The Sports Xchange

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed tackle Donovan Smith, the first of their two second-round selections in the 2015 NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-6, 338-pound Smith was picked 34th overall out of Penn State, where he started 31 of 32 career games. Smith was part of an offensive line that helped block for 2013 Big Ten Freshman of the Year quarterback Christian Hackenburg, who set 12 school records for freshmen. That season, Smith earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors.

Smith is expected to start at left tackle as the Bucs prepare to upgrade their offensive line in front of likely starting quarterback Jameis Winston, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

“You have to have an attitude to play on the offensive line in general, but I think there is a little extra on us (at left tackle) because you are protecting the blind side of the quarterback,” Smith said. “So you have to have a little more attitude and confidence in that.”

The only player still to be signed from the team’s 2015 draft class is guard Ali Marpet, the second of two second-round picks used to upgrade the offensive line.