After a long wait between their fourth-round pick (No. 125) and their next pick, the Bucs were finally back on the clock with the No. 220 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft – the final pick in the sixth round. And with that pick, Tampa Bay selected UTEP guard Elijah Klein in hopes of adding competition to their offensive line room.

Klein is 6-foot-3, 306 pounds and played a lot of games at right guard over the course of his college career. He started four games in 2018, with two at left tackle and two at right tackle, before redshirting. In 2019, he appeared in eight games and started six of them at right guard. As a redshirt sophomore, he started all eight of the Miners’ games.

In what was considered another redshirt sophomore season in 2021 (thanks to the extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19), he was an All-Conference USA honorable mention after starting 13 games at right guard. Klein was once again an All-Conference USA honorable mention in 2022, starting another 12 games at right guard. He then started another 12 games to finish out his college career in 2023 and was a First Team All-Conference USA selection.

New Bucs G Elijah Klein Draws High Praise From Draft Analysts

Bucs G Elijah Klein – Photo courtesy of UTEP

NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger had high praise for Klein during the pre-draft process, touting his experience, versatility, length, raw strength and hard-hitting style.

.@UTEPFB @ElijahKlein79 has game experience; versatility; length; good raw strength; and he enjoys hitting people. And Tuff. Who doesnt love Elijah Klein??? Look forward to watching him at the next level. #nfldraft #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/SLElGxkTCm

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) April 16, 2024

Offensive line analyst Brandon Thorn had a fifth-round grade on Klein, so the Bucs drafting him with the final pick in the sixth round makes for good value. Thorn called the former UTEP mainstay an “efficient mover with good weight distribution and core strength” and said he “knows how to align targets on the move with solid burst and effective angles.”

Thorn had this to say about Klein:

“Klein is a five-year starter with 55 career starts inside UTEP’s run-heavy (58-42 run-pass split), including 12 starts at right guard in 2023. Klein has a well-rounded build with evenly dispersed weight throughout his frame, good arm length, athletic ability and play strength.”

You can read Thorn’s full breakdown on the newest Bucs guard here.

Bucs Looking To Complete Rebuild Of Their Offensive Line’s Interior

Bucs HC Todd Bowles, OL Graham Barton and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Klein was the second interior offensive lineman selected by the Bucs during the 2024 Draft, following No. 26 overall pick Graham Barton out of Duke. Barton, a tackle in college, will get a crack at transitioning to center for Tampa Bay. That leaves left guard as the lone position on the offensive line that doesn’t have a clear-cut starter.

It appears as if Klein could join the competition at left guard. After letting Matt Feiler and Aaron Stinnie walk away this offseason, the Bucs signed Ben Bredeson and Sua Opeta with an eye on them competing for the vacant starting left guard role.

While Klein was a right guard at UTEP, he may be asked to flip to the other side and play to the left of Barton, the team’s new center, and the right of Pro Bowl left tackle Tristan Wirfs.

Tampa Bay has been looking to rebuild the interior of its offensive line for a few years now, as the team saw left guard Ali Marpet retire earlier than expected before Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen went down with a career-ending knee injury during training camp ahead of the 2022 season.

It’s no sure thing that Tampa Bay will have solidified the left guard spot for the long term, but for right now, the composition of its offensive line will look something like this:

LT: Tristan Wirfs/Justin Skule
LG: Sua Opeta/Ben Bredeson/Elijah Klein
C: Graham Barton/Robert Hainsey/Ben Bredeson
RG: Cody Mauch/Elijah Klein
RT: Luke Goedeke/Brandon Walton