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In Mocking the Draft's latest mock draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers trade down with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bucs are missing their third- and sixth-round picks, and new general manager Jason Licht made it clear that the Bucs would be open to a trade.
New Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said the team is willing to trade down this year. Most general managers will say that at some point before the draft, but it takes the right scenario for a trade to fall into place. If the Buccaneers decide they are happy with the offensive tackles on their roster, they could look to any of the needy teams picking later in the first round and gauge interest in Auburn's Greg Robinson.
Trading down would make sense if the Bucs were to find themselves in this position. With the top three quarterbacks off the board, Derek Carr is the only remotely viable passer still available -- and he's not exactly a slam-dunk top seven prospect. With Jadeveon Clowney and Sammy Watkins off the board, they have about a half-dozen players they could realistically pick from -- which means that trading down and still picking one of them would be terrific.
Trying to find a trade partner is easier said than done, though. If the Bucs don't see a big difference among the remaining players, there's no real reason why other teams would see that difference. Which means there's no real reason for them to trade up. Still, strange things happen and not every team sees every prospect the same way. Still, if they can find the right deal, a trade down would be a good idea.
The resulting picks in this mock draft are also perfect fits for the team's needs: tight end Eric Ebron and defensive end Dee Ford in the second round. The Buccaneers have struggled to get an edge rush going for years on end, which is something Dee Ford should be able to address, while Eric Ebron is the draft's top tight end. While Tim Wright had a stellar rookie season, the Bucs don't have a tight end capable of being a factor in both the run game and the pass game.
Video via Draft Breakdown.
