Heading into the bye week and now through a quarter of the season, the Bucs are 3-1 and lead the NFC South. The team has performed better than most expected, and so have some players at positions that previously had glaring question marks. 

Highlighting three of the biggest, the best secondary play has become from guys not named Carlton Davis III and Jamel Dean. Christian Izien and Dee Delaney each have two interceptions, while Zyon McCollum has taken a large step in his second season.

Ditto for right tackle Luke Goedeke, who has been the Bucs’ best offensive lineman not named Tristan Wirfs. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is making his best case for remaining a long-term solution, completing 69.6% of his passes, having a 7:2 TD-INT ratio, and possessing an efficient 69 QBR that ranks seventh in the league. 

It is still early, but these once-roster needs have become strengths. On the contrary, some players have disappointed with larger roles. Looking ahead to next season, where should the Bucs be looking to improve?

Bucs Team Needs

Center

Bucs C Robert Hainsey – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Along the offensive line, one player the Bucs had a lot of hope in is now floundering. Robert Hainsey filled in last season after Ryan Jensen’s injury and held down the fort with his play. Hainsey was not a world-beater but did enough to not draw criticism and start all 17 regular season games.

His play has taken a step back this season despite securing another season’s worth of starts. While teammates have credited him for being the smartest player up front, Hainsey has been disappointing so far, showing a lack of physicality to hold up against bigger defensive linemen while struggling in pass protection.

With Jensen looking unlikely to continue his career and Hainsey looking more like a capable backup than a starter, shoring up the center position is a priority when the NFL draft rolls around. It’s hard to get a center in free agency, as while Connor Williams has impressed with the Dolphins, he would come with a large price tag.

Looking at some early prospects, the top options include Georgia’s Sedrick Van Pran and West Virginia’s Zach Frazier, although the Bucs could go with their commonly used formula of drafting a tackle and moving them inside. Moving Cody Mauch to center could also be considered.

Left Guard

Duke OL Graham Barton – Photo by: USA Today

There is another need up front, and that is who lines up to the left of Robert Hainsey. Matt Feiler was signed as a free agent from the Chargers, and the hope was that he could be a stopgap. He had 73 games of starting experience prior to coming to Tampa Bay – and besides last season – Feiler had a track record of slightly above-average play. That trend has not reemerged so far.

The 31-year-old Feiler is massive at 6-foot-6, 330 pounds, but he has failed to move people or keep them in front of him. He was never expected to be a long-term fix, but the band-aid is already starting to come off. 

Assuming the team looks at the draft to address this need, some top prospects include Donovan Jackson, who is a former five-star prospect and is a highly regarded left guard at Ohio State. Kansas State’s Cooper Beebe is also intriguing, as he has played at both tackle spots as well as left guard. At 335 pounds, his scouting report credits him with having a sturdy frame and plus lateral agility for his size.

One other name worth mentioning is Duke’s Graham Barton, who could potentially be an option at center or left guard. Barton is versatile and nimble at 6-foot-5, 314 pounds, and he started five games at center in 2020 before being the team’s left tackle in 2021 and 2022.

Tight End

One disappointing position group for the Bucs on offense is the play they have received at tight end. Cade Otton has struggled to create much separation besides his shovel pass touchdown catch on Sunday. Although offensive coordinator Dave Canales recently said he is satisfied with the production the group has provided, it is a group that has underwhelmed having an impact.

Otton has 12 receptions for 89 yards through four games, while David Wells – the only other tight end with a reception – has two catches for negative-10 yards. Ko Kieft is not a receiving threat and serves as nothing more than a blocker. Fifth-round draft pick Payne Durham has been inactive every game this season so far, leaving the Bucs in a precarious position. 

Would they look to draft their fourth tight end in three years in the spring? Or should they look at veteran options? 

Hunter Henry and Dalton Schultz would be the most proven options on the free agent market, while Irv Smith could be an upside play.

The Bucs will not be in a position to draft Georgia’s Brock Bowers if they keep winning, but Texas’ Ja’Tavion Sanders is the best prospect after him. In fact, a recent two-round mock draft by Pro Football Network had the Bucs selecting him in the second round.

Inside Linebacker

Clemson ILB Barrett Carter and Florida State QB Jordan Travis – Photo by: USA Today

This need is not based on the play of the team’s inside linebackers so far, as Lavonte David and Devin White still man their roles as leaders on the Bucs’ defense. But what happens after this season?

David is 33 years old and realistically nearing a drop-off. After re-signing with the team on a one-year deal, the Bucs could elect to get younger at the position.

Devin White is playing on his fifth-year option and is what you could say frustratingly good. Good enough to play like a top linebacker, as he did in the season opener against the Vikings and make crucial plays, such as his interception against the Eagles. His ceiling is sky-high, but he does not reach it every game.

Will Tampa Bay be able to afford keeping him in town when there are deals for Antoine Winfield Jr., Tristan Wirfs, and potentially Baker Mayfield left to be written? 

If not, and if David and White are not in the team’s long-term plans, that leaves them with just SirVocea Dennis and K.J. Britt. Who could be brought in to fill their void(s)?

The free agent options are not necessarily enticing and brimming with young talent. After Iowa’s Jack Campbell blipped on the team’s radar earlier this spring during the draft, the team would likely look at getting younger and faster. Clemson boasts a duo of Barrett Carter and Jeremiah Trotter Jr., who are arguably the position’s two best prospects. Tommy Eichenberg had a big 2022 at Ohio State and at this point is mocked as being a third-rounder.

Defensive Tackle

Outside of Vita Vea, the defensive line lacks a true difference-maker up front. Calijah Kancey was expected to play a prominent role and is key for the long-term, but up to now he has played just 11 snaps and is still dealing with a right calf injury. Logan Hall has half a sack and a fumble recovery through four games, but until further notice profiles as an ideal rotational player, who is cast into the role of a starter.

Mike Greene and Greg Gaines have done little to impact the trenches, while Will Gholston is more of a boon to the locker room and as a mentor than a starter. 

Let’s say the only locks on the roster next season are Vea, Kancey, and Hall. That leaves the team looking for a couple more defensive linemen, guys with more upside than who is currently rostered.

The Bucs could very well enter the free agency foray and find another piece. The top veteran options outside of Chris Jones include Grover Stewart, D.J. Reader, and Sheldon Rankins, while Javon Kinlaw and Teair Tart are a similar age to Gaines and could be brought in to be more than stopgaps.

Looking at the college ranks, most mock drafts at this point have Miami’s Leonard Taylor, Michigan’s Kris Jenkins, LSU’s Maason Smith, and Ohio State’s Michael Hall Jr. in some order as late first-round to early Day 2 selections.

Running Back

For the struggles between the tackles, Rachaad White has not done himself many favors early on in the season. Given the reins as the team’s bellcow back, White has averaged just 3.3 yards a carry on 63 attempts. While Canales will be stubborn running the ball, the results need to start showing soon. Otherwise, the second-year back may lose his prime opportunity at a prominent role.

After the controversy this season about running backs getting paid, it is doubtful Tampa Bay would pay another back after Leonard Fournette’s contract failed to provide much value. Taking a running back in the draft is again an exercise of opportunity cost, but should an addition to the room be considered, Michigan’s Blake Corum and Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen have built impressive college resumes in the Midwest and would offer a bruising, power back complement in the backfield.

What About Quarterback?

Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders and USC QB Caleb Williams – Photo by: USA Today

Four games in, Baker Mayfield has looked to solidify his status as a starting-caliber NFL quarterback. He could prove to be another feather in Dave Canales’ cap following Geno Smith’s resurgence with the Seahawks. With so many quarterbacks in the upcoming draft, it would not hurt to consider adding one to the room to develop. 

For fans hoping for Caleb Williams, sorry, that is not happening. Several quarterbacks that could be within range are Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Oregon’s Bo Nix, and Florida State’s Jordan Travis, to name just a handful.

Last October, then-Bucs quarterback Tom Brady signed Sanders to an NIL deal with the BRADY Brand and has built a relationship with him. That happened before Sanders started lighting it up at Colorado and improving his game while facing tougher opponents. Just recently, he fell just short of mounting a late-game comeback against Williams and USC, losing 48-41 after being down 41-14. Sanders is one guy to keep an eye on in particular on college football Saturdays.

It is a deep class and one worth monitoring, but with Mayfield’s performance and leadership so far, it is hard to consider another quarterback being under center in Tampa Bay to start next season.