Huskies’ DT Vea selected at 12th spot

TAMPA — His given name is Tevita Tuliakiono Tuipuloto Mosese Va’hae Faletau Vea. He goes by Vita Vea. You can call him the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ first-round draft pick.

For the first time in five years, general manager Jason Licht used a firstround choice Thursday on a defensive lineman, selecting Vea, the Washington defensive tackle.

But it took some wheeling and dealing.

The Bucs swapped the No. 7 overall choice with the Buffalo Bills for two second-rounders and moved down five spots to take Vea at No. 12 overall.

At 6-foot-4, 347 pounds, Vea’s rare combination of size and quick feet will provide the Bucs with an enormous nosetackle who can provide push up the middle and take some of the heat off defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.

In fact, McCoy was the last defensive tackle to be selected in the first round by the Bucs in 2009.

After watching the Bucs finish last in total defense last season, allowing 378.1 yards per game, Licht had enough.

Tampa Bay’s defense was last on third-down percentage at 48 percent in finishing 5-11 in a division in which the other three teams — New Orleans, Atlanta and Carolina — make the playoffs.

Opposing quarterbacks had a 94.6 passer efficiency rating against them.

So Licht and the Bucs now completely have rebuilt their defensive front.

It started in free agency with the signing of defensive

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS tackles Beau Allen and Mitch Urein.

Then they jumped on Vinny Curry, who was released by the Eagles and signed a three-year $23-million contract.

Finally, they traded their third-round pick to the New York Giants for Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. Now Vea. The Bucs appeared to get a break Thursday when the Cleveland Browns, who began the draft by taking Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield No. 1 overall, selected Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward with the No. 4 pick.

But aside from Mayfield and the Jets taking Southern Cal quarterback Sam Darnold No. 3, there was no immediate expected run on quarterbacks.

The Denver Broncos took North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb at No. 5.

That left the Colts to take Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson, who will help protect quarterback Andrew Luck.

With Chubb and Nelson gone and quarterbackneedy teams behind them, that put the Bucs in perfect position to trade down.

So Tampa Bay dealt the No. 7 pick and their seventh-rounder (No. 255) to the quarterback-needy Bills for two second-round choices, No. 53 and No. 56 overall.

The Bills selected Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen.

The Bucs had Vea and Florida State safety Derwin James as the next players on their board. And both players were there at No. 15.