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Nelson? Chubb? Barkley? Where Bucs fans stand on No. 7 pick

If four QBs go in top six picks, Bucs could choose from at least one of three coveted non-QB prospects.
 
Published March 23, 2018|Updated March 23, 2018

The NFL draft is still more than a month away, and as Bucs fans debate what Tampa Bay should do with the No. 7 overall pick, it sounds a bit like "Rock, Paper, Scissors."

Where do you stand on "Nelson, Chubb, Barkley?"

A little background: There's a good chance that four QBs — Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield, though not necessarily in that order — could be taken in the top six picks ahead of the Bucs. That would mean only two non-QBs are off the board before the Bucs — who have Jameis Winston and don't need a starting quarterback — are on the clock.

The general consensus has three non-QBs at the top of the draft, in (alphabetically) Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, N.C. State defensive end Bradley Chubb and Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson.

Keep in mind, too, that all three could be gone in the first six picks if there isn't the mad frenzy for quarterbacks that's widely expected.

But hypothetically, you can make a case for each of the three being the best match for the Bucs: Nelson would upgrade the offensive line, Barkley is the kind of big-play back the Bucs have lacked the last two seasons, and Chubb — despite the Bucs' major additions at defensive end — is the top pass-rusher in the draft.

RELATED: Bucs, Licht get close look at N.C. State's Bradley Chubb

So we asked Bucs fans on Twitter what order they'd prioritize those three in, and we calculated the results (3 points for 1st, 2 for 2nd, 1 for 3rd) to see who the winner of our highly unscientific survey was.

First, fans are all over the map, and equally passionate that they're correct. There are six different answers to the 1-2-3 question, and all six were well-represented. Yes, Nelson-Chubb-Barkley sounds like a law firm, and yes, Chubb-Nelson-Barkley makes us think of Charles Nelson Reilly.

So after 12o votes, here are the results: guard Quenton Nelson won with 281 vote-points, ahead of defensive end Bradley Chubb (240) and running back Saquon Barkley (172). First-place votes, you ask? Nelson was way out in front with 61 of the 120 ballots, more than Chubb (36) and Barkley (23) combined.

Adding Nelson would mean the Bucs don't have to rely on injured J.R. Sweezy as a starter — with new center Ryan Jensen and Ali Marpet shifted back to the other guard spot, the Bucs would have a strong offensive line, making it easier for a running back to pile up yards.

Again, voting was streaky — one group of 10 had Nelson first on eight of them; the next had him first on just one, with six for Chubb; the next with five for Barkley.

Fans are divided just on this, but of course there are many other options for the Bucs at 7 — trade down to pick up extra picks, take a top defensive back like FSU's Derwin James or Alabama's Minkah Fitzpatrick or another prospect with a smaller but cultish following, like defensive tackle Vita Vea or linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.

Back to the debate already in progress …