Tampa Bay Buccaneers: What they really got in this draft class
Sixth Round (202): Jack Cichy, Linebacker
After it was announced that Kendell Beckwith suffered an ankle injury in a car accident on April 19th the Buccaneers decided to add some depth to the linebacker position in the sixth round of the Draft, and with the 28th pick in the sixth round they chose linebacker Jack Cichy.
While playing in 24 career games but starting in just eleven due to various injuries (missed last 20 games: Pec tear 2016, ACL tear 2017) at the University of Wisconsin he totaled 121 tackles, with fifteen tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and six pass breakups. Was named defensive MVP during the 2016 Holiday Bowl where he had a sack on three straight plays. He was invited to the Combine but due to recovering from ACL injury did not run but he did measure in at 6’2” 238 pounds and did 18 reps on the bench press.
When he plays he bring a great football intelligence and instinct and is always in the correct position to make plays. Making instant recognition to what the offense is trying to do and has to speed to react quickly to the play. He is great at avoiding the blocks to get to the ball carrier and is a great tackler who hits the player and gets him to the ground.
In Cichy, the Buccaneers are getting, if healthy, a very smart football player who if Beckwith is unable to go at the start of the season can step right in and fill in for him. Also if either Lavonte David or Kwon Alexander miss games due to injury he can step in and play their spots very effectively. To start he will be a second string and special teams contributor unless Beckwith is unable to go at the start of the season or David or Alexander get hurt this season. He adds needed depth to the very important linebacker position if he stays healthy.
There you have it that is my interpretation of what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers really got in these eight draft picks. I see a lot of physicality, toughness, and aggressiveness and if all goes well I could see three to four of these players becoming starters very quickly in the season. With the rookie minicamp occurring this weekend we will get our first look at how good some of these guys can become.
Now it’s your turn to tell me what you think that the Buccaneers really got in Vita Vea, Ronald Jones II, M.J. Stewart, Carlton Davis, Alex Cappa, Jordan Whitehead, Justin Watson, and Jack Cichy so feel free to leave me comments or tweet me directly @ND1Bucsfan and tell me what you think.
If this class is as good as I hope they can be GM Jason Licht and his scouting staff hit another homerun, and we could see a very quick turn around by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season.