The Tampa Bay Buccaneers managed to pull off a difficult feat this offseason. They somehow retained all 22 starters from the Super Bowl-winning roster. Even the kicker, Ryan Succop was re-signed to a three-year pact. It is common for teams of this caliber to lose a bunch of players, due to retirement or free agency, but the team did it.
Since the roster from a championship team is complete, using the term biggest need is a bit of a stretch. The Buccaneers appear to be done with free agency, which means all sights are set on the draft. Tampa Bay will be picking at the tail end of the first round and look to select the best player available.
The question more is what position requires more depth. In that regard, the Buccaneers could bolster their defensive line.
Nose tackle Vita Vea is a lock at the position for years to come, as he brings uncanny speed and pass-rushing ability to the Buccaneers, who are well aware of the reality that as a general rule, 347-pound men should not be able to move that quickly, on the football field or anywhere else on this planet. it is as marvel. Shifting gears, 3-4 defensive ends Ndamukong Suh and William Gholston are getting up there in age at 34 and 29 years old, respectively. The team could use an understudy for the position, especially since both men are in the last years of their contracts.
In what is looking to be a stacked draft, interior defensive lineman Christian Barmore could fall to the Buccaneers' laps all the way to the 32nd pick. Barmore is another prospect to come out of the Alabama factory. At 6'5, 310 pounds, he is a powerful athlete with an NFL-ready body. His active hands make it difficult for offensive linemen to get their hands on him. He has the versatility to line up all over the place and demand double teams.
While he has all the physical tools to succeed with the Buccaneers, he will have to add more moves to his arsenal, as he cannot simply overpower offensive lines at the next level, like he did at Tuscaloosa. Barmore could use some work against the run. He will have plenty of opportunities to learn from Suh, Gholston, and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.
If Barmore is unavailable, the Buccaneers could look to other prospects at the position, such as Washington's Levi Onwuzurike or Alim McNeill from North Carolina State.
Another direction the Buccaneers can go with is running back. Similar to the defensive end position, both Ronald Jones II and Leonard Fournette are in the last years of their contract. If either of the top running back prospects, Clemson's Travis Etienne, and Barmore's teammate Najee Harris are available the front office should seriously consider making the pick.
Tom Brady is fond of throwing passes to his running backs on the Buccaneers. While Jones and Fournette have proven capable in the passing game, it is not as significant a part of their game compared to Etienne and Harris.
However, in terms of importance running back is a position that can regularly be addressed later in the draft by the Buccaneers. Further, it is a plug-and-play position, so rookies can come in and start on the first week. Hence, an interior defensive lineman would be the wiser decision.
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