Teams are putting the finishing touches on their preparation as the 2015 NFL Draft is nearly here.
To preview the draft for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I got together with Jose Martinez of The Pewter Plank. Below are my questions followed by his answers.
1. What are the team’s biggest needs heading into the draft and how might they address them?
"Offensive line, defensive end and quarterback are the Buccaneers’ biggest needs. With the No. 1 overall pick, the team should address the QB position by selecting either Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston. In the second round, I believe the team will go after the best offensive lineman on the board. In the following round, they will probably focus on getting a quality pass rusher, if the opportunity presents itself. If not, you can’t go wrong with another offensive lineman because the team needs to not only address the issue as soon as possible, but they need to get younger."
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2. What needs to happen for this draft to be considered a success?
"I believe that by getting a quarterback with the No. 1 pick and not trading down, this draft is already a success. There are solid offensive pieces already in place with the wide receiving duo of Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson and young tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, but they need a talented player under center who can lead in the locker room and the huddle, but can also get them the ball. However, to ensure that this draft is a success, the Buccaneers need to be lucky enough to have an offensive lineman who was projected to go late in the first round fall into the team’s lap in the second round. Say, Florida State’s Cam Erving or Miami’s Ereck Flowers. It’s a very, very unlikely scenario, but anything is possible."
3. What in your mind would make this draft a failure?
"They trade the No.1 pick. Just the mere thought of hearing commissioner Roger Goodell announce that the Buccaneers are trading down makes me shudder. This is a franchise-altering opportunity and if they were to mess this up by not taking a quarterback, this draft would be worse than a failure, if that’s even possible. This draft can also be a failure if the Buccaneers stray from their plan of attack and don’t use that second rounder on an offensive lineman or defensive end."
4. What is a bold prediction for your team this draft?
"The Buccaneers have been rumored to be enamored with Ereck Flowers’ talent and skill set at tackle. My bold prediction would be that the team trades away two picks, like a second and fourth rounder, in order to get a late pick in the first round to pick Flowers. No pun intended. I don’t like the idea of the team getting into that type of mindset when it comes to getting a young offensive lineman. But it’s no secret that Tampa Bay needs help in that area so badly that desperate times may call for desperate measures."
5. What is a draft angle the general public might not be aware of for your team?
"It’s pretty clear what the Buccaneers want to do in the early rounds of the draft. The top pick will most likely be used on a quarterback and the second rounder will probably involve an offensive lineman or pass rusher. However, the Bucs could use the later rounds on the secondary. Even though the team has a built up a solid nucleus at cornerback and safety, Mike Jenkins, Sterling Moore, Bradley McDougald and Chris Conte have deals which expire after the 2015 season. A player in day three of this year’s draft could prove to be a diamond in the rough and become a starter as soon as 2016."
For full Buccaneers coverage, check out The Pewter Plank.
Next: 2-Round 2015 NFL Mock Draft