The 2021 draft is really a 2022 draft. What's most important is to get players who can take over as starters beginning in 2022. If we want to have a perennial contending team its critical that we get some guys who will play starting roles while on their rookie contracts. You want to have guys with a year under their belt ready to step in. I'm sure Licht has 2022 on his mind as he surveys the landscape of the 2021 draft.
2022 Needs to draft in 2021 This is of course my opinion on the order of importance.
WR: #1 Priority. 90% chance Godwin will be gone. If he plays like usual he will get a big FA contract, but not from the Bucs. Evans another year older. Arians needs a stud WR in 2022, and not a rookie. Drafting one in 2021 will mean that stud WR will have a year of experience.
G/C: #2 Priority ] Cappa and Jensen are FAs, but I don't think it will be prohibitive to resign at least one of them. This is a position you can draft on Day 2 and get a solid starter for 2022.
Edge: #3 Priority Replacement for JPP is on the horizon. But you pretty much have to get one early or not at all, which is why I rank this #2.
TE: #4 Priority. Ledyard says its not a deep TE class and who am I to argue. He also says its a more important position than people think. Whether Gronk, Howard, or Brate will be in the picture in 2022 is unknown.
DT: #5 Priority. Again Ledyard says the DTs are thin this year. I'll defer to his draft expertise, but the fact remains that we will have a big hole in the middle of the line in 2022. With Vea you have your #1 DT at least, I think it wouldn't be ideal, but you could get by with a depth player there as we did with Nunez-Roches last year. That's why I rank this as #5.
S: #6 Priority. Whitehead is a FA, and whether he's resigned or not I think we could use an upgrade.
CB Note. Carlton Davis is the obvious 2022 Franchise Tag nominee. We can use depth at this position, but I can't put this as one of the top needs. Davis will get the tag if he's not re-signed.
RB Note. We could use a RB in 2022, but that player can be drafted in 2022, and I don't think there's a big need to draft that player in 2021.
