Three biggest concerns for Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the draft

The early stage of free agency wasn't as bad as it could have been for Tampa Bay. Sure, Tom Brady's retirement is one of the most significant offseason subtractions by any team, but the Bucs were able to retain key defenders including corner Jamel Dean and linebacker Lavonte David. A lack of cap space meant the team couldn't afford to keep everyone, however, and the draft is a great place to get cheaper talent to keep in the hopes that the ship doesn't sink too deep.

1. Safety

Antoine Winfield is penciled in as one of the team's starting safeties, but it's anyone's guess whom he'll share the field with in the team's secondary. Mike Edwards played 13 games a season ago, taking the field on 94 percent of the team's defensive snaps when he was available, but signed with Kansas City this offseason. 

Logan Ryan and Keanu Neal are available free agents and could still return. Ryan played in nine games last season, taking the field on 73 percent of the team's defensive snaps in those games. Neal played in all 17 games and on 52 percent of the team's defensive plays. If both land elsewhere this offseason, a hole will open up too big to be ignored.

2. Tight end

Under normal circumstances, drafting a tight end after selecting two the year before would be a misuse of resources, but due to the strength of this year's tight end class, the Bucs wouldn't be frowned upon for selecting one when they choose at 19th overall. 

It's unlikely Michael Mayer will be available at 19, but if he is, he would be a strong candidate. He's far from the only quality TE prospect this year, however. Dalton Kincaid (Utah) and Darnell Washington (Georgia) are other potential first-round picks the Bucs could explore adding, but both would be reaches at 19th.

The team attempted to replace Rob Gronkowski with a trio of Cameron Brate and rookies Cade Otton and Ko Kieft in 2022. Brate was released this offseason while neither Otton or Kieft separated himself enough for anyone to think one of the top 2023 draftees would be anything but an upgrade.

3. Offensive line

Tampa Bay's offensive line was in need of an overhaul and is in the process of receiving one. The team cut left tackle Donovan Smith, who struggled mightily in 908 offensive snaps last season. Tampa also traded right guard Shaq Mason (he played 1,200 snaps a year ago), making the offensive line even more of a need in the draft.

The front office accurately assessed the roster and saw the offensive line as a weakness. Per Football Outsiders, the team's line ranked in the bottom third in metrics including "Power Success" and "Stuffed Rank." "Power" examines how a team performs in short-yardage situations while "Stuffed" signals how often a team fails to gain positive yards on rush attempts. Rebuilding the offensive line through the draft could set the foundation for the organization's next postseason run.