After watching the Georgia Bulldogs take on the Alabama Crimson Tide, here are some potential draft targets for the Buccaneers from the epic showdown.
It’s January without Buccaneers football yet again. That means, it’s draft and free agency season. After watching two of the three best teams in college football square off in the National Championship Monday night (sorry UCF…you deserved a chance to compete), there are plenty of potential draft candidates to choose from coming out of the biggest game of the college football season.
The Georgia Backfield
Nick Chubb and Sony Michel are freaks of nature. Both of them. Many Bucs fans are clamoring for Michel to be the guy, but pretty much every other fan base is doing the same. Michel (at the time of writing this) had 1,225 yards from scrimmage with seventeen touchdowns. Meanwhile, his teammate and partner in crime Nick Chubb had 1,351 yards from scrimmage and sixteen touchdowns. If one of these two players falls to the Bucs in the second round, they can’t go wrong with either.
Minkah Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick is a natural safety, but many believe he has the versatility and ability to play anywhere in the secondary. The idea of pairing Fitzpatrick with rookie standout Justin Evans for the better part of the next decade should be more than enough to get Buccaneers fans excited. The thought of him crossing over and playing corner opposite Vernon Hargreaves is every bit as intriguing. If Fitzpatrick is the pick, it will be at seven which would mean Bradley Chubb is off the board. That said, he is an impact guy that no one should be disappointed in seeing go in the top ten.
Isaiah Wynn
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With the Bucs needing to re-address an offensive line they thought was set, Wynn could be the perfect pick. Currently – as early as it is – he is projected to go anywhere from the second to third round. Wynn can play literally any position along the offensive line, so the Bucs could use him to upgrade at any position, most likely guard.
Da’Ron Payne
With help needed across both lines, lining Da’Ron Payne up alongside Gerald McCoy at tackle is another intriguing possibility come the second round. If the Bucs address defensive end or running back in free agency, it gives them a little more wiggle room in the draft. Drafting a defensive tackle that had 45 tackles and two sacks in 2017. Now, there is the possibility he returns to Bama in 2018, but some believe that he is a first to second round player in this year’s draft.
Tony Brown
Another player out of the Bama secondary, Brown would likely wind up a day three pick and a somewhat “project” cornerback for the Bucs to develop. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. They did the same thing with Ryan Smith and he began to truly come into his own in the 2017 season. Brown had 36 tackles and two passes defensed in 2017 and some call him a “gambler” which can result in big plays for opposing offenses. Then again, we said the same thing about Justin Evans after he was drafted last year.
Bo Scarbrough
The Georgia backs weren’t the only ones worth keeping an eye on during the National Championship or during the draft process. Scarbrough finished with 681 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns. He would be a day three pick if the Bucs choose to wait that long on a running back again and would play the role of the power back, similar to that of Derrick Henry in Tennessee.
Next: Potential Free Agent Targets From Eliminated Wild Card Teams
Just a few names to keep an eye on as the college football season has officially come to a close and the draft talk, rumors, and speculation go full speed ahead. At the end of the day, we just want to see the Buccaneers make smart decisions and get an already extremely talented roster those final pieces to push them to the postseason.