Buccaneers: One first-round NFL Draft prospect for each position of need
By Ryan Doyle
Cornerback
CB Byron Murphy – Washington
With Brent Grimes out of the question, the Buccaneers need to address the cornerback position. If they don’t pay big money for an elite free agent corner, look for Washington’s Byron Murphy to be a legitimate target for the Bucs with the number five pick.
Murphy had a fantastic sophomore season for the Huskies. He intercepted four passes and made 58 total tackles including four tackles for loss. Murphy is a prototypical man-to-man corner who won’t be afraid to line up across from the NFL’s best receivers.
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Tampa Bay may be forced to play young corners outside in 2019, but in a few seasons it could be one of the very best if both Murphy and Carlton Davis are able to live up to their potential.
Aside from Davis, the rest of the cornerback unit has question marks. M.J. Stewart struggled mightily in his first professional season. Vernon Hargreaves missed almost all of 2018. Without any assurance that Stewart or Hargreaves will be effective in 2019, cornerback is a significant need for the Bucs.