The 2016 NFL draft is less than two months away. We continue to profile potential choices for the Buccaneers today with DE DeForest Buckner.
Free agency may be in full swing, but draft preparation is also in full swing. While evaluating existing players on the free agent market, Jason Licht and the Buccaneers are also busy deciding which college players are the guys to lead this team for years to come. It is less than two months away, so we continue to prepare as well.
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This afternoon, we continue our draft profiles. We previously profiled Noah Spence. DeForest Buckner is a name that has begun to pop up on mock drafts, including the most recent draft from Fansided. With that, let’s take a good luck at Buckner in today’s spotlight.
First, here are his statistics from his days at Oregon:
Defense & Fumbles
It’s always a positive when a player stays in college to complete his senior season. He certainly had a coming out party in his final year, with 17 TFL’s and 10.5 sacks. There certainly isn’t an issue with the quality of opponent.
Let’s see how he did at the Combine.
He graded at a 7.23 overall. His 40 time was a bit slow, coming in at 5.05 seconds. His “Three Cone” drill took 7.51 seconds, and he ran the 20 yard shuttle in 4.47 seconds. Take a look at highlights of his workout here.
His size is ideal, standing at 6’7″, and measuring 34 3/8″ arms, and 11 3/4 inch hands. That’s the kind of reach that coaches and scouts look for. Here are his strengths and weaknesses from his draft profile:
"Strengths: Impressive NFL-ready physique. Has natural strength and power in his hands and improved their effectiveness this year. Not a content player, Buckner plays with effort and will continue working hands and feet to improve his positioning. Light went on as pass rusher in 2015. Generated top-end production by combining his power and dynamic athletic traits. Improved his pad level as rusher creating dominating pocket push that he was able to convert into sacks and knockdowns. Rare tackle production for defensive lineman with 163 over last two seasons. Long arms and good play speed allow him maximum field coverage to tackle. Flexible upper body. Can flip shoulders, then hips around the edge of blockers allowing him to play on the other side of the line. Has size and athleticism for scheme versatility. Quick off the snap and difficult to cut off in run game.Weaknesses: Plays too tall after the snap. Pad level so high that it impacts ability to stop and change direction with necessary body control. Needs to bend more when penetrating in order to avoid redirect blocks. Will need to play with wider base to take on blockers on next level. Has habit of turning shoulders and getting knocked out of position rather than taking on blocks with squared up pads."
Let’s go to the video tape, as we look at a game against Michigan State:
His ability to line up anywhere along the line is huge. Coaches love that. Buckner is also very strong, showing a clear ability to drive his opponent into the backfield. His twitch at the snap is solid, he gets off the block quickly. But, as the comments note, he does play very upright. Get a good lineman as his opponent and they will be able to stand him up and keep him at bay. He needs to work on some moves to add to his arsenal. He needs to take on blockers more squarely, as you can see on the tape, there are times where he gets turned around easily.
Here is some tape from his performance against Georgia State. He can get the upper hand with his ability using the “swim” move. If he gets too upright, he won’t have an easy time executing, but clearly, the ability is there. But is he the most pro ready?
Next: Bucs Bringing Robert Ayers for a Visit
Buckner wouldn’t be a terrible choice, I would just go elsewhere if the other pass rushers are still available. Unless, of course, he finds his way into the second round.