2011 SBNAZ Mock Draft: Tampa Bay Seeks To Protect Josh Freeman With Pick

By Jess Root Apr 9, 2011, 12:37am MST

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers weren't quite able to squeeze into the playoffs, even though they were 10-6. Josh Freeman showed he is a very good young quarterback. LeGarrette Blount is a very good young running back. They have one of the best corners in the game. Still, they have a lot of needs. They need strength on the offensive line and all over their defense (you do recall that the Cardinals put up 35 points on the Bucs' defense -- inexcusable).

Here is the player that Cory Williams selected for Tampa Bay:

Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Anthony Castonzo, offensive lineman out of Boston College. A left tackle, Castonzo worked very hard to get his game where it is today, and has proven with a score of 41 on the Wonderlic that he's an intelligent guy. Look for Castonzo to step in and make an impact on the left side of the line, blocking on Josh Freeman's blindside and giving the talented quarterback a little more time to make decisions. All in all, this pick could end up paying huge dividends for the Buccaneers, who are only a few pieces away from legitimately challenging for the NFC crown.

The first of the playoff teams now is on the clock -- the Kansas City Chiefs.

Check out the mock draft on the Arizona Cardinals team blog Revenge of the Birds to see who both the community and the writers are projecting.

2011 SBN AZ Mock Draft recap:

1- Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn (Jess Root)

2- Denver Broncos: Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M (Cory Williams)

3- Buffalo Bills: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri (Scott Howard)

4- Cincinnati Bengals: AJ Green, WR, Georgia (JR)

5- Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU (CW)

6- Cleveland Browns: Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson (SH)

7- San Francisco 49ers: Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina (JR)

8- Tennessee Titans: Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn (CW)

9- Dallas Cowboys: Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama (SH)