes linebacker with its last pick in the draft. Brown is a smaller linebacker who has good lateral movement but may not be helpful in the pass-rushing game like many linebackers are in the modern game. He’d come aboard as a potential special teams player at the next level.
