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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a few needs entering the 2020 NFL Draft, and they addressed all of them.
Right off the bat, the Buccaneers traded up to take University of Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs with the 13th overall pick, snatching a guy who could possibly be the final piece to what was already a solid Tampa Bay offensive line.
Tampa Bay also addressed its secondary and its running game, selecting University of Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Sr. and Vanderbilt running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn in the second and third round, respectively.
So, after adding even more pieces in the draft, are the Bucs now better than the New Orleans Saints in the NFC South?
It has certainly been one heck of an offseason for the Buccaneers, who got things started with a bang when they signed legendary quarterback Tom Brady to a two-year deal last month.
Unlike in New England, where Brady was bereft of targets outside of Julian Edelman this past season, the future Hall-of-Famer will have a plethora of options in Tampa Bay ranging from wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to the Bucs' tight end triumvirate that includes O.J. Howard, Cameron Brate and the recently acquired Rob Gronkowski.
As soon as Brady signed, we saw the potential of the Bucs' offense, but we also saw a hole at right tackle, a questionable running game and a defensive backfield that was just alright.
Well, Buccaneers' general manager Jason Licht saw the very same thing and made sure to patch those holes, which makes Tampa Bay that much more dangerous.
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Of course, Tampa Bay is chasing the Saints, who have won three straight NFC South division titles. New Orleans is the favorite by default going into 2020, as it didn't lose anyone of significance this offseason and finally added a legitimate No. 2 receiver in Emmanuel Sanders.
The Saints are the division champs until they are beaten, and we have to respect that.
However, it's hard not to look at the Bucs' roster and think that this team has a very real shot of not only dethroning New Orleans, but making a deep playoff run.
Don't get me wrong: the jury is still largely out on the Buccaneers. This is a franchise that has not made the playoffs in 12 years, and Brady will be 43 years old at the start of next season and is coming off of a very shaky 2019-20 campaign. Were Brady's struggles primarily due to the Patriots' lack of weapons? Or was Father Time finally catching up to him?
It was probably a combination of both, but it remains to be seen how much of an adverse effect the lack of options Brady had in Foxborough had on the GOAT. He certainly won't have that same problem in Tampa Bay.
Obviously, we need to see the product on the field before we go crowning anybody. Just ask the Cleveland Browns. But with Brady under center and a loaded roster on both sides of the ball, the Bucs are unquestionably a massive threat to the Saints…and everybody else.
