Despite my earlier sentiments, the Buccaneers used their fifth round pick to select a running back – selecting Boise State back Jeremy McNichols. What did the fans think of the choice?
Well, I was wrong. Kind of. I was sure the Buccaneers were going to skip on running back after Licht’s statements last night. That being said, newest Buccaneer Jeremy McNichols won’t be threatening fellow Boise State Bronco Doug Martin for the starting role. If anything, he looks to be the competition for Charles Sims moving forward.
Not the way many of us wanted to see running back addressed, but it was addressed nonetheless.
But what did Bucs fans think of the pick? As we have with every selection ,we took to Twitter to get the pulse of the fan base;
Never heard of him.
— B. J. (@SlickMick8095) April 29, 2017
Depth, special teams. Maybe can return kicks in a pinch. Probably will compete with Barber for a roster spot. #Bucs #NFLDraft https://t.co/Xe7IlDA2vS
— Baker’s Chocolate and a tough Trask (@Prguy5520) April 29, 2017
NOT. GOOD. 😡😡😡 https://t.co/nL9hBgenEo
— J.T. Olson (@IcewaterOlson) April 29, 2017
DEPTH
— AllThingsBucs (@AllThingsTBbucs) April 29, 2017
Who?
— Jason Lindsey (@jayrox81) April 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/biblicalex/status/858393353511206912
https://twitter.com/Sniperov86/status/858393245314895872
Not sure rookie Jeremy McNichols replaces Doug Martin on the #Bucs roster, but he will likely shove Peyton Barber aside.
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) April 29, 2017
Many fans were disappointed the Buccaneers passed on USF star Marlon Mack, who ended up with the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round.
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- Tampa Bay Buccaneers undrafted free agents tracker 2023
Even though I didn’t expect the Bucs to go running back at all in day three, this pick still shows they’re confident in letting Doug Martin keep his job after returning from his remaining three game suspension this season.
McNichols played receiver in high school and is comfortable catching the ball out of the backfield, allowing him the opportunity to emerge as the third down back moving forward. Jason Licht, for all he’s done well, doesn’t exactly have the best track record as far as day three picks are concerned so we’ll see how this plays out.
The Buccaneers have one remaining pick in the draft and at this point it’s a pure crapshoot as to who they take. Undrafted free agency is what Bucs fans really need to keep an eye on as Licht has been tremendous in finding talent in that post-draft pool. Guys like Adam Humphries, Cameron Brate, Javien Elliot, Alan Cross, and Freddie Martino have all made contributions to this team as undrafted players making that initial post-draft wave crucial for the continued building of the team.
Next: Jeremy McNichols - Instant Analysis
As we’ve continued to say – despite disagreeing with some of the picks – trust Jason Licht. He has the Buccaneers on the verge of playoff contention.