Mel Kiper’s final mock draft gives the Buccaneers a lineman

It’s mock draft day as we head toward the 2017 NFL draft, with every expert giving it one final go. We’ve already talked about Mike Mayock’s and Todd McShay’s, and now Mel Kiper published his final mock, too.

Tampa Bay could upgrade at right tackle over Demar Dotson. The Bucs have to protect Jameis Winston. Tight end David Njoku is also in play here.

I still can’t see the Bucs taking an offensive lineman in the first round, though if they do Robinson would be a very good fit. He’s arguably the best tackle in the draft and would be a good replacement for Dotson, though there’s no imminent need to replace him.

The Bucs like their offensive line and there’s no indication that they think they really need to upgrade that position. In that sense, Robinson is an unlikely pick unless he is clearly the best player on the board.

Njoku would make more sense, though there are other quality tight ends to be had later in the draft. A trade down may make the most sense in this case, but it’s hard to predict whether that’s realistic.