Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Post-draft 53-man roster projection

Cornerbacks (6)-  Brent Grimes, Carlton Davis, Vernon Hargreaves III, Ryan Smith, M.J. Stewart, Josh Robinson

The secondary is yet another position group that got upgraded in the past few months. After the 2017 season ended, the only two corners (that received significant playing time) that were definitely going to be back with the team were Vernon Hargreaves III and Ryan Smith. Brent Grimes thought about retiring, but in March, the Bucs were able to re-sign him to a one-year deal. That guaranteed that the team would have at least one outside spot firmly held down. Given his struggles on the outside last year, Hargreaves seems to be more suited for the nickel position. But without much going on in free agency for the secondary, it seemed like Tampa Bay would have to try him on the outside again.

However, the 2018 draft class was rich with secondary prospects and the Bucs dipped into that talent pool. First, it was the selection of North Carolina’s M.J. Stewart. The 5-foot-11 rookie has experience at outside corner, in the slot and at safety. Versatility certainly can’t hurt, as it will give defensive coordinator Mike Smith some choices in terms of where to play him. He could rotate with Hargreaves in the slot, but as of now, there’s no telling exactly where he’ll start his NFL career.

After the selection of Stewart, the Bucs went right back to the secondary with the selection of Auburn’s Carlton Davis. With that pick, the team got something different. In recent years, the Buccaneer secondary has been home to smaller corners that play off the receiver. Davis isn’t like that. He is described as a lockdown corner and at 6-foot-1, he could match up well with the bigger receivers that Tampa Bay frequently faces. His NFL comparison heading into the draft was All-Pro Richard Sherman, which says a lot about his style and talent.

Ryan Smith had a really tough job last year in filling in for an injured Hargreaves. It would make sense for him to stick around and serve as a depth guy that can continue to develop in a backup role. Finally, Josh Robinson is the final guy that deserves to make the roster purely because of his outstanding special teams play. Even with Russell Shepard gone in 2017, Robinson didn’t miss a beat. His ability on special teams will almost surely knock guys like Javien Elliott and Maurice Fleming off of the roster bubble.

Safeties (4)- Justin Evans, Chris Conte, Jordan Whitehead, Keith Tandy

Tampa Bay’s safety group is an intriguing one heading into the 2018 season. Justin Evans, who quietly had a very promising rookie season, likely figures as the only sure starter as of now. The other spot could be rotational throughout camp until someone takes hold of it. There is no shortage of talent to contend for it. The team brought Chris Conte, who was also sneakily-good in 2017, back. Keith Tandy, whose playing time dipped last year, is also back. To round out the safety position and continue building it toward the future, the Bucs drafted Jordan Whitehead out of Pittsburgh.

Conte would be a safe bet to start the season as the second safety. His knowledge of the defense, experience playing next to Evans and veteran status would point to him earning the spot to begin with. From there, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Whitehead get some time to ease his way into the NFL. Tandy might get his reps too, but based on the rest of the offseason, it appears that he is back purely as an experienced backup. That’s not to say he couldn’t take the second spot, though, especially considering what he did at the end of 2016 when he was given regular playing time.

Tampa Bay hopes to have found the right balance of youth and experience at the safety position. The Bucs couldn’t quite get it right last year, as the late addition of former Pro Bowler T.J. Ward called for an adjustment of plans. He never produced at the level that the front office was hoping when it brought him in, which effectively gave the job back to Conte.

Rookie Godwin Igwebuike out of Northwestern might be a threat to steal one of the safety spots as well. He surprisingly went undrafted, even after his NFL.com draft profile projected him as a third-to-fourth round pick while saying he could become a starter in the NFL. He doesn’t make the initial cut as far as this roster projection goes, but a strong showing in rookie camp could change that.