The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have not been transparent about who they might choose with the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston has been regarded as the top choice, but Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota is also being considered.
And now there's speculation of a defensive player.
According to Mike Florio of NBC Sports' ProFootballTalk, the Bucs brought in Florida defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. in for a visit on Thursday. This news is bound to create a stir among the rumor mill because if Tampa Bay is actually considering Fowler, it's likely the No. 1 overall pick is up for grabs and teams looking for a quarterback will be ringing general manager Jason Licht's phone off the hook.
Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay have projected the Buccaneers to select Winston in each of their four mock drafts, but over the past couple of days it appears the team could be shying away from Winston, and even a quarterback altogether. Their highly coveted No. 1 overall pick can yield them much value in return, especially with teams such as the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints looking to make a move in the draft (both of them also have two first round picks).
Florio suggests the Bucs may switch picks with the Tennessee Titans, who have the No.2 overall selection, if Tennessee is interested in going after Winston. He also noted Tampa Bay's "due diligence" could now be "spreading from Mariota to other top-10 prospects in advance of a possible trade farther down the board."
Sources say Licht "really likes" Fowler, which further indicates trading down could be possible for the Bucs. After all, Tampa Bay's problems extend way beyond the quarterback position and if they're not completely sold on Winston or Mariota, it makes sense to trade down to select a player who may better fit their needs while also acquiring more assets.
However, Fowler doesn't think that's the case.
"They're going with a quarterback," he told Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. "I feel like there's no need for them to talk to me and waste my time unless something happens with Jameis or Marcus or something like that. They know where they're going. I understand that."
Yes, teams typically do meet with as many players as they can as a part of protocol and local-player workouts, but nothing can be ruled out at this point considering Fowler is a top-five prospect.
Here's what Kiper had to say about him:
"Fowler's combine really sealed his status as a top-10 pick, not because he was a total freak, but because the outstanding performance there backed up plenty of good tape. While I think he could actually be more productive, you did see consistent flashes of a player who, were he able to add more elements to his game as a pass-rusher in particular, has star potential."
The spotlight will remain on Tampa until draft day on Apr. 30.
