Here is a special edition of our Buccaneers seven round mock draft, written by our top college experts.
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This morning, the Buccaneers and the rest of the NFL sit exactly one month away from the NFL draft. Final preparations are underway. Visits are being taken by players. Interviews and workouts are being conducted. It’s that annual time of year when general managers around the league take their best guess as to who will be the stars of tomorrow.
With all of that, it’s time to amp up the speculation. It’s the annual mock draft season where they come fast and furious. All over the map, the mock drafts are out there.
So today we present a seven round Bucs mock draft. But it’s not just any mock draft. If anyone looks at ESPN, they know that they present two mocks by their experts, Todd McShay and Mel Kiper. We don’t have those two, but we have our experts, David Harrison and Zach Sauers.
We present to you a seven round Bucs mock by David Harrison and by Zach Sauers. We go through each round, alternating between our two experts, giving you the chance to compare their thoughts.
Let’s get started with Zach’s first round choice:
The Tampa Bay Bucs currently sit at the 19th overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. Now with their first overall selection, General Manager Jason Licht pulls the trigger on the extremely raw and talented 6’4″ 246 pound tight end David Njoku from Miami University.
The selection of Njoku is not only due to him being the best available player on the board, but also someone the Bucs have kept in contact with over these past few months. Njoku provides another pass-catching weapon for the highly powerful Dirk Koetter’s offense and also a raw product who the Bucs’ coaching staff can groom into something special.
Many Buc fans may remember that the team was extremely high and hopeful for the potential of Austin Seferian-Jenkins, but it was never able to pan out. Here once again, Licht decides to once again fill the need for weapons for Jameis Winston and the chance at a dual tight end offense.
Fans may argue that the rise of Cameron Brate will sway the odds of a tight end being selected, but if you take a look at who Tampa has been reaching out to in months prior to the draft, you can say that they are in the market for another tight end.
First Florida State, then Florida, and now Miami. Are the Bucs expanding their fan-base throughout the state or what?
With the 19th overall selection in the first round, the Bucs select: Budda Baker, Safety, University of Washington.
Listen, the Bucs biggest need was, is, and will be at the safety position. Sure, they brought in J.J. Wilcox, but they brought in Brent Grimes last year and still went corner on day one.
Baker is exactly what this secondary needs. Physical, aggressive, has ball skills and better yet, he can cover the slot.
Selecting in the first round is a gentle balance between immediate impact and long-term answers.
This safety can bring both. Immediately, he’s a nickel guy who can fill in at safety in a pinch, or earn the starting job outright.
The secondary has already begun its improvement with young guys like Vernon Hargreaves III. Grimes brought in a solid veteran presence last year, and will bring it again in 2017.
Ryan Smith should have been a corner all along, and the Bucs are bringing him back to his rightful position this coming season. The front end of the secondary is looking good.
I know there’s been a lot of buzz building around fellow safety Obi Melifonwu, and I definitely see why.
This being said, Baker is still the best safety in the class behind Jamal Adams and Ohio State’s Malik Hooker.
Since neither figure to be around when the Bucs go on the clock, Baker is the guy to pick, and Tampa’s secondary will get another upgrade in the first round.
With the 50th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft the Tampa Bay Bucs select… Budda Baker, safety out of the University of Washington.
There is no secret, the question mark at safety for the Bucs has been up in air for quite some time. Even after the turnaround season the secondary underwent throughout 2015, there is still need for improvements.
This off-season the Bucs were able to resign former starter Chris Conte to a new two-year deal, along with bringing in the talented and powerful J.J. Wilcox to help reshape the safety positions for this defense. As it stands Keith Tandy, Conte, and Wilcox will all be competing for the two positions come training camp… but it can’t stop there.
Budda Baker answers the bell of what exactly the Bucs need in their secondary. The 5’10” 195 pound play maker is exactly what Mike Smith has been looking for in his defense.
This past season, Smith attempted to move corner-back Ryan Smith to the safety positions but it was unable to make any progress. It is quite obvious that Smith prefers a safety with the quick twitch of a corner and that is exactly what Baker provides.
Baker could enter this team and compete early for a starting role immediately due to his presence both in the pass and run game.
With the Bucs’ second-round pick they need to continue building around quarterback Jameis Winston.
DeSean Jackson is bringing a bunch of excitement to the team, but in no way is this roster stacked at the wide receiver position.
It doesn’t look like Vincent Jackson is coming back, and even if he does, there’s no guarantee he’s going to be effective.
After missing most of the last two seasons to injuries, V-Jax is simply not on the field enough to be the force he once was.
These reasons are why Penn State’s Chris Godwin should be the target here.
At 6’1” Godwin certainly isn’t going to bring the height advantage Jackson did and Mike Evans does.
What he does bring is more speed than the Bucs have had out of a receiver over six-feet tall in quite a while, and playmaking ability on top of it.
What should make him even more of an attractive option to Jason Licht and the team are his ball skills.
His ability to high-point passes and control his body in the air mean he’ll be able to adjust to many of Winston’s passes thrown under duress.
As a solid fourth guy, the Bucs can use Godwin as a taller third option when needed, and he’ll develop into a starter to play opposite of Evans when the time for Jackson to depart Tampa comes.
The third round selection for the Bucs is… Marlon Mack running back out of South Florida. After three years in Tampa, Head Coach Dirk Koetter gets his player right out of the backyard.
Mack is a running back who fits the mold of a Koetter running back as both a shifty runner along with exceptional hands. The selection of Mack not only entails that Tampa will begin to look for a younger bell cow due to Doug Martins inabilities, but it also proves that they will continue their faith in returning starter Jacquizz Rodgers.
The expectation after this selection would mean a backfield committee split between Rodgers, Mack, Charles Sims and Peyton Barber. Koetter has always spoken out about his appreciation for his running back group, and adding another young back with high upside is what this offense needs.
Mack’s draft stock has risen since the end of his collegiate career, and waiting till the third round may not be a possibility. Expect Tampa to use all its possible resources to potentially move up in the draft and be able to draft Mack so he can continue his success in Raymond James Stadium.
Is there anyway we can include Doug Martin in that deal?
Every Bucs fan watched disappointingly as Doug Martin’s 2016 season got off to a pedestrian start, got hampered by injury, and ended with a drug suspension.
Now, not only is his future with the team in serious doubt, but the Bucs’ running back situation is even less assured.
Last year’s fan favorite Jacquizz Rodgers is coming back, but nobody thinks he translates as a long-term three down back.
Charles Sims is still here, but his ascension has certainly stalled out. Peyton Barber flashed some talent and looks to have a future as a short-yard back at a minimum.
Luckily, this year’s running back crop is ripe with talent and there’s a young man who could be sitting here just waiting to return to Raymond James Stadium in 2017.
University of South Florida’s Marlon Mack has been on the radar as an option to be drafted by Jason Licht for much of this year’s build up.
Calling Mack a one-cut back is a good start, but really, the young man has some underrated wiggle in his hips and can turn in big plays anytime he touches the ball.
Much has been made of this year’s class of running backs, and the Buccaneers can be just one team to benefit from the plethora of talent as they grab a guy with second-round talent in the third.
In the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Bucs decided to once again build through their trenches. Trey Hendrickson defensive end out of Florida Atlantic is the type of player that you want to take a shot on in the later rounds.
The East-West Shrine Game MVP has also been in contact with the Bucs throughout the off-season, and there is no question to why. Hendrickson’s work ethic and relentless play has shined in the eyes of the NFL scouts. The small school defensive end has proved that even up against better talent, he is able to win.
Hendrickson’s selection would help provide yet another young defensive end that Defensive Line Coach Jay Hayes can help groom into an elite play-maker.
After the signing of Robert Ayers in the off-season before the 2016 season, it was well-known that this would not be the only addition Tampa needed for its defensive end position. Rookie Noah Spence was taken in the 2016 draft to help give the Bucs a much needed pass rush, which he eventually succeeded in doing.
Throughout the season, Spence was used as more of a pass rusher and not an every down defensive end when Ayer’s suffered from injuries. Chalk this up to his injured shoulder or not, Defensive Coordinator Mike Smith may not yet trust Spence as an every down defensive end.
Hendrickson would be able to replace Ayers if need be, and would be great depth for a defense beginning to turn the corner.
Bucs leadership has spoken confidently about their current offensive line, and while it could be smoke screen, I believe them.
Donovan Smith hasn’t been an all-pro, but he hasn’t been the worst left tackle in the league either.
The center position isn’t a huge liability, but has been somewhat inconsistent due mostly to injuries.
Right guard Ali Marpet looks like one of the best young guard in the NFL, and should be starting for the Bucs’ offensive front for a long time coming.
Right tackle has been a bit tumultuous as Demar Dotson has had injury issues and the recently retired Gosder Cherilus had simply lost too much to be as effective as he once was.
The left guard position has been a whole other story. Logan Mankins retired before the 2015 season, and J.R. Sweezy didn’t see the field at all after being brought in to replace him.
This caused a revolving door at the position and has brought questions to the line in general this off-season.
In the fourth round, Michigan’s Erik Magnuson brings forth some solutions without overly pressuring the team to put a rookie on the offensive line after such a hectic year.
Magnuson played right tackle for the Wolverines, and would immediately step in to be the expected backup to Dotson in 2017.
However, he also has interior line experience and could be used in a pinch if the team needs help at guard like it did at times last season.
With a class widely considered fairly shallow at the tackle position, drafting one for the Buccaneers with first-team All Big-Ten honors and the versatility to move inside, gives the team more chances to get a good return on their first Day-3 selection.
In the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft the Bucs once again dip into the talented tight end class of 2017. The 6’4″ 270 pound Michael Roberts is one of the safest selections that a team can make in this year’s upcoming draft.
Before beginning, the question is… why would Tampa draft two tight ends with Cameron Brate and Luke Stocker still remaining on the roster? As fans may know, Koetter has implemented two tight end sets since his time began as an offensive coordinator here under then Head Coach Lovie Smith.
After the unexpected injuries and eventual derailment of the highly touted Seferian-Jenkins, Koetter was unable to use the sets and schemes he wanted in his diverse and complex offense. Koetter was forced to use veterans Brandon Myers and Stocker, which unfortunately was not up to par with the talent needed for the schemes to produce.
Koetter’s offense lacked talent, especially from his tight end group, and without the resigning/rise of Brate there could have been quite the issue brewing in the Bay. With including both Njoku and Roberts to this offense, it gives Koetter two weapons he has been lacking.
Roberts would see his rise through replacing the aging injury prone Stocker, and unlike Stocker, Roberts provides a possible catching threat down the field.
I have to admit, the first time I saw Alabama’s O.J. Howard mocked to the Bucs I dismissed it rather quickly.
However, after re-looking at it, the Bucs do need to draft a tight end.
Howard will be gone before Tampa gets to sniff him, so Tampa will have to look at later rounds for their next tight end addition.
Enter Michael Roberts from Toledo, and enter Jason Licht’s fifth pick of the draft.
If you fell in love with Peyton Barber’s back story of struggle, take a look at Roberts’ sometime.
Roberts is all potential with very limited polish, which is just fine as the Bucs look to get a tight end in with passion who will mold his own game to what the team is trying to do.
He’s not the blocker the team would have gotten with Howard, but in the fifth-round, he represents an offensive weapon who could easily be used in two tight-end sets and force defenses to pick between he and Cameron Brate for coverage options.
These coaches have gotten some impressive play out of the undrafted Brate, and should be able to do so again with this day three selection as well.
The end result is a Bucs passing attack with dual tight ends, big play receivers at each level and a quarterback gutsy enough to throw to all of them.
With the Bucs’ sixth round selection they begin to plan for an eventual backup quarterback for Winston. Alek Torgerson has been a name that has popped up on the radar for the Bucs, as they search for the replacement for Mike Glennon.
It is widely known that Licht offered Glennon the most money for a backup quarterback in the NFL, but unfortunately Glennon preferred his shot at a starting gig. Now although you can not blame him, this leaves a hole on the roster where most are skeptical on how it will be filled.
Licht and Koetter have both left third string quarterback Ryan Griffin on the roster for this reason alone, but after the rumors that Nick Foles had a possibility of landing in the Bay, it seems Tampa is once again in the market for a quarterback.
The strong armed Torgersen out of Penn University is a guy who Koetter may believe can provide exactly what the team seeks. The selection of Torgersen brings a quarterback who Tampa may keep to groom as the backup for Winston in the long run.
This non-expensive move could help bring stability to the offense if Winston would come down with an injury or illness.
Whether Torgersen is their guy or not, expect Tampa to add a young gun to the backup quarterback competition brewing in the Bay.
With the Bucs signing defensive lineman Chris Baker, Gerald McCoy finally looks to have a solid running mate to help free him up to do even more damage to opposing offenses.
However, there’s more to be done as depth players like Clinton McDonald and Sealver Siliga are role players at best.
Tulane’s Tanzel Smart is a three-year starter with the ability to use his hands when fighting off offensive lineman.
This is good because he doesn’t have exceptional length for a defensive end, and will need to use his mind as much as he does his physical tools to win at the line.
There’s potential for Smart to play inside and out during the early part of his career while he fully develops his size and strength to carve out his inside positioning.
He isn’t a prospect who immediately looks to have starting potential like some others, but he nicely fits in as a depth player with the potential to make impact plays when called upon.
The greatest thing he has is heart. You’re not going to see him giving anything less than 100% on most downs, and he seems to have the attitude the Bucs want out of their players.
With the seventh and final selection for the Bucs in the 2017 NFL draft, Licht selects cornerback Jack Tocho out of North Carolina State. The selection of Tocho means one thing and one thing only, depth at cornerback.
A seventh round selection is when teams take shots on players who they believe have flew under the radar and could help provide depth to their team. Most players selected have odds against their favor on whether they are able to make a roster, but Tampa takes a shot on Tocho for exactly that.
Tocho is a corner who can lineup and play zone-man in Smith’s defensive because it fits his weaknesses. Tocho’s inability against speed may workout for him if he is able to find the right scheme.
The depth selection here may be able to help also provide on special teams, where it is any seventh rounders best bet on how to make the 53-man roster. If Tocho is given the right coaching, he could eventually see himself a way onto the playing field due to his raw abilities. Tocho is a hard worker, and with that betters his chances Licht turns in his card.
For their final pick in this year’s NFL Draft, the Bucs need to go with either a center or a cornerback.
Both positions seem to have good candidates to start on their roster already, and barring multiple injuries, will have multiple experienced players who can step in if needed.
That being said, it’s never too late to find a developmental guy who could be trained to become a starter or key backup as the year’s move forward.
My pick here is center Jon Toth from Kentucky.
As a four-year starter in the SEC Toth definitely has valuable experience, and while he isn’t a day one impact player for the offensive line, he’s got some potential.
Likely to be a practice squad player while he looks to improve questionable athleticism and hone his overall skill set, this prospect could be called on in a pinch if necessary.
If he did come in, his experience would give him a fighting chance as a snapper and a guy who can hold up in the middle of the line.
So, what do you think, Bucs fans? Who do you agree with? Did they miss someone you like? Let us know in the comments.