Jameis Winston will stay in the same division next year, moving from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the New Orleans Saints, who inked him to a one-year deal. He’ll back up Drew Brees, along with Taysom Hill, who signed an extension. It will be interesting to see how those dynamics play out on that depth chart. Winston’s former team now has Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski on their offense on deals that could make the Buccaneers playoff contenders, depending on what the rest of the team does. They currently have 11/1 sports betting odds to win Super Bowl LV. We’ve already analyzed the Buccaneers’ additions of two of the cornerstones of the New England dynasty, so let’s look at the pieces Tampa Bay added in this past weekend’s draft.
NFL Betting: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2020 Super Bowl Odds & Analysis After Draft
Tristan Wirfs was the perfect first-round picks
Tampa Bay had the 14th pick but traded up to get the 13th pick so they would not miss out on one of the four blue-chip offensive tackles in the draft, and they snagged Tristan Wirfs from Iowa. He can come in and start next year instead of needing a year or two of development, which Austin Jackson from USC, the next tackle on the board in terms of quality, would have needed. Brady will have his back covered from Week 1 with Wirfs on the O-line. Last year, Tampa Bay permitted 47 sacks, and that was with a much more mobile quarterback than Brady. Brady does release the ball more quickly and is an artist with the screen passing game, but the Tampa Bay scheme calls for some plays that take a while to develop downfield. Brady only completed 32 percent of his passes when under pressure last year, which ranked 30th in the league, so the Buccaneers needed to make this pick. Wirfs had a 36.5-inch vertical leap at the NFL combine, which set a modern record for O-linemen. He ran the 40 in 4.85 seconds, the best time by a player 320 pounds or more in 14 years.
Antoine Winfield Jr should do well at safety
Tampa Bay had Justin Evans atop their depth chart, but he missed six games in 2018 and the whole 2019 season with foot injuries. Winfield comes from an NFL pedigree, as his father played for 14 years in the NFL. He snagged seven interceptions for the Minnesota Golden Gophers last year, tying their single-season record. His range is not quite as large as Evans’, but he can blitz — which makes him a nice fit for Todd Bowles’ scheme. He can also cover and drop down into the box for run support.
Did the Buccaneers find a new James White for Tom Brady?
Brady loves to dump the ball off to running backs, and that has made James White and Rex Burkhead successes in the league. Tampa Bay added Ke’Shawn Vaughn from Vanderbilt, as he caught 67 passes for 664 yards in four seasons. Ronald Jones is a quality first- and second-down back for Tampa Bay, and now Vaughn could fill in the pass-catching role. His speed can be deceptive, as he ran a 45.1 40. Along with D’Andre Swift, he was one of just two tailbacks in the SEC to break the 1,000-yard barrier in each of the last two seasons. He is at least the equal of Peyton Barber, at least in terms of ceiling, but the Buccaneers had already lost the chance to draft some other quality tailbacks.
Tyler Johnson should fit nicely in the slot
Breshad Perriman left via free agency, and Johnson isn’t a speed guy, but he can line up on the outside as well as in the slot. He is a possession receiver who goes up to get balls. He led all Power 5 schools in receiving yards over the last four seasons combined, playing for a Minnesota offense that was not known as a dynamic passing attack. His separation is not elite, but his body control, hands and concentration are, so he could be a great fantasy pick for red zone touchdowns.
