Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Final 2018 NFL mock draft recap and reaction

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED – Published: 23 April – Drafter: Peter King

Straight to the point here, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Minkah Fitzpatrick from Alabama.

For the record, I don’t hate Fitzpatrick. He’s very versatile and very talented. He’s just not what the Bucs need. In fact, he’s not even on my board when it comes to Tampa Bay.

Why? Simply put, he’s kind of like Jabril Peppers was last year in that he’s so versatile nobody really knows where to slot him.

King uses this as a positive writing Fitzpatrick can,

"“…play either safety, either corner, the slot, or, in a pinch, as an in-the-box linebacker.”"

Ok. Tampa doesn’t need an in-the-box linebacker. Maybe they do for a week or two while Kendall Beckwith recovers from his car accident and subsequent ankle injury. Far from worth a seventh pick though.

Does this team need a slot corner? Not really. Perhaps the Bucs are holding out hope Vernon Hargreaves III could still turn into the outside defender they thought he’d be, but really, he looks best inside.

Sure, he can play either safety position. But can he start and be successful against the likes of Julio Jones and Michael Thomas? As a safety, he’s much more of a situational – read: role player – than anything.

Outside corner. Now we’re talking. The Tampa Bay Buccaneer have a clear need at the second outside corner position and will soon have a need at both outside corner positions. So of course there’s value to a guy who could play there.

Must Read: Open Letter to Bucs Fans

There’s a dangerous word in the previous statements though: ‘could’. You know what happened to the last cornerback who ‘could’ play outside Jason Licht dropped a first round pick on?

Well, we’re all talking about how he’s better suited to play slot these days.

Other surprise picks (code – ones I don’t agree with) include cornerback Mike Hughes to Denver, Derwin James sliding to pick sixteen and only one running back taken in the entire first round.