With only the Super Bowl remaining in the NFL season and the Bucs turning their attention over what’s next for Tampa Bay in an offseason already full of changes, Pewter Report takes a look at the latest mock drafts for your favorite football team. The Senior Bowl just finished and the NFL Scouting Combine is right around the corner so Bucs mock draft season is in full swing.

Here are the latest Bucs mock drafts from draft analysts with their opinions on how Tampa Bay should approach their picks this year.

Bucs Mock Draft Roundup

Lance Zerlein – NFL.com
Bucs 1st Round Pick: Florida QB Anthony Richardson

“The Bucs are headed into rebuild mode whether they like it or not. They shoot for the moon with the big, dual-threat QB from Florida who has boom-or-bust potential.”

Diante Lee – The Athletic
Bucs 1st Round Pick: South Carolina CB Cam Smith

South Carolina CB Cam Smith – Photo by: USA Today

The NFL will be eyeing the Buccaneers’ next moves after Tom Brady’s retirement. No matter what happens at QB, though, Tampa Bay could use more talent on the defensive perimeter, and Cam Smith has the size and play style to fit what Todd Bowles likes. Smith’s solid tackling ability means that he can play in the slot or outside. He has great feel for what offenses are trying to do, and he attacks the ball at every opportunity.

Trevor Sikkema – Pro Football Focus
Bucs 1st Round Pick: Florida OG O’Cyrus Torrence

“The Buccaneers’ “needs” will be fluid over the next few months. First and foremost, Tom Brady’s decision regarding playing football in Tampa Bay or at all in 2023 looms large. They also have a handful of important unrestricted free agents in Lavonte David, Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting. But, even with those departures on the horizon, trench play remains the biggest area of need.

“The Bucs need pass rush, but after drafting a defensive lineman with each of their past two top picks, I’m not sure they’d do that again. Instead, I have them truly replacing Ali Marpet at left guard with the best guard in college football last season. At 6-foot-5 and 350 pounds, the mammoth Torrence earned an 87.5 overall grade with an 89.9 run-blocking grade in his first SEC season.”

Luke Easterling – DraftWire: USA Today

Bucs 1st Round Pick: Alabama DB Brian Branch

Bucs 2nd Round Pick: LSU Edge B.J. Ojulari

Bucs 3rd Round Pick: Washington State ILB Daiyan Henley

“The Bucs are set to lose two of their top three corners (Jamel Dean, Sean Murphy-Bunting), as well as three of their top four safeties (Mike Edwards, Logan Ryan, Keanu Neal) to free agency. Why not spend their top pick on a player who can line up at corner on the outside, in the slot, or on the back end? Branch did all of that at a high level in Nick Saban’s defense, and would be a perfect fit for Todd Bowles’ scheme.”

Chris Trapasso – CBSSports.com
Bucs 1st Round Pick: Maryland OT Jaelyn Duncan

“Duncan is one of the more-gifted athletes at the offensive tackle spot in this class. The Buccaneers need to upgrade one of their tackle positions.”

NFL Draft Bible – SI.com

Mississippi State CB Emanuel Forbes – Photo by: USA Today

Bucs 1st Round Pick: Notre Dame Edge Isaiah Foskey

Bucs 2nd Round Pick: Mississippi State CB Emmanuel Forbes

“He spends a somewhat high percentage of snaps off-ball in run defense and coverage. He is respectable in man against tight ends and even running backs. Foskey is an explosive, clean unidirectional mover with good range at the first level. His soft change of direction is solid.”

Ben Rolfe – ProFootballNetwork.com
Bucs 1st Round Pick: South Carolina CB Cam Smith

“You could certainly make the case that we see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers try to go and get a rookie QB if one falls a little, but with their roster, I believe they address the position in free agency and try to stay at least a little competitive.
With that in mind and a couple of CB options potentially heading to free agency, Smith or Gonzalez make a lot of sense for the Buccaneers. The other top options would be addressing the pass rush with Isaiah Foskey or B.J. Ojulari or safety with Antonio Johnson.”

Zack Pearson – 247 Sports
Bucs 1st Round Pick: Texas RB Bijan Robinson

“The first running back is off the board as Texas prospect Bijan Robinson lands in Tampa Bay where there is a clear need for a No. 1 running back in the offense.”

Kyle Crabbs – TheDraftNetwork
Bucs 1st Round Pick: Alabama DB Brian Branch

“The Buccaneers are bidding farewell to Tom Brady (for real this time, seriously), but there are a lot more needs for this squad than just quarterback; the defensive side of the ball has a lot of expiring contracts and the unit regressed as a whole in 2022. Brian Branch is a physical tackler who is also diverse in his ability to cover in the slot, giving Todd Bowles a weapon in the secondary.”

Ian Cummings – Pro Football Network
Bucs 1st Round Pick: Pittsburgh DL Calijah Kancey

“Calijah Kancey will be one of the more polarizing prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. He’s listed at 6’0″, 275 pounds, and may weigh in closer to EDGE territory at the Combine. But Kancey’s elite athleticism and proportional length, coupled with an exceedingly violent style and relentless energy, makes him a nightmare at 3-tech, and he can feasibly move around.”

Eric Edholm – NFL.com
Bucs 1st Round Pick: South Carolina CB Cam Smith

“The Bucs certainly don’t mind drafting long, athletic corners. The need will be higher if they don’t bring back Jamel Dean and/or Sean Murphy-Bunting, both of whom are free agents.”