Buccaneers’ Combine Preview – Day 3

Scooby Wright III – LB – Arizona

When you’re looking to build a defense you want players who can play in multiple positions, as no defense plays a singular scheme anymore.

A linebacker who can be effective in pass rushing and run stopping in a 4-3 alignment, as well as shift inside in a 3-4 look, is valuable for any team.  Scooby Wright III from Arizona is an inside linebacker by definition who flourishes in the middle, but is athletic and smart enough to move outside when his team needs him to.

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With the First Pick

Talented in coverage and aggressive at the point of attack, Wright would be a second round prospect if it weren’t for some injury concerns and his smaller than desired body measurements.

What he’s missing in inches, he’s overflowing with effort and determination.  Winning three of college football’s top defensive awards in 2014, Wright was simply the best defensive player in the country.  Despite his smaller than desired stature, he was generating plenty of buzz as being the most recent player to be able to overcome his genetic disadvantage.

In 2015, Scooby suffered an injury to his left knee, and later to his right ankle.  He played in just three games last season, and his draft stock has suffered greatly from it.  However, the talent is still there, and the hard work is more present than ever.

Any team benefits from a player with talent who has the heart to grind-it-out no matter the circumstances.  He’s ready for the combine and plans to show teams his athletic talents match his desire to succeed.

Wright didn’t let his lack of recruitment stop him from being one of the best defenders in the country, and if the Bucs take him in the third round of the NFL Draft, he won’t let his injuries – or lack of size – stop him from being an impact player for them too.

Next: DT/DE - Anthony Zettel