Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers got the steal of the NFL Draft in TE O.J. Howard

Published Apr. 27, 2017 11:04 p.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made one of the biggest moves of the offseason when they signed DeSean Jackson in free agency. He's the deep threat that Jameis Winston desperately needed, expanding the offense entirely as a big-play weapon.

Now, the Buccaneers are doubling down on surrounding Winston with the addition of O.J. Howard – the NFL Draft’s top tight end by a wide margin.

Howard was rumored to go as early as No. 6, but he wound up slipping all the way to 19, falling in the lap of the Buccaneers. Despite the Bucs already having Cameron Brate at tight end, the value of drafting Howard was too good to pass up. He’ll wind up being the biggest steal of the draft.

By inserting Howard as a dynamic tight end who can play anywhere on the field, the Buccaneers have the potential to put up huge numbers offensively. They probably won’t match the division-rival Falcons, but Tampa Bay has a good chance of finishing the season as one of the league’s best offenses.

In 2016, the Buccaneers offense finished 18th with Doug Martin having an abysmal season and Mike Evans being the only reliable wide receiver for Winston. Brate was their second-leading receiver, and he caught only 57 passes. That’s how one-dimensional the Buccaneers’ offense was last season.

Howard adds another element to the mix that they didn’t have a year ago. Brate was primarily an in-line tight end, which Howard won’t be as much of next season. He can split out wide, run routes from out of the backfield and burn defenses on seam routes.

Howard would have been a good value in the top 15, or even in the top 10. At No. 19, he’s an absolute steal. He can do it all for the Buccaneers and will be one of Winston’s favorite targets next season. This was a terrific pick for the Buccaneers.