2020 NFL Draft: 20 Bold predictions for first round

Chase Young, 2020 NFL Draft (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Chase Young, 2020 NFL Draft (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /

16. Buccaneers get Brady extra protection with Wirfs

Just when it seemed like the hype surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Tom Brady as their new quarterback couldn’t hit a new level of excitement, Bruce Arians and company managed to land Rob Gronkowski through a trade in the days leading up to the draft.

Football fans can say whatever they want about Gronkowski’s appearing to be on the decline before retiring, but if the tight end returns to his dominant ways from a few years ago, the Buccaneers are going to be difficult to defeat.

Brady was already fortunate enough to have a strong new duo in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to work with on offense, but Gronkowski has proven to be a rare kind of talent who tends to cause all sorts of problems for opponents.

With that being said, just because Brady appears to have the right weapons on paper to work with entering the 2020 season doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be smooth sailing since the future Hall of Famer still needs the proper protection from his new offensive line.

Tristan Wirfs appears to be heading towards a top-10 selection if all goes well for the Iowa offensive lineman on Thursday, but if he happens to slip a bit, and be available for Tampa Bay at No. 14, Brady would be thrilled over this kind of surprise.