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Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Fans react to new secondary

By James Yarcho

ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 02: Terry Godwin of the Georgia Bulldogs makes a catch against Carlton Davis #6 of the Auburn Tigers during the first half in the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 02: Terry Godwin of the Georgia Bulldogs makes a catch against Carlton Davis #6 of the Auburn Tigers during the first half in the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers used their two second round picks acquired from the Buffalo Bills to revamp a secondary in desperate need.

Jason Licht was at it again. He addressed the needs of the secondary with the two remaining second round picks after the Ronald Jones II pick. He even traded back with the New England Patriots to gain an additional fourth rounder.

With the 53rd overall pick, the Buccaneers took North Carolina cornerback M.J. Stewart. Follow that up with pick 63 and Auburn standout Carlton Davis.

Stewart is viewed as more of a slot corner, but said that he can play safety or on the outisde. With the selection of the 6’1″ Carlton Davis, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they try him at safety. Although, the Buccaneers have said they view him as a corner;

Many Buccaneers fans have been screaming for help at corner and safety, so how did they react to the picks?

I admittedly have not watched any film on either guy as neither were on my personal radar. Based on what draft experts and pundits are saying, Carlton Davis was a huge steal that late in the second round. Mike Mayock said on NFL Network that he has some trouble tracking the ball in the air, but Pro Football Focus cited that he had the third lowest contested catch rate in the NCAA at 25%. Basically it sounds like he isn’t going to get a lot of interceptions, but he’s going to break up passes and lay down some hits.

As for Stewart, he’s on the smaller side – 5’11”, 200 lbs – but is physical. Sometimes too physical, to the point of drawing flags. If he can get that under control, Stewart could certainly be a force in the secondary.

The question is raised as to how the Buccaneers are going to use all these guys. I don’t think Vernon Hargreaves is in trouble, but it’ll be interesting to see how Dirk Koetter and Mike Smith shift these guys around to get them on the field in the most productive way possible.

Next: Three Things To Know About Ronald Jones II

The Buccaneers have addressed most of the glaring needs and have three picks remaining after trading back into the third round.

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