Tampa Bay Buccaneers three-round mock draft following Week 16 loss

Buccaneers three-round mock draft following Week 16 loss

By Ryan Doyle | Dec 24, 2018

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 28: Vernon Hargreaves III of Florida holds up a jersey after being picked #11 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University on April 28, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) /

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BERKELEY, CA – OCTOBER 27: Byron Murphy #1 of the Washington Huskies looks on between plays against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium on October 27, 2018, in Berkeley, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

Cornerback. Washington. Byron Murphy. 6. player. 48.

Unless the Buccaneers add a veteran corner in the free agent market, there is a strong chance they address their defensive backfield with their first pick.

Aging corner Brent Grimes appears to be heading for early retirement if his play on the field is any indication. With him out of the picture, the only commodity will be Carlton Davis. The rookie has performed pretty well in 2018 and should be a staple on the outside.

Vernon Hargreaves and M.J. Stewart will be back, but they both project as slot corners for the future.

Adding a lockdown corner like Byron Murphy could help improve the league’s third-worst defense. The Bucs allow 28.7 points per game and most of which has come through the air.

Murphy is a pure man-to-man corner who loves to attack the ball. He has four interceptions on the season and could be the playmaker the secondary desperately needs.

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