Buccaneers change their defensive back mentality with multiple draft picks
Made possible due to their trade with Buffalo, the Buccaneers used multiple second round picks and a fourth round pick to reshape their secondary – and change its identity.
When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected defensive tackle Vita Vea and running back Ronald Jones with their first two picks in this year’s draft, there was some concern among fans that the team was passing up valuable defensive back talent. Jones in particular irked many, as talented corner Josh Jones was still on the board.
The Buccaneers began alleviating those concerns when pick 53 in the second round came around. Jason Licht and company picked nickel cornerback M.J. Stewart with that pick, a 5’11 bulldog of a defensive back with some strong safety versatility.
Ten picks later in the second round, the Buccaneers took a second straight corner in Carlton Davis, a big, physical boundary corner from Auburn. The team didn’t pick again until the third round when they traded up for offensive lineman Alex Cappa and thus ended the defensive back streak, but they quickly picked things up again in round four.
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The team selected Jordan Whitehead with the 117th pick, a versatile safety who will get looks at both safety positions in camp. Whitehead is a bit undersized, but is hailed as a downhill thumper who isn’t afraid to mix it up with running backs and make plays around the line of scrimmage.
Together the trio of Stewart, Davis and Whitehead give the Buccaneers secondary a much needed tetanus-level shot of youth and upside. But more than that, the three of them bring a potential change of identity for the entire unit. The Buccaneer secondary was paper soft last season and most of the season before that, with cornerbacks playing far off-coverage and safeties getting run over or run past. Jason Licht seems to have taken notice, as “physicality” features heavily in the profiles of all three defensive backs he added.
Carlton Davis in particular is a breath of fresh air. At 6’1 tall, with a 78 inch wingspan and 32 ¾ inch arms, Davis is one of the longest corners in this years’ draft, and by far the biggest corner on the Buccaneers. He’ll get a shot at usurping Vernon Hargreaves opposite of Brent Grimes this year, and if all goes according to plan he’ll be the long-term replacement for Brent Grimes.
Though the selection of two cornerbacks seems like bad news for Vernon Hargreaves, it could quietly be good news for him. This newfound emphasis on physical cornerback play works in Hargreaves’ favor, as he plays much better when allowed to press receivers and stay in their pocket right from the snap. If the Buccaneers are serious about playing more aggressive in the defensive backfield, it’s nothing but good news for all parties involved.
Next: Three Things To Know: Carlton Davis
We should expect to see at least two of these three defensive back picks starting next season, dictated by what looks to be a competitive training camp gauntlet. Most importantly however the three of them bring a much-needed physical mindset to a depleted Buccaneers secondary.