A recent mock draft after the combine from FanSided’s Brad Weiss has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers taking wide receiver D.K. Metcalf from Ole Miss.
In a mock draft from FanSided’s Brad Weiss published today, he has wide receiver D.K. Metcalf landing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. While this seems like an unlikely pick for a team with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin even if the Bucs move on from DeSean Jackson, Tampa Bay has done made more shocking picks; defensive tackle Vita Vea over Pro Bowler Derwin James just a year ago comes to mind.
Metcalf had perhaps the best Combine showing of nearly anybody and as a result has seen his draft stock shoot through the roof, landing in the top-10 in loads of mock drafts coming out this week.Trading out of the fifth overall pick to gather more draft assets for the future is a definite possibility for Tampa Bay, but Weiss says not to count out a receiver at that position:
"“Heading into the draft, there was a lot of talk about DeSean Jackson, and how he does not get along with both Winston, and head coach Bruce Arians. If this is the case, and the team gets rid of him, they will need to add another receiver to the position group.” (Brad Weiss via FanSided)"
With Donovan Smith locked up for the long haul, Tampa Bay may be able to avoid going the offensive lineman route of Jawaan Taylor from Florida or Jonah Williams from Alabama. However, with the possibility of a depleted linebacking core and overhaul along the defensive line, it would not be a shock to see either of those two positions addressed.
We are still nearly two months away from the draft and boards are bound to shift in a wide array of directions by then, but at this point, Metcalf is among the hottest of names being talked about right now. Making himself a commodity, he lands in Tampa Bay with the fifth overall pick in Weiss’s mock draft.