Nov 2, 2013; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (7) tackles Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver De
We are now deep enough into the season to see where this team needs improve. The Buccaneers have a decent roster, and are far too talented to be winless. With a change of coaching staff this off-season they should be able to turn things around fairly quickly. So going into the draft, they will be able to plug up some holes and acquire some good depth.
The Buccaneers have picks in rounds 1,2,4,5 and 7.
ROUND 1 – DE – Jadeveon Clowney – South Carolina
If the Bucs do not end up with the 1st overall pick, I think they go this direction. Clowney is clearly the best defensive player available in this draft class. He is incredibly athletic and can physically handle the best offensive lineman in the NFL. He has great block shedding ability and presents and elite level of hitting power. The Buccaneers would immediately have one of the best front seven squads in the NFL.
ROUND 2 – QB – Zach Mettenberger – LSU
Mike Glennon is not the quarterback of the future for Tampa Bay. With the amount of talent at quarterback in this draft, they can afford to wait until the second round and pick up the best available guy. Mettenberger has made huge strides during his Senior campaign. He has great size at 6’5, 225. He has great arm strength and is very accurate with short and intermediate passes. The only downside in his mechanics is that he has inconsistent and slow feet. At times this year he has looked tremendous. With good coaching, he can be a very successful NFL quarterback.
ROUND 4 – OLB – Jonathan Brown – Illinois
The Buccaneers have a good young linebacking corps with rising stars Lavonte David and Mason Foster. But adding depth and replacing free agents Jonathan Casillas and Dekoda Watson is a smart use of a fourth-round pick. Jonathan Brown has a great combination of power and athleticism. He has long arms and is a good open field tackler. Brown has also shown potential to be a good pass rusher. If he can develop his block shedding skills, he can be a very productive football player.
ROUND 5 – CB – Lamarcus Joyner – Florida State
One of the big knocks on Joyner is his size, he only measures in at 5’8. He has great speed and athleticism. He is a play maker in the secondary. Joyner has a great nose for the football and can play all over the field. For a guy who is fairly undersized, he packs a heavy punch.
ROUND 7 – OW – Dri Archer – Kent State
Archer is one of my favorite prospects in this draft. He is the poor mans LaMichael James. At only 5’7, 175, he is not an every down player. He can fill in and be a dangerous slot receiver. Archer is an elite level kick returner and is a threat to take it to the house on every play. He has had some drop issues in his past and has some durability issues, but would be a great pickup for a team that needs a spark in their offense.