2016 NFL Draft candidates to land the No. 1 pick- Tampa Bay Buccaneers by Jon Dove 1h ago 
Right after the draft, ESPN released its updated NFL Power Rankings to provide a look at where each team stands. This ranking is a great way to not only look at the strongest teams in the NFL but also identify those who could be fighting for the first pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.The Tampa Bay Buccaneers come in at No. 31 on their ranking which makes them a candidate to land the top pick two years in a row. This article is going to take quick look at the current roster make up, discuss reasons for optimism and thoughts on why there’s little hope.Roster Strengths:All NFL rookies go through growing pains and the Buccaneers can expect Jameis Winston to have his share of ups and downs. However, he has two big targets at wide receiver in Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans. These are players who are capable of consistently bailing out the quarterback by pulling down balls in contested situations.The rest of Winston’s surrounding cast is subpar especially along the offensive line. Evans and Jackson need to have strong seasons if the Buccaneers want to improve on last year’s win total.Roster Weaknesses:Tampa Bay’s roster has several areas of concern, but the offensive line might be the most glaring weak spot. Last year, Tampa Bay’s offensive line surrendered 52 sacks and head into this year with a younger less-experienced group.Word is the Buccaneers plan on starting rookie second-round pick Donovan Smith at left tackle. Smith has talent but struggled throughout his college career with consistency. He tends to lose focus which hurts his technique and opens opportunities for the pass rush.Ali Marpet has a strong chance to join Smith as a rookie starter along the offensive line. Marpet will face some challenges adjusting to the NFL as he’s making the jump from facing small-school competition at Hobart to lining up against some of the best athletes in the world.Another area of concern is the pass rush as the Buccaneers don’t have a proven edge rusher. Lovie Smith’s defense heavily depends on the defensive line’s ability to generate pressure. This is an issue because Gerald McCoy is the only real threat on the roster.Tampa Bay is counting on George Johnson, Jacquies Smith and William Gholston to generate pressure off the edge. Johnson and Smith are coming off six sack seasons but will be expected to significantly increase those totals.Overall Thoughts:The Buccaneers will likely be one of the main contenders to land the top pick in next year’s draft. Their issues along the offensive and defensive line will be too much to overcome. However, there’s optimism in the air as Jameis Winston has a chance to be special.Landing the top pick would put Tampa Bay in position to potentially land a stud offensive lineman such as Ole Miss’s Laremy Tunsil. It’s important that the team surrounds Winston with top-end talent and the pieces along the offensive line to keep him healthy.2016 NFL Mock Draft: Which position should the Buccaneers address?By Sander Philipse Jul 14, 2015
Kevin Liles-USA TODAY SportsThe 2015 NFL draft is in the past by a decent margin, which means we're going to see more and more 2016 mock drafts popping up. Including this one from Bleeding Green Nation, where Ben Natan has the Buccaneers landing the fourth pick in the draft, which would probably mean everyone's going to be fired and a new regime will get to make that pick.Natan has the Buccaneers selecting Laremy Tunsil out of Ole Miss to fill their needs on the offensive line.After selecting their franchise quarterback in the 2015 class, the Buccaneers should look to address their offensive line moving forward. While there is some intrigue in the group with rookie Ali Marpet and veteran Demar Dotson, the depth chart looks bleak from there. Tunsil is a tremendously talented lineman with every tool in the book. He does not have the polish that Ronnie Stanley has, but his athletic ability lends itself to him having a higher ceiling. He has all the potential in the world to be a franchise left tackle.Okay, so, hey that sounds good. A good offensive tackle is always useful. Presumably this means Demar Dotson is cut, or Donovan Smith moved to guard or otherwise failed. The Bucs need to find a long-term replacement for Dotson over the next three years or so, and Logan Mankins probably doesn't have all that much left in the tank either.But there are other positions the Bucs should target next year, and offensive tackle is pretty far down the list.Defensive endThe Buccaneers are counting on Jacquies Smith and George Johnson to have a breakout season, but history tells us not to be too optimistic about the odds of these players succeeding. The Bucs are likely to be looking for a new starting defensive end next year, or the year after that. And adding talent along the defensive line is a constant task for anyone running a Tampa 2-style defense. The Bucs have neglected to add young edge rushers through the draft for two years, and they can't do that for a third consecutive year without risking the long-term health of this defense.SafetyThe Bucs have a lot of serviceable players at safety, but no one who can make a difference. That's a problem given the importance of that position in the Tampa 2. Chris Conte and Major Wright can execute their assignments, but they won't be difference makers -- and they might just be liabilities when push comes to shove. Finding an elite safety in the draft is very difficult, but not as difficult as finding him outside of it.Offensive guardThe Bucs drafted Ali Marpet this year, but he remains an uncertain project and not a reliable starter. Mostly, though, I'm concerned with Logan Mankins' long-term viability as a starter. He's 33 already and won't be around forever. Evidence of his imminent decline was prominent over the past two years and that's not likely to get better. They need to find a long-term replacement within the next couple of years.Running backDoug Martin and Charles Sims are going to be fighting for the majority of the carries this year, but I wouldn't bet on either player turning into a true feature back. But that's exactly what Lovie Smith is looking for. The best place to find that remains the draft, even if investing high picks in running backs has mostly been folly over the past decade or so. Finding a way to get the running game going should be a priority for Tampa Bay, and next year's draft is as good an opportunity as any.link
