The New York Giants (2-8) host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6) on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Of course, this gives us here at Giants Wire the opportunity to hypothetically swipe from the Buccaneers' roster for the second time this season in search of depth and/or talent upgrades for Big Blue.
Looking at Tampa Bay's roster, there doesn't seem to be much choice. Most of the Bucs' top stars play in positions that the Giants don't necessarily need to improve.
Options include offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, quarterback Baker Mayfield, edge rusher Yaya Diaby and cornerback Zyon McCollum.
McCollum almost got the pick, but it's hard to say if his success in 2024 is an anomaly or if he's truly turned the corner and will be a viable starter long-term. The Giants certainly need a cornerback, but he feels too risky.
Ultimately, we chose nose tackle Vita Vea, who is still on the right side of 30 and would help the Giants in a variety of ways.
While Vea isn't an elite run defender, he's above average in that regard and provides a solid pass rush from the inside. And you might be thinking, “Why would the Giants need that when they have Dexter Lawrence?”
The answer is simple: they have nothing but that and are regularly exposed when Lawrence is not on the field.
Not only would Vea serve as Lawrence's replacement, but he could also stand alongside him and help strengthen the unit as a whole.
In nine games this season, Vea has recorded 31 tackles (20 solo, eight for a loss), one pass defensed, seven QB hits and 5.0 sacks. And those 5.0 sacks are more than all of the Giants' defensive tackles outside of Lawrence combined (4.0).
What do you think, Giants fans? Would you choose Vita Vea or would you steal a completely different player from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
