Two weeks from now, the 2022 NFL Draft will be nearly underway. The Bucs sit at No. 27 overall without any obvious, crying needs. That makes it a little bit of a mystery what direction they’ll go in the draft. But The Athletic’s draft expert Dane Brugler took a crack at predicting all six of the Bucs’ 2022 draft picks in his latest 7-round mock draft.

At No. 27, Brugler selected Georgia defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt. Based on my observations, this would be a home run pick in the eyes of most Bucs’ fans. Tampa Bay currently has just four of last year’s defensive tackle rotation under contract in Vita Vea, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Will Gholston and Pat O’Connor. And O’Connor is seldomly used on defense, so at least two rotation spots are open.

Georgia DT Devonte Wyatt – Photo by: USA Today

Wyatt would immediately fill a huge need for the Bucs, providing an athletic, disruptive 3-technique next to Vea. Last year at Georgia, Wyatt managed 2.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss. But he played as part of a deep rotation, only seeing the field for 423 snaps. During the pre-draft process, Wyatt has proven his athleticism and talent. He needs polish as a pass rusher, but he’s a good run defender with terrific explosiveness and range. Wyatt is the prototype defensive tackle that Bruce Arians’ described from the team’s wish list at the NFL Scouting Combine.

“For us right now, it’s quickness,” Arians said when asked at the Combine what the Bucs need up front. “We’ve got strength. We’ve got plenty of strength. We need some quickness in the interior pass rush. We’ve got a good outside pass rush. So for us, it’s watching these guys and seeing whose interior pass rush [fits us]. But also who is still stout enough to stop the run.

“We don’t need another Vita [Vea]. There’s not another one out there anyway. And if we get our guys back (Suh, Gholston, Steve McLendon), I’m fine too. But we need something quicker in there.”

Bucs Crush Day 2 In Brugler Mock Draft

Colorado State TE Trey McBride – Photo by: USA Today

In the second round, Brugler chose Colorado State tight end Trey McBride for the Bucs. McBride has visited with the team several times over the past few months. He was interviewed formally at the Combine, before meeting with Tampa Bay on a Top 30 visit recently. Since Rob Gronkowski has yet to make a decision on his future, Cam Brate is the only legit tight end on the roster right now. The Bucs are almost certain to select a tight end in this draft, and there is clear interest in McBride. This pick makes a lot of sense.

For the Bucs’ third round pick, Brugler selected UCLA offensive lineman Sean Rhyan. Again, this is very much a Bucs’ type of player. Rhyan played left tackle his entire career at UCLA, but will be a guard in the NFL. In the past, GM Jason Licht has selected college tackles (Ali Marpet, Alex Cappa, Robert Hainsey, Nick Leverett) to move them inside. Rhyan is a good athlete with terrific power and size. He also hasn’t missed a game in three seasons. He’s the prototype of what the Bucs look for along the offensive line.

Tampa Bay Lands Steal On Day 3

Texas A&M RB Isaiah Spiller- Photo by: USA Today

If the Bucs are able to come away with Texas A&M running back Isaiah Spiller in Round 4, every Bucs fan should be beaming. That’s how Brugler has it playing out. Spiller is a perfect fit in Tampa Bay, with the size, polish and well-rounded skill set to make an early impact. He may not have to, given Leonard Fournette and Giovani Bernard’s presence on the roster. But Spiller’s tackle-breaking and elusiveness, combined with excellent third down skills, would push for playing time anyway.

Brugler’s mock concludes with the Bucs selecting Michigan CB Vincent Gray and Clemson LB Baylon Spector in the seventh round.

This would be an outstanding haul for the Bucs. If they don’t trade back, it’s hard to imagine many better results playing out in two weeks. All that would be left is for the team to re-sign Gronkowski and Ndamukong Suh to complete the 2022 roster.

You can read the entire 32-team, 7-round mock draft right here.