He plays like a big safety, he hits like a big safety and if you watch this highlight reel you’ll see he has some of the best vision of any safety I have scouted on a long time. Watch every pass and you will see that Black is breaking on the ball as soon as it comes out.  Black is always around the ball, even if he’s grabbing it off the tip his instincts and vision put him in perfect position almost every single time. I really don’t know if Black’s lack of height really will prevent him from playing in the NFL (or being durable, see Bob Sanders), but this young man is a talent and I am extremely impressed by his potential.

Adrian Clayborn leads a great 2011 Bucs Class.

There comes a time around 5:30 on Saturday afternoon when Herm Edwards and Ron Jaworski start demonstrating types of hugs players use on the commissioner after being picked in the first round, and you look outside and see it’s absolutely beautiful out and you wonder, why am I still sitting in front of the television? I have to be honest, rounds 6 and 7 of the NFL draft aren’t all that different from watching HGTV with your spouse. You like watching someone else pick out lamp-shades and throw pillows? That’s round six and seven.

Now before someone tosses out the inevitable, “the best teams win in the late rounds” spiel, I’m aware there’s value there. Everyone is. But two points, a.) the likelihood that you do find those kinds of players late is statistically still extremely low and b.) the players being picked are largely unknown due to lack of exposure. All I’m saying is that the average NFL fan can not even name a single player or coach ASSOCIATED with Idaho and FIU, let alone who the Bucs just drafted from them.

The other problem with NFL draft coverage is it’s obviously very ratings driven. They are going to go with the best story-lines and in lieu of those, revert back to the teams with the biggest fan-bases. That’s why the 6-10 Cowboys drafted a tackle and you saw Jason Garrett fifteen times over the next few days yet the Bucs had arguably the best first two rounds of anyone and the Bucs (though not in any way ignored) didn’t get face-time until Suzy Kolber talked to Raheem Morris on day three.

So with that in mind, let’s talk some Bucs draft…

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Ahmad Black was taken in the fifth round.

Gator fans rejoice, the Bucs have just grabbed safety Ahmad Black in the fifth round of 2011 NFL Draft. The Bucs spent the 151st pick on the young safety from UF and he looks to come in and contribute on special teams immediately as he develops and eventually challenges for time at safety. I have no idea what, if anything, this says about Tanard Jackson’s future with the Bucs but Black is an interesting prospect.

The knock on Black is and has always been that he’s too small and slow. He stands at just 5’9 and runs a 4.7. But the kid is also a gamer and a born leader and could always surprise teams as well. Here’s the scouting report on Black.

Black’s an undersized safety prospect who should be able to contribute immediately in sub-packages and as a special teams cover guy even if he never becomes a starter. Has excellent instincts. Plays tough and is durable despite lack of size. Very capable in deep cover-2 or lining up over slots but doesn’t have the size or length against physical receivers. Flies to the ball, is a sure tackler when coming up to support the run, and will make plays in the backfield when asked to blitz. Black overcame his lack of size in college and may get the chance to do so again as a mid-round pick.

I had Black pegged as the 6th best safety in the class and the 98th rated player in the class. Grabbing him at 151 is a little lower than I expected him to go but he’s the type of player the Bucs seem to be hell-bent on building their team around. Black is smart, high-effort, a former team captain and a highly productive player on the field in college. Welcome to Tampa, Ahmad.