NFL Teams Biggest Needs by Draft Order
NFL writer Logan Lepiscopo continues to bring a series that will contain every NFL team’s biggest need heading into the NFL draft. Each article will consist of two teams going in draft order. This article will be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers. If a team has multiple first-round picks the team that originally owned that pick will be covered, to avoid repetitiveness and ensure all 32 teams have been written about. Logan Lepiscopo will also give his “perfect/ideal” draft for each and every NFL team.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Cornerback
Now while the cornerback position may not seem like the team’s biggest need, I have some valid reasoning for why. First thing is the cornerback position last season was terrible for the Buccaneers, injuries everywhere caused Richard Sherman to be signed and started in five of the Buccaneers games. Second thing is that Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean will both be free agents after this season, which unless re-signed could leave a significant hole in the defense. The next position needed for the Buccaneers is the edge rusher position. You often will not see the Buccaneers using an edge rusher in their pass rush, which may be because of the lack of talent. The team drafted Joe Tryon-Shoyinka in the 2021 NFL draft, and I would expect with his size to become one of the starting edge rushers for the team. Other than Tryon-Shoyinka the team has a 30-year-old William Gholston with an expiring contract, and Benning Potoa’e, a name you probably never heard of because he played just 9 snaps last season. The last need that I have for the Buccaneers is the safety position, the team struck gold with Antoine Winfield Jr. but now the team lacks a true starting free safety. Logan Ryan is currently the team’s starting free safety with Keanu Neal and Mike Edwards also in the safety room, and all three are hitting free agency after the season. Wide receiver and tight end are also in play for the team with Antonio Brown walking out and Rob Gronkowski still debating coming back there is an obvious need for those skill positions to be filled. Especially with Tom Brady at quarterback he is going to want the best weapons at his disposal for what may be his final season… I highly doubt it, but we will just have to sit back and see what is to come for this 2022 Buccaneers team. (Mock Draft done at 2:32PM EST on 4/12/22)
RD-1-Pick 27- DL-Logan Hall- Houston
RD-2-Pick 60- S-Jalen Pitre- Baylor
RD-3-Pick 91- CB-Zyon McCollum- Sam Houston State
RD-4-Pick 133- WR-Tyquan Thornton- Baylor
RD-7-Pick 248- TE-Connor Heyward- Michigan State
RD-7-Pick 261- RB-Zander Horvath- Purdue
Top player hitting free agency: Chris Godwin (Resigned with Buccaneers)
Cap space: $4.73M
Green Bay Packers: Wide Receiver
This should come as no surprise to see wide receiver as the biggest need for the Green Bay Packers. After trading Davante Adams and not re-signing Marquez Valdes-Scantling the Packers starting wide receivers are Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, and Amari Rodgers. If I am Aaron Rodgers and I do not see a wide receiver taken with one of the teams two first round picks I would retire or demand a trade. Aaron Rodgers is simply not going to have a legitimate shot at another Super Bowl if the team does not add some weapons around him. The Packers have not drafted a wide receiver in the first round since Javon Walker in 2002… three years before Aaron Rodgers was drafted. The next need for the Green Bay Packers is an edge rusher. The team currently has Jarran Reed as an edge rusher for the team, his primary is defensive tackle by the way. The Packers run a 3-4 defense which means there are two edge rushers and a nose tackle. Getting a young player who has experience with the edge rusher position will be a great addition to the team and allow Jarran Reed to play his natural position when Kenny Clark needs a breather. The team could transform into a 4-3 defense and draft an edge rusher to accompany Dean Lowry, Kenny Clark, and Jarran Reed rather than put Reed as the backup to Clark. The last of the Packers three biggest needs is the safety position. Arian Amos and Darnell Savage are set to be free agents following the 2022 season. Savage has a fifth-year option that the team could pick up and Adrian Amos beginning to age will likely hit the free agency market. This Packers team seems to have their ticket punched to the playoffs every season, let us see if this is the draft the team can build a future with. (Mock draft done at 3:08PM EST on 4/12/22)
RD-1-Pick 22- ED-Boye Mafe- Minnesota
RD-1-Pick 28- WR-Christian Watson- North Dakota State
RD-2-Pick 53- WR-John Metchie III- Alabama
RD-2-Pick 59- OT-Tyler Smith- Tulsa
RD-3-Pick 92- LB-Brandon Smith- Penn State
RD-4-Pick 132- S-Lean O’Neal Jr.- Texas A&M
RD-4-Pick 140- DL-Thomas Booker- Stanford
RD-5-Pick 171- TE-Jake Ferguson- Wisconsin
RD-7-Pick 228- IOL-Ja’Tyre Carter- Southern
RD-7-Pick 249- CB-Josh Thompson- Texas
RD-7-Pick 258- RB-Bryant Koback- Toledo
Top player hitting free agency: Davante Adams (Traded to the Raiders)
Cap space: $15.00M