Mock drafts are designed to inspire conversation, evaluate possible pitfalls of draft strategies and of course to fantasize about what certain players can do for teams like the Buccaneers.
In Chad Reuter’s four-rounder published on NFL.com on February 16th, it’s also likely to cause some heartburn as the Draft Analyst has three quarterbacks going in the top-15 and the Buccaneers drafting Florida State running back Dalvin Cook with the 19th overall selection.
A few things stood out when looking at the first-round of Mr. Reuter’s draft, and the first was Ohio State safety Malik Hooker being selected ahead of LSU’s Jamal Adams.
In fact, this edition has Adams falling all the way to 16th overall to the Baltimore Ravens, who of course would be doing happy dances all the way to day two if this were to come to fruition.
I don’t see Hooker being able to overtake Adams however, considering he’ll be unable to perform at the Combine and has essentially put all the work he’s going to put into the NFL’s various scouting departments.
O.J. Howard being drafted after Miami(FL) tight end David Njoku also stood out, as I think most agree the Alabama product is simply the better prospect.
Finally, the biggest take away for me was the Cowboys selecting John Ross from Washington University. This is a move the rest of the league’s general managers simply can’t let happen. Adding a burner like Ross to Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, Cole Beasley and perhaps even Terrance Williams would do nothing but make Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott even better in their sophomore campaigns.
We’re here to talk Bucs though, and they too had some names mocked to them in this mock draft. Let’s look at those.
1st Round (19th Overall)
DALVIN COOK – RB, Florida State
Ok, there’s no secret a lot of Bucs fans are also Florida State Seminoles fans, and I know every one of them would love nothing more than to see Cook in a Bucs jersey for the 2017 season and beyond.
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This being said though, let’s get real. There are two schools of thought on number one picks: either you take the best talent available or you take the best player at a position of need for your squad.
Cook satisfies neither in this case. If you look at Tampa’s run game in 2016 it wasn’t anything but consistent and it seemed week-to-week we didn’t know who would be starting behind Jameis Winston. What we did know though, was that whomever it was, was going to contribute adequately with a couple of stand-out performances coming from veteran Jacquizz Rodgers.
Simply put, the run game was not a liability even if it wasn’t always a shining symbol of success either. Let’s look at the players left on the board by the Cook selection as well.
Forrest Lamp, Derek Barnett, O.J. Howard, Cam Robinson, and John Ross are all left to other teams by this selection with each and every one providing the potential to impact the Bucs roster better than Cook or any other back to be honest.
Dirk Koetter and the Bucs have a two-time Pro Bowler on staff, a veteran who played splendidly behind a rotational offensive line, Charles Sims coming back healthy and an undrafted guy who played well when called upon.
This pick would simply sell jerseys and perhaps put more butts in seats, and Cook needs a better line than the Bucs currently have to make an impact as a rookie. This team needs to win games, not sell more tickets. Also, winning more games would lead to better ticket sales.
2nd Round (50th Overall)
DAN FEENEY – C, Indiana
This is the first time I’ve seen this particular player attached to the Bucs in draft discussion, and it isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The team certainly needs to bolster the offensive line, and if they do draft Cook in the first round – they won’t – then they’d be wise to put some meat in front of him to provide him some lanes to run through.
Feeney is a 6’4” 304 lbs. mauler of a lineman who is mocked as a center here, but would almost assuredly be worked out as a guard for Tampa Bay.
With the retirement of Logan Mankins prior to the 2016 season this team went out and dropped some green on former Seahawks guard J.R. Sweezy who then injured his back before ever giving the organization a reason to believe he was the answer.
Now, he is planning on coming back, but if you’ve ever had or known someone dealing with back injuries then you know how certain he is to come back at the same level or for an extended period of time.
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Unfortunately, there’s a better than average chance Sweezy is about to become an expensive rotational player going on and off the injury report, so adding an interior lineman with some versatility is a good idea at this point.
Some notable players still on the board at the time of this selection are Jabrill Peppers, Budda Baker, Dede Westbrook and D’Onta Foreman.
With the first round pick going running back, obviously there’s no need for Foreman here, but any of these other three would cause a good amount of healthy debate inside the Bucs war room as Jason Licht figures out which name to write on the card.
I’m partial to Baker personally.
3rd Round (84th Overall)
ARDARIUS STEWART – WR, Alabama
Finally, a weapon to give Winston someone to look at downfield besides Mike Evans and Cameron Brate. If the Bucs want to crest the hill into the valley of post-season football they’ll need some more receivers for their quarterback, and here the Bucs get one in the third round.
What Stewart lacks in short area burst he makes up for with a deceptively fast long-stride as he works downfield, and the ability to contribute on special teams if needed.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
He has number-receiver potential, which is exactly what the Bucs are looking for as they try to find a wideout to compliment Evans and allow slot receiver Adam Humphries some more space to work with.
At 6’1” he’s not the twin tower by any means, but he could certainly become a good complement if matched up right against opposing defenses.
He’s probably not the sports car many fans envisioned when coach Koetter said the team needed to get faster, but he’s no slouch either.
My biggest concern on Stewart is his willingness to give up ground when he thinks he can turn space into positive yardage instead of taking what’s there and living to play another down.
Bucs fans know all too well what can happen when a player retreats to keep a play alive, I’m not sure the cardiac health of the fan base could survive if the team added another to the roster.
Players like Kareem Hunt – again negated by the selection of Cook previously – Zach Banner, Rasul Douglas and tight end Bucky Hodges could also be targets from the remaining pool of players in this mock draft, but Stewart would likely prove to be a good find at this point in the selection meeting.
4th Round (121st Overall)
VICTOR SALAKO – OT, Oklahoma State
Word on the streets is the Bucs like most of their offensive line in its current configuration, which would lend some opposition to those who feel the team should target an offensive tackle early in the draft.
Some of us – me included – feel left tackle Donovan Smith could benefit from a switch to the right side which would then leave a hole on the left and produce a selection like Cam Robinson in the first round.
If the team is married to Smith on the left though, they still need to find some young talent on the right side to play next to standout Ali Marpet and eventually replace Demar Dotson.
At the very least, they need to find some depth to come in instead of Gosder Cherilus who is closer to coaching than he is to playing at a high level, and to keep guys like Leonard Wester from getting thoroughly embarrassed by undrafted edge rushers.
Salako is not a day one starter, nor does the team’s strategy seem to need him to be. What he is, is a guy who can come in on certain packages or in case of injury and hold his own so Winston and running backs don’t have defenders in their grill from the snap.
For me, I’d rather see the team add Duke Riley, Jamaal Williams, or Eddie Jackson in this case.
So there’s our wrap up of Chad Reuter’s recent mock draft and how he has the Buccaneers’ rookie class shaping up!
Like many, I too have opinions and I’ve included some of them in my evaluations of his own picks, so now it’s your turn.
As you can see, I have running backs I’d like in just about every round but the first. I know some of you disagree and even those who agree can see the trickle down effect it has on which players are taken versus which are available.
This draft addressed the running back, offensive line, and wide receiver groups, but stayed away from the defense altogether. How do you feel about it?
Next: Does Martin Remain in Tampa?
Write your comments below, or let us know on Twitter how you feel about it. We’ve got plenty more coming this draft season, so stay tuned and thanks for reading!