Buccaneers Could Bulk Up Offensive Line in Later Rounds

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could add multiple offensive linemen in the 2024 NFL draft, including a replacement for a legendary player on the offensive line.

The latest 7-round mock draft from ESPN’s Jordan Reid has the Buccaneers taking West Virginia center Ryan Frazier in the second round (No. 57) and South Dakota State guard Mason McCormick in the third round (No. 89).

The first round of the draft is April 25, with rounds 2-7 on April 26-27.

The Buccaneers are in the market for a center after former Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion Ryan Jensen retired after 11 seasons in Feb. 2024 — Jensen was the highest-paid center in the NFL during his time in Tampa Bay.

“Replacing Ryan Jensen won’t be an easy task,” Reid wrote. “But Frazier has the potential to become a mainstay on this O-line. His physical hands, toughness and instincts would make him a Day 1 starter in Tampa Bay.”

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Ryan Frazier Could Be Jensen’s Replacement

The Buccaneers were without Jensen for most of the last two seasons due to serious knee injuries in 2022 and 2023 — getting a young player like Frazier could be a shot in the arm for the offensive line.

Frazier was a four-time All-Big 12 Conference for WVU, where he was the first freshman to start on the offensive line since 1980. Frazier started 37 consecutive games at center and was a third-team Associated Press All-American in 2023.

“Frazier’s lack of ideal arm length will be a problem for some evaluators and could cause him problems on the next level,” wrote NFL analyst Lance Zierlein. “Frazier has bulldozer drive strength in his lower half but allows his hands to do too much grabbing and hugging at times. He has quick eyes and a firm punch in pass protection, but because of his lack of length and recovery ability, he’s going to have issues if he’s forced to protect on an island.

“Frazier has the potential to be a good backup or eventual starter, but he needs to play with consistent inside hands and must stay tight to his targets in order to mitigate his physical deficiencies.”

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McCormick: Four-Time All-American, Two-Time National Champion

McCormick, 6-foot-4 and 309 pounds, was a zero-star prospect out of Sioux Falls Roosevelt (S.D.) High School and became a four-time All-American and two-time FCS national champion at South Dakota State — the first two national championships in school history.

McCormick impressed at the NFL combine when he ran the 40-yard dash in 5.08 seconds, a 35.5-inch vertical leap and a 9-foot, 9-inch broad jump.

“Three-year team captain who brings an incredible amount of starting experience and toughness to the table,” Zierlein said. “McCormick plays with tightness in both his upper and lower half that shows itself when he’s forced to make athletic plays. He can be forceful into first contact but doesn’t display the flexion needed to redirect his weight quickly or play with leverage at the point of attack. His clear-eyed pass protection will attract offensive line coaches and his NFL Scouting Combine testing should have coaches believing there is still much more to bring out of him as a player.”

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