Buccaneers Draft Watch: Safety Marcus Maye

Apr 8, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators defensive back Marcus Maye (20) defends in the fourth quarter during the Orange and Blue game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Blue won 38-6. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators defensive back Marcus Maye (20) defends in the fourth quarter during the Orange and Blue game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Blue won 38-6. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

With safety being one of the biggest needs for the Buccaneers, would Marcus Maye make sense for the Bucs on day two of the draft?

With the vast uncertainty as to what the Buccaneers are going to do in the first round of the draft, many Bucs fans have begun looking at varied levels of talent available at multiple positions. Running back, safety, tight end, wide receiver – and number of these can be the first pick for the Bucs or their targets on day three. It’s a total crap shoot.

University of Florida’s Marcus Maye might be the kind of player the Buccaneers target on day two should they pass on Budda Baker or Obi Melifonwu in round one. It’s incredibly difficult to tell at this point if Dalvin Cook or Chrisitan McCaffery will be there when the Bucs are on the clock or if they’re willing to go running back with their first pick, so safety may be a day two kind of position.

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Maye was impressive at his Pro Day according to Trevor Sikkema who spoke about it on the latest episode of Walking The Plank (listen below). Maye finished his career as a Gator with 205 tackles – 6.5 or loss – one sack, five interceptions, sixteen passes defended, six forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com did a scouting report on Maye, praising his instincts and awareness, his ability to get a jump on a route and his ability to shed blocks. Some of the knocks on Maye have been his ability to track the ball and his hip tightness.

Maye ran a 4.5 40-yard dash and had 33.5 inches on his vertical. He was unable to compete at the Scouting Combine due to his broken arm, so there’s no comparison between the two, but both are solid numbers and won’t be cause for criticism.

Next: Draft Profile: Safety Obi Melifonwu

Maye is certainly a name to keep your eye on come day two for the Buccaneers if they don’t address safety in the first. And don’t be surprised if he’s brought in for a visit in the coming weeks.

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