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Buccaneers Take Receiver In Burke’s Mock Draft

By James Yarcho

Dec 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Washington Huskies wide receiver John Ross (1) runs for a touchdown after a catch defended by Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Chidobe Awuzie (4) in the third quarter during the Pac-12 championship at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Washington Huskies wide receiver John Ross (1) runs for a touchdown after a catch defended by Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Chidobe Awuzie (4) in the third quarter during the Pac-12 championship at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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In his initial mock draft for Sports Illustrated, Chris Burke gives the Buccaneers an offensive threat with speed for days.

The last couple of mock drafts we’ve seen from draft analysts have the Buccaneers focusing on the defensive side of the ball. More specifically, the defensive line. However, Chris Burke issued a mock for Sports Illustrated this morning that finally has the Bucs giving Jameis Winston a weapon and giving Dirk Koetter the speed he so desperately seeks.

Burke has the Bucs selecting Washington wide receiver John Ross, who can certainly change a game in one play given his speed and big play ability. The down side to Ross is his difficulty against press coverage, but that is something he can certainly learn to overcome with coaching. Ross is likely a popular choice among Bucs fans and unlike previous mocks, this one did not have Corey Davis or Dalvin Cook available at the time.

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Burke did, however, choose Ross over Alabama tight end O.J. Howard. He explained the pick and made a lot of sense;

"“The growing consensus appears to be that TE O.J. Howard is destined for the top 15. So, if he’s still around at 19, the Buccaneers would have to take a good, hard look. Pairing him with Cameron Brate would give their offense a boatload of matchup advantages. But in Ross, they can land the No. 2 receiver they need to help Mike Evans. He is an absolute blur in the open field.”"

Ross is certainly a favorite among those of us here at the Pewter Plank. Our own David Harrison not only featured Ross in a draft profile but also compared Ross and Davis to see which player would be the better fit for the Buccaneers, giving Ross the edge.

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I for one want to see the Buccaneers go offense in the first round as of now. That may change after free agency kicks off if they bring in some help for Winston, but Ross is certainly a player that should intrigue Bucs fans.

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