The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Minnesota Vikings both improved a lot during the 2020 NFL draft. There has been a lot of chatter about both team's drafts with most saying they were two of the better teams to come away from draft weekend. But who had the better draft? Let's breakdown each team's draft, and who came out on top.
Buccaneers draft
The Buccaneers knew coming into the draft they needed to improve their offensive line. The Buccaneers started the draft off by selecting offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs out of Iowa. Wirfs should be able to come in right away and help keep Tom Brady upright.
In the second round the Buccaneers selected Antonie Winfield Jr, who is a bit undersized but if he stays healthy could end up being the steal of the draft.
The Bucs went offense with the next two picks selecting running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn and Tyler Johnson. Getting Johnson in the fifth round to be a third or fourth wide receiver is a steal. With Minnesota, all he did was make plays. In the NFL with the attention going to Chris Goodwin, Mike Evans, and Rob Gronkowski, Johnson is going to have plenty of chances.
The Buccaneers finished the draft by selecting Khalil Davis, Chapelle Russell, and Raymond Calais.
Vikings Draft
The Vikings first half of the draft was strong, and while taking good players they were able to trade back to stockpile draft picks for late in the draft and next season.
The Vikings needed a big-time wide receiver to replace Stefon Diggs. The draft board fell perfectly for the Vikings to select Justin Jefferson out of LSU. They were also able to trade back to get more draft capital and still select cornerback Jeff Gladney who should be able to start right away.
In the second round, the Vikings selected offensive tackle Ezra Cleveland. He might not be able to play as a rookie but in a few years he could be a high-level starter.
Some other highlights for the Vikings from their draft class were James Lynch and Troy Dye in the 4th round. Harrison Hand was selected in the 5th round, and quarterback Nate Stanley was selected in the seventh round.
The rest of the draft class included Cameron Dantzler, D.J. Wonnum, K.J Osborn, Blake Brandel, Josh Metellus, Kenny Willekes, Nate Stanley, Brian Cole II, and Kyle Hinton. With the lack of offseason training, it looks like the Vikings wanted to make sure they got their guys, instead of trying to have to fight for the UDFA route.
So who won?
There is no doubt that both teams had great drafts, and for different reasons. The Buccaneers got a lot of steals in their drafts that should be able to contribute right away. For the Buccaneers, they are players who can contribute right away which is key for a team that feels like they can win a Super Bowl this year.
The Vikings selected guys at the top of draft who contribute right away. They also took a lot of flyers late on guys that could work out, but have very little risk. How good the Vikings draft is probably won't be known for at least a couple of years down the road.
Coming into the draft, the Buccaneers were a Super Bowl contender. After the draft, they got a lot better and at least three rookies in Wirfs, Winfield Jr, and Johnson will play key roles on their team. They will also be guys who should have long careers, so after Brady hangs up the cleats they can still be good players for the Bucs.
Both of these teams had strong drafts, but the winner is the Buccaneers.
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