The Buccaneers are full swing into retooling their team for the 2017 season. What will the team decide to do in this year’s draft?
Now with the 2016 season fully closed for the Buccaneers, General Manager Jason Licht has began his off-season duties for the upcoming season. Licht and the Bucs’ front office have been well at work in evaluating this year’s upcoming draft talents throughout the year, but it is finally crunch time. The NFL Combine is rapidly approaching, and from there it will be time for player visits, interviews and finally a draft board.
Whether it’s free agency or through the draft, this team needs to continue to take leaps and bounds at the ideal roster for this upcoming 2017 season. We all know there is work to be done. Beat writer Roy Cummings has said that he does not believe the Bucs will make any splash moves in free agency, so that may leave it up for Licht to have another grand-slam of a draft in order to fill the needs.
With all of that said, let’s do what we do best. Time to speculate. Here is our first attempt at a seven round mock draft for the Bucs. We get started with the first round on the next slide.
Corey Davis – WR – Western Michigan
With the 19th overall selection in the 2017 NFL draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select… Corey Davis, wide receiver Western Michigan. Davis would be a great selection at this point in the draft. It is very unlikely that the top two running back talents in the draft such as Dalvin Cook or Leonard Fournette fall, so in a weak offensive line draft, the Bucs fill their wide receiver need.
The Bucs have been extremely limited in their play calls due to the injuries across the board, especially that of Vincent Jackson’s. Now with Mike Evans solidified as one of the best receivers in the game, a complementary player to him is needed. Adam Humphries has played well at times, but fits more as an ideal slot man, so the Bucs will need to address this. Another receiver who can line up on the outside is what Tampa has been lacking, but that is all solved with Davis.
After this selection, no longer will Jameis Winston need to throw a ball into double or triple coverage because Evan’s is the only true receiver he trusts. Davis is a big bodied receiver who not only has the hands and the speed, but also the vision that could make him an elite pass catcher in the league.
The Bucs finally would have a number two receiver.
Jamaal Williams – RB – BYU
With the Bucs’ second round selection they fill the sudden need at running back. Jamaal Williams out of Brigham Young University has shown proof of the ability to be a bell cow back in the NFL. With the issues surrounding Doug Martin, the Bucs may look for another back to help their run first offense which struggled mightily in 2016.
Williams is a big bodied back who is flying up draft boards in an already talented group of running backs due to his potential. Williams has shown phenomenal acceleration and vision for a back, with it showing in his 2016 campaign where he averaged 5.7 yards per carry. This running back may not look like your stereotypical Dirk Koetter back due to his limited work in the pass game and suspect blocking ability, but he may be just what this offensive line needs.
When the Bucs signed Jacquizz Rodgers off the streets, it was evident that his patience for the holes to develop was exactly what they were missing. Even with Martin back from injuries, he was unable to see these holes developing, and it was exactly why he was benched in favor of Rodgers versus the Dallas Cowboys in a prime time game. Drafting Williams gives the Bucs a younger, patient, bruiser of a bell cow back that they have so desperately needed.
Eddie Jackson – Safety – Alabama
In the third round of the 2017 NFL draft, the Bucs’ select… safety Eddie Jackson out of Alabama. The former corner is only still around due to his undersized build and his recent leg injury, and that is it. Jackson is a true ball hawk, and it showed when his position was changed. His transition to safety helped him intercept six balls in 2015 and made teams rethink whether they wanted to throw the deep ball.
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The Bucs’ safety group was one of the worst in the league this season. Former starters Chris Conte and Bradley McDougald are coming free agents, and the Bucs need to look towards the future. McDougald is a young player and it would be wise to re-sign him to continue his grooming, but as for Conte, he should start packing his bags. Keith Tandy stepped in for Conte during the second half of the season and played the best all-around safety play all season.
Tandy deserves to keep his spot in the lineup, but if Conte is gone/McDougald resigned, the Bucs will only have two returning safeties on the roster due to the position move of Ryan Smith.
With the position move of Smith, it is evident that the Bucs wanted a safety that possess the skills of a corner. Jackson is just that guy. A true coverage safety might be what is missing on the back end, and it would not be the first time a Jackson has lined up at safety in the bay.
Cooper Kupp – WR – Eastern Washington
The fourth round selection for the Tampa Bay Bucs is… Cooper Kupp, wide receiver Eastern Washington. Wait, the Bucs are going to double-dip in this draft at wide receiver? Yes. The Bucs’ community has endlessly preached for more weapons in Dirk Koetter’s offense, and here is their chance. Four rounds, three used on weapons for Jameis.
Kupp is a slot receiver who can also be a deep ball threat. His hands and route running ability are what stick out the most on tape. Kupp has dominated in the Big Sky Conference, but whether he would be able to play against better competition is under question.
So, what about Adam Humphries… is he not our slot man? Humphries job is safe(for now), but Kupp adds another dimension that could useful. Kupp can use his bigger body to esstentially box out defenders, or even out jump opponents, where Humphries just can not. To add on, besides the long ball against the Cowboys, Humphries is not a guy who presents that long ball threat.
A receiving core of Evans, Davis, Humphries, Kupp, Shepard and a free agent sounds pretty good does it not?
Larry Ogunjobi – DT – Charlotte
In the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft the Bucs select Larry Ogunjobi, defensive tackle Charlotte University. This space-eating, tackling-machine is an under the radar player who people need to begin to recognize. Ogunjobi tallied a whopping 65 tackles along with three sacks and two passes defended his senior year of play.
One may say that it may have been due to his lack of competition, but have you ever heard of Ali Marpet? Licht has always taken a liking to lunch pale type players who have been off the radar, and Ogunjobi fits that mold.
Ogunjobi would be a developmental player to learn under starters, Gerald McCoy and Clinton McDonald. Akeem Spence is a free agent this offseason and it is yet to be known whether he will make his return or not. Outside of the top three defensive tackles are plug and play type bodies such as Sealver Siliga. Ogunjobi brings youth to an ageing position group that will soon need to be more addressed.
Brandon Facyson – CB – Virginia Tech
The later rounds of the draft are where teams in the NFL begin to look at the upsides of the remaining players, along with why they have dropped this far. In this year’s sixth round, the Bucs once again turn to addressing the still suspect corner position.
Brandon Facyson out of Virginia Tech is someone the Bucs may look to take a shot on. As a true freshman Facyson was one of the better defensive backs in the ACC, but since then his stock has gone down. This may all be due to his 2014 injury plagued season, where he was recovering from a tibia and fibula fraction but his production has been questionable.
The NFL draft community seems to not be sure where Facyson may land with sites projecting anywhere from second round to undrafted, but the Bucs take a shot on him here. Facyson is gritty player who has good coverage abilities.
This 6’2″ corner could develop into something special with the right coaching and would give the Bucs a larger corner to deal with some of the big bodies on the divisional opponents’ teams.
Hardy Nickerson Jr. – LB – Illinois
In the seventh and final round of the draft the Bucs select Hardy Nickerson Jr. out of Illinois. A familiar name to the Bucs faithfuls. Nickerson is another product who has had his draft stock circulate all over the map, but later rounds have fit him the best.
Nickerson is a big linebacker (the exact size of current starter Daryl Smith), who could come in and help a position of need in the outside linebacker spot. Whether or not Smith decides to return to Tampa or retire has not be unraveled yet, but looking to younger players is a must. Devante Bond was drafted in 2016 to replace Smith once he decided on his future, but personally I am not sold on Bond.
Nickerson Jr. is not his father, but he is no slouch. His knowledge of the game helps him recognize plays quickly and take the best angles possible. The issues in his play surround more of the passing game, but because the Bucs have their third linebacker on the field for only limited playing time, some hard-work with these coaches could help fix those issues.
We can all agree it would be nice to see another Hardy Nickerson playing in the bay.
Next: Buccaneers Defense Set To Be Special For a Long Time
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