Isaiah Wilson Vs. Andrew Thomas
April 19th, 2020
Isaiah Wilson
Lifelong Bucs fan and Joe’s good friend, Bill Currie Ford general manager Sean Sullivan, happens to be one of the top students of the NFL Draft on the planet. For decades he’s been studying the draft year-round in his free time. Sullivan penned a 2019 column here on his must-have draft pick for the Bucs, and he did a fresh one for 2020, plus offered a clear all-in fix at tackle.
Please enjoy his latest analysis below:
Let us compare University of Georgia offensive tackles and see if we cannot find our future right tackle and a draft bargain.
As the rumors continue about the Buccaneers in the first round trading up for a right tackle with some combination of draft picks and/or O.J. Howard, I am compelled to find a better way.
Andrew Thomas is a first-round talent in the 2020 draft at offensive tackle (Big Four). Some consider him the best tackle in the draft.
Why?
First, he was a three-year starter at Georgia with 15 starts at right tackle and 21 starts at left tackle with high grades at both positions. This is important because he projects as a left tackle in the NFL, hence the top 10 grade.
Are we looking for a left tackle? If we are, then there are plans by the Bucs brass to unseat Donovan Smith next year and dump his contract. Basically, Thomas starts at right tackle this year with plans to replace Smith in 2021.
If this is not the plan, then we must look at Isaiah Wilson in Rounds 2 or 3 depending on the run on tackles.
Wilson only projects as a right tackle but an elite right tackle that could start by midseason and be salary-cap friendly (3rd round) for four to five years. He was a five-star recruit like Thomas, and he started as a freshman and had 14 consecutive starts at right tackle, receiving many post seasons awards.
His size is his best trait. At 6’6’’ and 350 pounds, he is a mauler who also benched 26 reps at the combine. He consistently wins the 1-on-1 battles and sets the tone in the running game. Thomas is more finesse at 6’5’’ and 315 pounds with less arm length and hand size.
If it’s just about right tackle, Wilson is the better value and what we do in the draft will determine Donovan Smith’s future. I hope it’s with the Bucs. — Your favorite Ford GM
April 19th, 2020 at 11:57 am
I like Wilson too, but here’s no doubt that Thomas offers more flexibility for the future and is a more “finished” product at this point. Thomas could play LT if needed and do it at a very high level. But, I wouldn’t mind trading back in Round 1, picking up another second round pick and getting a guy like Wilson, a top RB and a DE or Slot receiver in the first 2 rounds.
April 19th, 2020 at 12:05 pm
Thanks Jameis for those meaningless wins….everything in each round is just out of reach…
April 19th, 2020 at 12:08 pm
Seems to me that there are right tackles in the draft that Licht could certainly choose in rounds 2 & 3 that would be very good in the future. That saying, Licht could trade down and collect even more picks. Protecting Brady has to be the priority in 2020. And we have other needs too. Trading down makes perfect sense in this well stocked draft. After all, there have been many high draft picks by the Bucs that never lived up to their projections, and judging by those past picks, draft picks are a crap shoot at picks 1 thru 10. And there are some good picks to be had at rounds 2 & 3.
April 19th, 2020 at 12:17 pm
At a certain point, players with large contracts that can be cut with no cap hit will need to be replaced with lesser/cheaper contracts. Guys like smith, Jensen, suh (1 yr contract I know) will need to be cut to use their money for the contracts of Godwin, vea, and maybe lvd. It’s gonna be time to draft their replacements sooner than later. Just my opinion tho
April 19th, 2020 at 12:17 pm
I like the idea of trading down, getting an exceptional WR and a great receiving RB, then picking up a solid RT. It doesn’t make sense to take a RT at 14
April 19th, 2020 at 12:21 pm
In a perfect world, a rt falls to the Bucs in the first, a rb in the second, a kick arse dt in the third and Antonio gibson in the 4th. Jefferson is signed after the draft and a veteran cb is also signed.
If the Bucs trade for Adams, all bets are off! That would just make my day!!! That would really help out that backend of the secondary
April 19th, 2020 at 12:22 pm
According to an article in the TB Times this am, four of the five all-rookie OLs last year were second round picks. Hmm.
April 19th, 2020 at 12:30 pm
Can’t wait to see what everyone says when Brady gets killed next year because we decided to go bargain shopping for our RT. We can spend a 1st rounder on a tight end but not offensive line?
April 19th, 2020 at 12:42 pm
Great idea. I’m with you. Way toooooo muchhhhh hype to trade up.
April 19th, 2020 at 1:02 pm
Totally agree. Wilson is the guy for us. And we need to trade back to get him at value.
April 19th, 2020 at 1:34 pm
If we end up with either guy I would be very pleased. Wills is #1 then these 2 are right together. Tom Brady will love any of the 3.
April 19th, 2020 at 2:38 pm
Wilson might not even be there for our 2nd round pick as I’d give it 50/50 and he won’t last till the third. He probably goes top end of 2nd round. I think he’s the 6th best behind the top 4 and jones for us but if we wait till round 2 he could be gone and no other ot’s can start year 1 for us. Got to get one of these 6. Trading down in the first is a great option for us.
April 19th, 2020 at 2:56 pm
Agree with this that if we are going Tackle at 14 the plan will be to replace Smith. Doesn’t mean it will work out as planned.
Also think it’s a great point that if we are just looking for only a RT then you get one later and let them develope behind Haeg. Haeg is a very overlooked move.
I think we got a lot of options. Setup to take the Tackle of the future if he falls to us. If not we can easily go another direction.
April 19th, 2020 at 3:38 pm
I don’t see it happening guys. They need to be desperately searching for a guard if they even make a pick in the draft on the offensive line. They need someone that can come in and play RG. They need to move Cappa to LT and move on from Donovan Smith. TBH they probably can make picks in the first two rounds and unseat Donovan Smith and his unworthy contract. I also can see the Bucs moving on from him via a trade on draft night if they draft one the tackles early and then this guy. Just saying we stand a good chance at getting Becton even in a trade down but either way they need to get a guard out of this draft. I also predict this WILL be Donovan Smith last week on this team. He will be traded for draft capital.
April 19th, 2020 at 3:42 pm
I am in the mold that only Left Tackles should be drafted as a top 10 pick. Good RT can be had in the later rounds.
April 19th, 2020 at 3:50 pm
Jason Mclaurin says, “They need to move Cappa to LT and move on from Donovan Smith……..I also predict this WILL be Donovan Smith last week on this team.”
Donovan Smith had his best year last year. He really came on strong. Secondly, Jameis holds on the ball longer than most QB making the stats harder for Olinemen. I think Smith only missed one game in his career. Being available is one of the best traits for an Offensive lineman. I don’t see the Bucs trading Smith, especially this year. That would be insane!
April 19th, 2020 at 4:22 pm
I though it was a given that if we took a OT in the first or traded back and took UH OT Jones that it would be to fill the hole at RT this season and replace Smith next. How else could they afford Godwin and LVD new contracts. I could see them also taking a Center fairly early in this draft too to do the same with Jensen. This is the only way to stay under the cap is to draft well enough to cycle some of the expensive vet contracts out.
April 19th, 2020 at 5:52 pm
If I’m not mistaken Donovan Smith has one more guaranteed year on his contract. He would represent a huge dead cap money hit. He’s not going anywhere for at least a year.
In addition to his contract when BA was praising OL after the season Donovan’s name was the one that came up with some love for Ali as well. BA said that DS made the most improvement of any of the OL.
So there is strong chance that DS isn’t going anywhere even after this year, unless he tries to break the bank when he becomes an FA.
April 19th, 2020 at 6:09 pm
I really appreciate Sean Sullivan’s viewpoint and I like his thinking on this. Joe! you have a responsibility to get this information over to jason Licht so it can be pondered in the war room. Do not assume they have thought this out–they are probably obsessed with other guys like Mekhi becton–Wilson sounds more ready to go, cheaper, no trading up, and sets the tone in the run game for CEH or Taylor and Jones. A move like this allows the Bucs to trade down and take best RB in the draft or take Ruggs then trade back up for CEH and still get this tackle later. Sean needs to get wired in to the war room. Wow–I like his picks.
April 19th, 2020 at 7:08 pm
It’s probably wishful thinking, but I’d love to get this guy in the second after taking Thomas in the first. Donovan Smith is vastly overpaid with the 7th highest salary for left tackles in 2020. One of the Buccaneer’s biggest flaws over the years has been paying top dollar for average to slightly above average players. Perennial winners like the Patriots, Steelers, and Ravens rarely overpay for mediocrity and imho that’s one of the biggest factors separating them from losing franchises like ours. Fingers crossed that we are beginning to turn the corner, but I have 0 faith in Buc’s ownership until we have two win in seasons in a row.
April 19th, 2020 at 7:10 pm
*winning, damn spell checker.
April 19th, 2020 at 7:26 pm
I’d be OK trading back to get Wilson, and then UP to get one of the top RB’s.
April 19th, 2020 at 9:02 pm
If he’s there in the 2nd, then yeah. I watched some tape on him a while back and liked him. He’s not fast though, and fast pass rushers will beat him.
April 19th, 2020 at 9:06 pm
Simmons
Clyde
Wilson
Claypool/Jefferson
Lynch
Leake
April 19th, 2020 at 9:08 pm
Why are you guys pining to get rid of Smith. We have a good player at a hard to find position. He will be a buc for a long time. He is a top 15 left tackle and is still young and in a year be on a 3 year bargain contract. You don’t let left tackles who are good with great potential and young go at all. If like you guys say we draft a right tackle and he is pro bowl or all pro first or second year. Why would you move him to left tackle to replace a top 15 tackle and then hope whoever the new right tackle is is Atleast serviceable. Donavan Smith will make the pro bowl this year because we have notoriety and we will be on national tv a lot. You guys act like he is horrible or something he had better numbers than Tunsil who was traded for two 1st round picks.
April 20th, 2020 at 12:28 am
You said it right there. Thomas could be an air tight swing to LT. A LOT of ppl better than Donovan Smith are getting paid BIG and were going to need every nickel.