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Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Grading days two and three

By James Yarcho

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 04: Running back Ronald Jones II of the USC Trojans lands in the end zone for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 4, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 04: Running back Ronald Jones II of the USC Trojans lands in the end zone for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 4, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 07: Ronald Jones II #25 of the USC Trojans gets past Keli’i Montibon #55 of the Oregon State Beavers for a first down in the first half of the game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 7, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 07: Ronald Jones II #25 of the USC Trojans gets past Keli’i Montibon #55 of the Oregon State Beavers for a first down in the first half of the game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 7, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers came away with an impressive haul in this year’s NFL Draft. How do we view the picks?

It’s all over, folks. Another year, another draft in the books. Jason Licht and the krewe with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected the players they hope it usher in that winning era for Buccaneers football, filling holes and addressing needs from start to finish.

I examined the day one excitement here, making sure to take into account the day as a whole not just the selection of Vita Vea. Now, let’s take a look at what they did in day two.

Round Two – 38th overall – Running Back Ronald Jones II – USC

Round Two – 53rd overall – Cornerback M.J. Stewart – UNC

Round Two – 63rd overall – Cornerback Carlton Davis – Auburn 

Round Three – 94th overall – Guard Alex Cappa – Humboldt State

More from Bucs Draft

When the Buccaneers traded down with the Buffalo Bills in round one, they acquired picks 53 and 56. Jason Licht then traded down at pick 56 with New England, acquiring picks 63 and 117. Securing pick 117 (fourth round) allowed Licht to move back up into the third round – where the Bucs had no picks – to beef up the offensive line with the selection of Cappa.

There were more popular names on the board in the secondary for the Bucs during the selections of Stewart and Davis. Iowa corner Isaiah Oliver and Stanford safety Justin Reid were two names many Bucs fans were clamoring for, but the Bucs opted for the physical nature of Stewart as well as not only the physicality but the size of Davis.

In running back Ronald Jones II, the Buccaneers have finally secured their feature back, combining electric playmaking ability with power. Again, there was another name on the board that was more popular among Bucs fans – myself included – in LSU’s Derrius Guice. However, as the draft continued, more and more came out about Guice’s (at the time) inexplicable fall. In the end, the Bucs made the right decision in Jones and will reap the benefits soon enough.

Overall, day two was a success for the Bucs. The trade down from 56 to 63, allowing them to move back up for Cappa, using picks 102 and 180, was a huge bonus and they were able to address nearly every remaining hole that needed attention.

Day Two Grade – A-

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