Welcome to SR’s Fab 5 – my weekly insider column on the Bucs that features five things that are on my mind. SR’s Fab 5 is now a quicker read, but still packs a punch. Enjoy!

FAB 1. Bucs Should Trade Up For Jackson Powers-Johnson Or Graham Barton

Jason Licht has made a lot of trades in his first 10 years as the Bucs general manager, but perhaps none bigger than moving up just one spot in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft to secure Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs.

That’s it. Just one spot.

Bucs RT Tristan Wirfs – Photo by: Getty Images

It wasn’t an out-of-nowhere trade like his deal for pass rusher Jason Pierre-Paul, sending a third-round pick to the Giants in 2018. It wasn’t trading down to accumulate more picks during the draft, as he’s done in 2018 and in 2022.

It was not taking a chance on letting the draft come to him with Wirfs, who was the last of the top four offensive tackles available in the first round, still on the board. Sending a fourth-round pick to San Francisco to move up one spot and fill the hole at right tackle that was created with Demar Dotson’s departure was well worth it.

Wirfs, who is now manning the left tackle spot, has been one of the league’s top offensive tackles since entering the league as the 13th overall pick. He’s a three-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro.

Now, with the Bucs picking even lower in the first round this year at No. 26, Licht can’t afford to be too patient and let the draft come to him. Not with a glaring hole at left guard and the need for an upgrade at center, where Robert Hainsey has been serviceable at best.

There are two first-round interior offensive linemen in this year’s draft in Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson and Duke’s Graham Barton, who played left tackle in college but will be a guard or center in the NFL. Licht needs to be bold and be prepared to go get one of these stud linemen.

The Bucs just gave quarterback Baker Mayfield a three-year contract worth $100 million this offseason. Now the onus is on Licht and his scouts to protect that investment – Mayfield himself – as best as they can.

Sure, the draft is deep at interior offensive line, but why settle for the second- or third-best option when the best might be available within reach, as both Barton and Powers-Johnson aren’t expected to be drafted until after the first 15 picks or so?

Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson – Photo by: USA Today

Watching Powers-Johnson’s tape, the 6-foot-3, 323-pound mauler looks like the second coming of Ryan Jensen. He’s a physical, nasty finisher in both the run and the pass game. Interviewing him at both the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine, Powers-Johnson revealed that his favorite center to watch and emulate was Jensen.

After Wirfs, the best offensive lineman Licht has ever selected was former Pro Bowl guard Ali Marpet, a super smart, super tough, super athletic left tackle out of Hobart College. Watching Barton at Duke and interviewing him at the Combine, the 6-foot-5, 313-pounder looks, plays, and even talks like Marpet. It’s uncanny how Barton looks like Marpet 2.0.

Marpet abruptly retired at age 28 following the 2021 season, still in his prime and still in the midst of a five-year contract through 2023. Yes, Marpet, who will only turn 31 on April 17, should’ve been the team’s left guard in 2022 and last year. That was the plan.

Further complicating things for the Bucs was Jensen’s catastrophic knee injury on the second day of training camp in 2022. Already without Marpet, Tampa Bay lost its Pro Bowl center for good as it turns out. Jensen’s knee injury was career ending and he retired this offseason at age 33. He was signed through the 2024 season.

Licht traded cornerback Carlton Davis III to Detroit for an extra third-round pick. He has the ammo to be aggressive and move up to get either the next Jensen or the next Marpet, which is exactly what Tampa Bay needs.

Bucs G Sua Opeta – Photo by: USA Today

While the Bucs signed a pair of offensive linemen this offseason in guard Sua Opeta and Ben Bredeson, who will compete at center and guard, their addition only raises the floor of the team’s backups. Opeta and Bredeson are truly viewed as better depth than the team had in Aaron Stinnie and Nick Leverett, both of whom have departed in free agency.

Look no further than the contracts the Bucs paid both of their new linemen. Bredeson signed a one-year deal worth $3 million with $1.75 million in guaranteed money. Opeta signed a one-year deal worth $1.375 million. That’s backup money, folks.

That’s not to say that either one won’t compete for a starting job in training camp, but it’s clear to see that the Bucs will need to address the interior offensive line early in the draft – and they should do it in the first round. To wait until the second or third round to fill the hole at left guard or get an upgrade over Hainsey with what could be a lesser player is a risk that the Bucs can’t afford to take.

FAB 2. Why Upgrading Guard And Center Is So Important For The Bucs

NFL Films guru Greg Cosell, who is one of the smarter football analysts around, was Thursday’s guest on the Pewter Report Podcast and laid out the case for protecting Baker Mayfield, especially along in the interior offensive line.

Bucs RG Cody Mauch, C Robert Hainsey, LG Matt Feiler and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I’m not telling Jason Licht what he should or shouldn’t do, but I think when you have Baker Mayfield you obviously just laid out a ton of cash for, you have to make sure the center and guard position are taken care of,” Cosell said. “Now you don’t need three All-Pros, but that can’t be a weakness on your team because then your quarterback can’t function. And you just gave him a lot of money with the expectation that you’re going to get into the playoffs and have a good season.”

Cosell noted that shorter quarterbacks like Mayfield, who is 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, need better protection in the middle of the pocket. Last year, the Bucs struggled at left guard, where the combination of Matt Feiler and Aaron Stinnie were the weak links of the offensive line.

Right guard Cody Mauch was a rookie who had his ups and downs, and the drop off in play at center has been noticeable since Robert Hainsey replaced injured Pro Bowler Ryan Jensen in 2022.

“He’s a smaller guy and he’s not necessarily great when there are bodies around him,” Cosell said of Mayfield. “He needs to be protected, ideally in the middle because the center and the two guards – they control the depth of the pocket. And he needs the depth controlled. The tackles control the width of the pocket. He needs the depth of the pocket controlled because he is just over 6-feet [tall]. You have to make sure you take care of that so he does have clean sight lines.

“The other thing is that he’s a step thrower. Some guys don’t need to step into it. He’s a step thrower, so he absolutely needs the depth of the pocket handled because he needs to step into his throws.”

No play better demonstrates what Cosell is talking about than Mayfield’s crucial first quarter interception against Detroit in a 20-6 loss in Week 6. Mayfield saw Mike Evans wide open on a vertical route that could’ve resulted in a 92-yard touchdown, but Lions nose tackle Isaiah Buggs tipped the pass at the line of scrimmage and defensive back Will Harris intercepted it in the Bucs’ red zone.

Buggs, a 6-foot-3, 335-pound nose tackle, collapsed the pocket by driving Hainsey back a few steps and was able to get in Mayfield’s throwing lane to tip the pass. Mayfield was pressured up the middle far too many times last year.

According to Pro Football Focus, Mauch, a second-round pick, surrendered 57 pressures, including a team-high eight sacks in 2023 while making the transition from playing left tackle at North Dakota State to right guard in the NFL. Hainsey, a third-year pro, allowed 33 pressures, including five sacks. Stinnie and Feiler allowed a combined 44 pressures, including three sacks.

Bucs C Robert Hainsey and RG Cody Mauch – Photo by: USA Today

Newcomers Sua Opeta and Ben Bredeseon aren’t the answers when it comes to protecting Mayfield, either. Both are known for the run blocking as opposed to their pass protection. Opeta played in just nine games and allowed 25 pressures, including three sacks in Philadelphia.

Bredeson, who is expected to compete with Hainsey at center or at left guard, started 16 games across the interior offensive line for the New York Giants last season. His numbers were on par with Hainsey, surrendering 39 pressures, including five sacks.

“You just spent a lot of money on Baker Mayfield, who is a very good thrower of the football, but he’s a certain kind of quarterback,” Cosell said. “He can be successful as that kind of quarterback, as we know, but it’s very hard for him to be successful if the depth of the pocket is not controlled and taken care of.”

This further bolsters the argument for Bucs general manager Jason Licht being aggressive in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and trading up for Duke’s Graham Barton or Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson to upgrade the talent at center or fill the hole at left guard with a better, more capable athlete.

FAB 3. How High Would Tampa Bay Have To Trade Up To Get A Top IOL?

If Bucs general manager Jason Licht follows the same thought pattern as he did when it came to trading up one spot to get Pro Bowl offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs in the first round in 2020, how high would Tampa Bay have to go to secure either Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson or Duke’s guard-center Graham Barton?

Looking at some of the top mock drafts, there are four teams drafting ahead of Tampa Bay that have interior offensive line needs with Seattle being the first at No. 16.

No. 16 Seahawks – LG, C

Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson – Photo by: USA Today

Seattle’s new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb comes from the University of Washington, where he saw Powers-Johnson play against the Huskies three times over the last two seasons, including the PAC-12 Championship Game last year. The Seahawks could use an upgrade over smallish center Nick Harris, and a replacement for left guard Damien Lewis, who signed with Carolina this offseason. Powers can play either spot.

No. 20 Steelers – LT, C

The Steelers drafted right tackle Broderick Jones in the first round last year, but need to upgrade left tackle where Dan Moore Jr. is adequate at best. But if there is an early run on left tackles, Pittsburgh may wait until the second round to address that position and grab either Powers-Johnson, who is a Mike Tomlin kind of guy, or Barton as an upgrade over center Nate Herbig.

No. 24 Cowboys – C, LG

Dallas’ offensive line needs some work after losing center Tyler Biadasz and left tackle Tyron Smith in free agency. The team could also use an upgrade at left guard over T.J. Bass. Outside of the Seahawks, the Cowboys are probably the biggest threat to the Bucs when it comes to selecting an interior offensive lineman. And if either Powers-Johnson or Barton goes to Seattle at No. 16, the Bucs could be empty-handed just two picks later.

No. 25 Packers – LT, G

Duke OL Graham Barton – Photo courtesy of Duke

The Packers pose a risk to the Bucs in a couple of ways. First, Green Bay could choose to find an upgrade at right guard over Sean Rhyan or at center over Josh Myers. That puts either Barton or Powers-Johnson in play if either is still left on the draft board.

Second, with the rest of the league fully aware that the Bucs need help at guard and center, a team like the Eagles could trade up ahead of Tampa Bay and find a replacement for Pro Bowl center Jason Kelce, who retired this offseason. Philadelphia has plenty of ammunition to move up with two picks in the second round and three in the fifth round.

There could be some good news for the Bucs, though. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has yet to put Powers-Johnson in any of his three mock drafts.

The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman has Powers-Johnson sliding to No. 25 in his mock draft where Dallas, which traded back with Green Bay, selected him one spot ahead of Tampa Bay. Feldman has the Bucs taking Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson at No. 26 but Barton is still on the board, sliding down to No. 32 where Philadelphia trades up with Kansas City to take him.

MockDraftDatabase.com has Powers-Johnson as the 24th prospect on the board, while Barton is the 26th-ranked prospect. If these consensus media projections align with what is happening in real NFL war rooms, it puts the Bucs within striking distance for either Powers-Johnson or Barton should Licht want to move up to get either player.

So Licht and the Bucs would have to move up ahead of Dallas at No. 24 at the very least to have a shot at either Barton or Powers-Johnson – and that’s if either the Seahawks and Steelers don’t choose one of them.

It cost Licht a fourth-round pick to move up one spot in 2020. It would cost at least that this year – if not one of the team’s third-rounders instead to move up two spots or more this year.

FAB 4. Bucs May Draft A Defensive Tackle Higher Than You Think

Perhaps no general manager believes in trench warfare more than Tampa Bay’s Jason Licht. Maybe it was the fact that he played both defensive tackle and guard in college, but Licht has seen firsthand how the Bucs won Super Bowl LV. While landing the greatest quarterback of all time in Tom Brady in free agency in 2020 was obviously a huge addition, the Bucs won that game in the trenches.

Bucs NT Vita Vea and DT Ndamukong Suh – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Licht built an offensive line that featured three Pro Bowl-caliber players in center Ryan Jensen, left guard Ali Marpet and rookie right tackle Tristan Wirfs. Left tackle Donovan Smith and right guard Alex Cappa were also playing their best football that season, and Aaron Stinnie played at a high level coming off the bench for Cappa in the postseason. The Bucs averaged 122.4 yards per game on the ground in the playoffs and the Super Bowl and scored at least 30 points in all four postseason games.

On defense, the return of Pro Bowl nose tackle Vita Vea next to defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh not only helped the Bucs shut down the run, but also push the pocket and flush the quarterback towards the dangerous outside linebacker duo of Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett. In Tampa Bay’s 31-9 win over Kansas City in Super Bowl LV, Patrick Mahomes was sacked three times and pressured on 44 of 56 dropbacks.

There is no doubt that the Bucs could use another edge rusher like Pierre-Paul or Barrett in their prime. New outside linebacker Randy Gregory isn’t the double-digit sacker who is currently missing in Todd Bowles’ defense.

But this is not a good group of edge rushers in the 2024 NFL Draft. Gregory’s signing does not rule out the team selecting another outside linebacker, but it certainly takes the pressure off of Tampa Bay having to draft one this year – and perhaps force a pick based on need.

But that doesn’t mean that Bowles and Licht won’t address the defensive line. In fact, the Bucs could draft a defensive tackle higher than you might think. Yes, Licht has spent recent first-round picks on defensive tackles like Vea (2018) and Calijah Kancey (2023) and the team’s top pick in 2022 atop the second round in Logan Hall.

Bucs DTs Logan Hall and Calijah Kancey – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

So what does that tell us?

Two things.

First, both he and Todd Bowles value the defensive tackle position. And why shouldn’t they? It all starts up front. Defensive tackles are the closest defenders to both quarterbacks and running backs in terms of proximity. Teams that lack talent at the defensive tackle position likely aren’t very good.

Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones was the highest-graded defender in Kansas City last year with an 88.1 Pro Football Focus grade. He was also the second-highest player on the team behind only Patrick Mahomes (90.5). Jones was a terror in the Super Bowl with six pressures on 49ers QB Brock Purdy with several coming in the fourth quarter.

San Francisco had a pair of stud defensive tackles last year in Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead. They totaled 13 pressures on Mahomes in the Super Bowl and each had a sack.

The Bucs have a pair of stud defensive tackles in Vea and Kancey, but each has missed time due to injury. Vea missed two games last year and three games in 2022 due to injury. Tampa Bay was 2-3 in games when Vea didn’t suit up over the past two seasons. Kancey essentially missed the first four games of his rookie season due to a calf injury.

When Vea and Kancey didn’t suit up last year, Hall was inserted into the starting lineup and didn’t have much of an impact against the run or the pass. In fact, the level of play at defensive tackle in Tampa Bay went down a notch when that occurred.

Bucs DT Mike Greene – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Injuries to Vea and Kancey also had a domino effect as Greg Gaines, Will Gholston and Mike Greene all moved up a spot on the depth chart as a result of their absence. Gaines was okay as a backup nose tackle, but Gholston clearly lost a step last year at age 32.

If you are asking how Greene is, you are making my point. Greene is probably best suited for the practice squad, where he spent the first two years of his Tampa Bay career.

Second, I think Licht realizes he made a mistake with Hall by drafting him to fill a need at defensive tackle that was created when the team let Ndamukong Suh go in free agency. Licht is not one to compound a mistake by sticking with it, hence his selection of Kancey in the first round last year to make up for it.

Remember, there are three starting defensive tackles in Bowles’ 3-4 defense. So Hall is essentially a starter on about 35-40% of the snaps, in addition to when he rotates in for Kancey or Vea when the Bucs are in a four-man front in nickel defense.

Hall needs a big year entering his third season or it could be his last in Tampa Bay. But don’t wait for Bowles and Licht to see if that may happen. There is good crop of defensive tackles in this year’s draft class, and getting one that is more effective at rushing the passer than Hall is can also help the production of the team’s edge rushers.

Current Bucs DT Depth Chart

DT1 Vita Vea
DT2 Calijah Kancey
DT3 Logan Hall
DT4 Greg Gaines
DT5 Mike Greene
DT6 C.J. Brewer
DT7 Lwal Uguak
DT8 Eric Banks

Texas DT Byron Murphy II – Photo by: USA Today

Don’t look now, but Vea just turned 29 in February, and the older he gets at 350-plus pounds the more foot, ankle, leg and groin injuries he’s going to have as a result of his massive weight. Getting another starting-caliber defensive tackle to rotate in with Vea and eventually replace him in a few years is not a bad move considering the importance of the position.

Leaning into a deep, talented position in the draft and taking what the draft is offering is always a sound strategy. Despite the fact that the Bucs have more pressing needs at other positions, the team interviewed eight defensive tackles at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Four of those interviews – with Florida State’s Braden Fiske, Clemson’s Ruke Orhorhoro, Michigan’s Kris Jenkins and Texas A&M’s McKinnley Jackson – were formal. Fiske, Orhorhoro and Jenkins are Day 2 prospects, while Jackson should be gone by the fourth round. Tampa Bay also brought in Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, a mid-to-late first-round pick, for a Top 30 visit.

Licht felt like he forced the selection of Hall in 2022 and has learned that lesson. Even though defensive tackle may not be an obvious need, if there is one ranked high enough on the Bucs’ draft board in Round 2 or 3 and that player is better than a player at another position – even one at a more pressing need – Tampa Bay might add another D-tackle.

That’s what taking the best player available is about. And that is never the wrong strategy when it comes to the draft.

FAB 5. Top 30 Visits Can Be Quite Telling – Or Misleading

Over the last couple of years, Pewter Report has put together a Bucs Top 30 Visits Tracker, tracking the players who have come to Tampa Bay and visited the Bucs’ brass at team headquarters. But just because those players visit doesn’t mean that the Bucs will be targeting them in the upcoming NFL Draft later this month.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and GM Jason Licht – Photo courtesy of the Buccaneers

In fact, the team winds up being turned off by some prospects who interview extensively with the team in Tampa Bay.

It’s one thing for a prospect to rattle of carefully scripted answers in an 18-minute interview at the NFL Scouting Combine. It’s another thing to try to do that after meeting with head coach Todd Bowles, the Bucs coordinators and position coaches and then general manager Jason Licht and his top scouts for half the day.

Coaches will often watch film and put prospects up on the white board to test their football I.Q., while the scouts will try to pick apart a player’s character and background to make sure they would be a good locker room fit. The medical staff is also given the chance to closely evaluate a player’s past injuries and even run some tests during the visit.

It’s interesting to note that of the 23 out of the 30 players in 2022 who Pewter Report identified as coming to Tampa Bay for a Top 30 visit, the Bucs drafted three of them. Defensive tackle Logan Hall was the team’s first pick at the top of the second round, while running back Rachaad White was drafted in the third round and tight end Cade Otton was selected in the fourth round.

Yet last year, Pewter Report again identified 23 of the team’s Top 30 visits, but the Bucs didn’t draft any of them. We do know that wide receiver Trey Palmer, who was selected in the sixth round, had a Zoom call with the coaches, but did not have a Top 30 visit.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles, DT Calijah Kancey and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

In fact, the Bucs went into stealth mode and didn’t have defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, the team’s first-round pick, in for a Top 30 visit nor did the team interview him at the NFL Scouting Combine. Pewter Report has identified 12 of Tampa Bay’s Top 30 visitors so far, and it will be interesting to see if the Bucs wind up drafting any of those players or if they opt to be stealthy again.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Bucs don’t just bring in the top prospects for Top 30 visit. The team usually reserves a couple of those visits for players who may not get drafted so Tampa Bay’s coaches and scouts can build a rapport with players who might be priority undrafted free agents. Once the draft ends, a frenzied free agency period commences as the top undrafted players get recruited by NFL teams.

Chris Murray, a center out of Oklahoma, was one such player last year. He came in for a Top 30 visit and wound up signing as an undrafted free agent due to the relationship he built with the Bucs on his visit to Tampa Bay.

As of right now Air Force safety Trey Taylor, who is a late-round prospect, fits that description, but there could be more as the names of those Top 30 visitors to Tampa Bay become known later this month.