Buccaneers Off-Season Position Preview: Linebackers
Potential Draft Targets
This is a good draft for the Buccaneers to not have a big need at the linebacker position as there simply aren’t any ‘next level’ type guys.
Still, there is talent, and there are guys to watch. Even if the Bucs don’t take one, it’ll be helpful to know who these guys are.
Rashaan Evans – Alabama
Since the 2018 NFL Draft isn’t in Tampa, there won’t be a chorus of boos if this guy were to get picked. You can bet though there would be some Bucs Twitter happenings going on though.
It’s not that Evans isn’t talented, it’s that he’s a day one or early day two talent.
In Daniel Jeremiah’s recently updated mock draft, he has Evans going 32nd overall to the Eagles.
If he slides somehow into the second round and is still there when Licht is on the clock, he may be another Crimson Tide prospect they didn’t expect to see. And he may be another they draft.
The move would all but assure the Buccaneers play more 3-4 defenses, but the idea of Evans and Alexander together in the middle of the field is a great one.
Jack Cichy – Wisconsin
The Buccaneers found a gem in the third round as Kendell Beckwith dropped from his likely draft position due to a knee injury suffered in the 2016 season.
This Wisconsin linebacker is facing a similar hurdle to his football life, but it’s not his first.
Cichy was a walk-on in Wisconsin and worked his way onto the team, and then as a starter, and then as a guy with high expectations for the 2017 season.
But then he hurt his knee and missed the entire year. Instead of getting a medical redshirt and going back at it in 2018, Cichy will trust himself once again, and look to overcome this obstacle.
If he’s everything the collegiate football world thought he’d be before his injury, then Tampa would get a steal in rounds 5-7 finding Alexander a back-up with serious talent.
What are your thoughts on the linebackers for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Are there other free-agents or draft prospects you have your eye one? Let me know in the comments or on social media to discuss.
"Need more Buccaneers related free-agent talk? Check out the Locked on Bucs podcast as they discuss a potential signing at the running back position!"