The current Bucs are more fun to watch than past versions that made draft season start in October. But it’s never too early to think about who could be on the team’s radar during the upcoming college football season and throughout next spring.

These days, draft gurus begin releasing their “way-too-early” mock drafts on the same day that the current year’s draft ends. So, while Matt Miller’s 2023 mock draft isn’t the first 32-team projection we’ve seen for next year’s class, it’s the latest look at who could potentially be on the board for the Bucs next April.

Texas A&M DB Antonio Johnson – Photo by: USA Today

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Miller has the Bucs addressing their secondary with their first pick in next year’s draft. Based on projections from ESPN’s Football Power Index, Tampa Bay holds the No. 26 pick in this mock draft. And with it, Miller has the team selecting Texas A&M defensive back Antonio Johnson. Here’s what Miller had to say about the selection.

“Predicting what Tampa will do almost a year out is impossible without knowing if it will be rebuilding or reloading for another run with quarterback Tom Brady. Either way, one strength of this team during the Super Bowl run in 2020 was a young secondary that attacked offenses. Coach Todd Bowles could invest in the defensive backfield, and the versatile Johnson is exactly the kind of player Bowles has liked in his career. Johnson was Texas A&M’s second-leading tackler (79) last season, and he also had a sack and an interception.”

Johnson is entering his junior season with the Aggies. On the surface, it makes sense that he would be a potential first-round pick. He played in seven games and made one start as a freshman in 2020 before breaking out in 2021. Starting all 12 games for Texas A&M last year, he finished second on the team with 79 tackles. He also posted 8.5 tackles for loss, five pass breakups, a sack and an interception.

Projecting The Bucs’ Needs Heading Into 2023

It’s understandable that Miller went with a defensive back here for Tampa Bay. The Bucs have a good (some might say elite) group already, but three starters are in contract years in 2022. Jamel Dean, Sean Murphy-Bunting and Mike Edwards are all playing for second contracts this season. It’s unlikely that all three will be back in 2023. Not to mention, both Logan Ryan and Keanu Neal are on one-year deals with the team. So, it feels like a safe bet that cornerback/safety might be a main priority for general manager Jason Licht and his staff next spring.

Bucs LB Lavonte David – Photo by: USA Today

With that said, it’s not a given that the Bucs will address their secondary with their first selection in the 2023 Draft. Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds wrote in this week’s Bucs Monday Mailbag that the team could have a big need at the inside linebacker position very soon.

Lavonte David is 32 years old and will be a free agent again at the end of this year. Even if he is back in 2023, he’ll be 33 and approaching the end of his career. The Bucs would probably like to have his eventual replacement already on the roster. Not to mention, 2023 will be a contract year for Devin White. Tampa Bay will have to make a decision on him at some point, whether before next season or after. So, inside linebacker could trump the secondary as a bigger need when it comes time for the Bucs to make their first pick in next year’s draft.

Tampa Bay could even go off the board. Perhaps Brady leaves or retires and a feeling develops that Kyle Trask isn’t the quarterback of the future. Might the Bucs pick a quarterback late in the first round? It would give them the fifth-year option to work with. Pass rushers are always a need, so maybe Tampa Bay goes that route. It’s a hard call to make right now, but as the season rolls on and eventually comes to an end, the picture will certainly clear up.