Buccaneers Can Compete for NFC South Crown with Loaded 2017 Draft Class

You'll notice something about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense now after the 2017 NFL draft. To see it, glance down the age column on their newly refreshed roster.

It hits you quickly after a draft highlighted by the selection of tight end O.J. Howard at the top. This team is about to rise fast and then stay at its new high perch for a long time.

Before the draft, Tampa already had youth where it's needed most—at the quarterback position. Jameis Winston was available to the Buccaneers with their first overall pick in 2015. Immediately, he was paired with sky-scraping wide receiver Mike Evans, a first-round pick from 2014.

Winston and Evans formed the offensive battery, and other supporting pieces slowly developed around them. Tight end Cameron Brate went undrafted in 2014, and in 2016, he finished with 660 receiving yards, which ranked 12th at his position. Adam Humphries, another undrafted gem, has grown into a solid slot receiver in his two seasons. He provided quality production in a secondary role with 55 catches for 622 yards in 2016.

Every new element the Buccaneers inserted into their offense by nailing both high picks and sifting through the undrafted weeds pushed them a little closer to truly breaking out. They nearly did just that in 2016 by winning five straight games at one point and finishing with a 9-7 record, only two games behind the eventual NFC champion Atlanta Falcons in their division.

But something was still missing. To win those nine games, Winston had to target Evans a whopping and league-leading 173 times. Evans is certainly built for that sort of target volume, but the Bucs risked becoming too one-dimensional offensively.

They needed another pass-catcher who can make his large football body move in ways that shouldn't be possible. And they needed another fast-moving brick wall to beat up on opposing defenses both before and after the catch while winning battles deep.

The Buccaneers checked off those boxes and paid their respects to the draft gods when Howard somehow fell to them in the first round at No. 19 overall. They weren't done with the youthful additions, adding Penn State standout wide receiver Chris Godwin in the third round as well.

So, about that age column:

Player	Position	Age
Jameis Winston	QB	23
Mike Evans	WR	23
Cameron Brate	TE	25
O.J. Howard	TE	22
Chris Godwin	WR	21
Adam Humphries	WR	23

That list ranges from Pro Bowlers Evans and Winston, to valuable role players like Humphries. All six are 25 or younger. They form the Buccaneers' offensive foundation set to blossom then burst, especially after wide receiver DeSean Jackson was also added during free agency.

Suddenly Jackson looks like the graying veteran in this offense. But at 30 years old, he still has prime years left after averaging 17-plus yards per reception each of the past three seasons. And the offense is rounded out nicely by running back Doug Martin. He struggled through injuries and off-field issues in 2016 but is still only one year removed from producing 1,402 rushing yards.

Howard and Godwin, the two draftees, can push the Bucs to another level. That starts with Howard, the 6'6" and 251-pound tight end who can fly up the seam and show impressive after-the-catch elusiveness and speed.

The Alabama star recorded 1,197 receiving yards over his final two seasons with the Crimson Tide. He did that on a modest 83 receptions, averaging 14.4 yards per catch. Howard piles up his yardage with startling acceleration for his size. He moves fluidly, cuts abruptly often looks more like an oversized wide receiver.

That's why he can be lined up anywhere throughout the formation.

The chart-topping athleticism displayed at the combine will give his coaching staff endless options for offensive creativity.

Howard is a complete tight end too and more than just an athletic marvel. He's sure-handed even amid chaos and dropped only six passes over his final three seasons at Alabama, according to Pro Football Focus. Half of those drops came in 2014, and PFF also gave Howard the top run-blocking grade among tight ends in 2016.

With Howard, Evans and Brate, there are now three Bucs pass-catchers 6'5" or taller available to Winston in the red zone. Basically, he's throwing to a group of human telephone poles, and at 6'1", Godwin is highly effective in that area of the field too.

He scored 11 touchdowns for Penn State in 2016. The year before, the then-19-year-old reeled in 69 balls for 1,101 yards, an average of 16 yards per catch.

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

He maintained that high per-catch average during his final season with the Nittany Lions, finishing 2016 at 16.6 yards per reception.

Tearing a hole in the secondary deep is his specialty, which will give Godwin a lethal presence on a depth chart that also includes Jackson. He defines the concept of a home-run threat, and early on, that will likely be Godwin's role. Of his 11 touchdown receptions in 2016, seven came on 20-plus-yard throws, per PFF.

Godwin can be the final building block added to an offense that could be terrifying. Opposing defenses will now have to contend with the speed and bulk of Evans, Jackson and Howard. Those three will be catching passes from a quarterback who took a significant step forward in his second NFL season.

There's plenty of firepower in the NFC South. It's a division that was led in 2016 by the Atlanta Falcons and their MVP quarterback, Matt Ryan. And New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees still isn't playing like his age while leading an offense that averaged 29.3 points per game last year.

Now the Bucs have stockpiled the weaponry to match those teams for years going forward.