Buccaneers Seven Round Mock Draft: One Week Left Edition

Round Four: Tedric Thompson

In the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Tedric Thompson, safety out of Colorado.

Finally, the need at safety is addressed.

Now although the Bucs went ahead and added hard-hitting J.J. Wilcox to the back-end of the defense this offseason, they are not done yet. One way or another the safety position for your Bucs will be addressed this draft.

The selection of Thompson here in the fourth round is an absolute steal. If Thompson manages to make it this far in the draft, you can bet the Bucs will be sprinting their card into the podium.

The 6’ 210 pound ball-hawk out of the Colorado is someone who is high on my players to watch. Thompson’s coverage skills are what stand out the most to me on tape, and he is a player who will see himself into the starting lineup quite quickly.

Adding Thompson to the back-end of the Bucs defense frees up more competition for the strong safety spot. Many fans and analysts believe Keith Tandy will keep his job, but I am not sold. Luckily this position will be able to be fought for between Tandy, Wilcox, and the returning Chris Conte.

DAVID’S TAKE

"Buccaneers fans were surprised to see the team bring back Chris Conte, and even more really didn’t know much about J.J. Wilcox when he was brought in. Tedric Thompson may not be a household name amongst the Buc faithful, but they’ll love his aggressiveness and ball skills should this be the pick in the fourth round. There’s definite potential in his skill set, and giving him time to learn the system without the pressure of starting right away will only help his development. My concern with this player would be the timing of Mike Smith’s eventual departure and what the system change would do to his learning curve. This is a staff concern though, not a player one. His talents should make him capable of having a role in whatever defense the Bucs put together."