The Pick Is In – Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2022 NFL Draft

Andrew Wilson, Karan Jangra and Liam Blutman

The Pick Is In! This series is coming to a close as we bring you the last few teams in our series. If you’re unsure what this series is… You will see members from our Draft Team play GM and select a pick for an NFL team. In some articles we’ll have a special guest write a pick too! You’ll see plenty of first-round selections but a good dose of day two and three picks as well. We hope you enjoy this series! The clock is ticking as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the clock…

Andrew Wilson

The Pick Is In: Kenyon Green IOL – Texas A&M (27th Overall)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers arguably got one of the best acquisitions this offseason in Tom Brady. Sure, he technically never left for more than a few weeks, but it raises their ceiling back to being in the conversation for another Lombardi. One player the Bucs were unable to bring back for another run was Ali Marpet. Marpet decided to retire a few weeks after the NFL season concluded, so replacing him needs to be a top priority. Lucky for Tampa, this draft has some great guards. None may be more talented than Texas A&M’s Kenyon Green. 

One word describes Green: nasty. He is going to get to his second and maybe third contract. He fills an immediate need for Tampa, and his skill and consistency help the Bucs not miss much of a beat. He has five-position versatility, so if anybody goes down, he can step in and play their spot. While this is true, I truly believe he will be a GREAT left guard. His situation could possibly end up being like what Elgton Jenkins has right now in Green Bay. He is great at every position, but he is STELLAR at left guard. If Tampa keeps him in his best position, this pick would be amazing for that offense to create run lanes for Leonard Fournette and a clean pocket for Brady.

Karan Jangra

The Pick Is In: Zion Johnson IOL – Boston College (27th Overall)

There’s not many teams in the NFL that can get away with a luxury pick, but the Buccaneers might be in the perfect spot to make one. Tom Brady only has so many years left in him, and there’s no reason not to take advantage of that. With the sudden retirement of Ali Marpet this offseason, the Buccaneers would be wise to invest in an immediate replacement at guard. 

With the 27th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should look no further than Boston College guard Zion Johnson if he’s on the board.

Johnson is a five-year starter who dominated at both the FCS and FBS levels. Johnson joining the Buccaneers would immediately return them near the top of the offensive line rankings, and give Brady yet another high-end pass protector. Johnson has all the physicality you want out of a great lineman, mixed with the intelligence and athleticism needed to be great. 

Zion Johnson to the Bucs could end up being one of those picks we reminisce about down the road as an all-time steal. It’s possible he goes before this, but I think it’s fairly possible this pick could happen. In a recent mock draft I did , the cards fell perfectly into Tampa’s hands, allowing this scenario to come true.

Liam Blutman

The Pick Is In: Pierre Strong Jr. RB – South Dakota State (Round 3)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold three picks inside the top 100: 27, 60 and 91. In total, they possess six picks and two of those are in the final round. I could see them swinging pick 60 out and gaining some draft capital. This team could really use a dependable RB2 and a possible RB1, so let’s just draft one of my favorite players in the class. Pierre Strong Jr. is headed to Tampa Bay with a late day two pick.

It’s been well documented that Tampa Bay is looking to add some RB depth. Leonard Fournette leads the way, but the current backups are Giovani Bernard and the failed experiment that was Ke’Shawn Vaughn. Also well documented is my infatuation with Strong. It took a while for people to see the vision on this one, but after a blistering 4.37 40 and a stellar NFL combine all around, people took notice. The 5-foot-11, 207-pound back took advantage of the bright lights and posted a RAS of 9.34, which is really dang good. He was a productive player in college too — we’re talking about 630 carries in four seasons without losing a fumble.

Strong is a home-run hitter that raced for 10 TDs of 50+ yards as a Jackrabbit. He’s got great top-end speed and acceleration. Perhaps my favorite trait — his violent cutting ability. He’s so decisive with that, and he’s got great confidence in his footwork and lateral movement. He runs with ferocity and a purpose. You’ll see him show patience as he quickly analyzes the blocking in front of him before using hawkeye vision to take the best path available and explode through the defense. I also really love the pad level he plays at. He just looks the part out there. Now it’s important for any RB playing with Tom Brady to be prepared to do work in pass protection and as a pass catcher. Strong has shown good commitment to pass blocking in a small sample size during his collegiate career. He’s also a better pass catcher than he’s given credit for. He runs a filthy Texas route and has reliable hands. The 23-year-old rookie will demand playing time in his first season, and he’ll showcase his tremendous abilities early on in his career.

So there’s the plan for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Go add Pierre Strong Jr. to your roster with a third-round selection and be ultra confident in your rookie back. He can give Fournette some much-needed rest too as Tampa Bay looks to play another lengthy season. I’ve said it for years: Pierre Strong Jr. will be a dang good NFL RB.

About the author

Andrew Wilson
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Minnesotan who will never stop cheering for his Gophers, no matter how much they disappoint him. I've been writing about football for almost two years, which has inspired me to study Sports Management at the University of Minnesota. You’ll usually see me talking about my Gophers or talking about my favorite NFL draft prospects. My favorite CFB moment was when Minnesota beat Penn St in 2019.

Karan Jangra
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Proud California Golden Bears fan and aspiring football mind. I specialize in Pac-12 and NFL Draft coverage. My past experiences in journalism include covering the San Francisco 49ers, as well as creating film breakdowns on my own blog. I love the X’s and O’s just as much as anyone else, but also see value in numbers. My favorite CFB game ever was the 2007 Fiesta Bowl between Oklahoma and Boise State.

Liam Blutman
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I am a diehard UCLA fan that has enjoyed (?) mediocrity year after year. My favorite CFB moment was witnessing UCLA comeback from 34 down against Texas A&M. Being at the Rose Bowl for that historic moment is something I’ll never forget. I have written about CFB since I was 14 and my favorite thing to do is give under-the-radar athletes the recognition they deserve. You might know me from @NoContextCFB !

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