On the surface, the Buccaneers are stacked on both sides of the ball and even have solid depth at key positions. However, Tampa is an aging team built to win today, so drafting for the future starts immediately. Of the 25 unrestricted free agents on the roster, five of them are defensive lineman, four of which are 30 years of age or older. Although more of a power edge rusher, Karlaftis is skilled at disrupting pass plays having tallied six passes defended while at Purdue.
Penning is a mountain of a man at 6-7, 340 pounds, and Tampa would do well to grab a guy with Penning combination of strength and athleticism to protect Tom Brady.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense is struggling primarily due to the poor play of their secondary. Kaiir Elam is an experienced CB who has good length and size that will immediately improve the CB play for Tampa Bay.
Booth doesn't quite have the lockdown numbers as some of the other top corner prospects in this class, as he's allowed 321 yards across 288 coverage snaps in 2021. However, he does have the tools worth taking a swing on in the first round. The 2019 five-star recruit has exceptional feet, good length and brings the physicality out on the field.
After being plagued with injuries to multiple starters this season, the Bucs depth in the secondary has been exploited. McCreary, a physical man-coverage corner, has put together a stellar senior campaign. He has a playing style similar to Bears 2020 second-round pick Jaylon Johnson, who likely would've been a Day 1 selection if not for multiple shoulder surgeries. McCreary must improve his tackling in run support, but he has all of the tools to be an early starter on the perimeter.
