Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Last chance for the 2016 draft class
By Jamil King
Vernon Hargreaves
Vernon Hargreaves was the Bucs top selection in the draft going 11th overall after Tampa Bay traded down from the ninth slot in the first round. Still there at 11, it looked like a steal for the Bucs on paper to snatch their future lockdown corner out of the University of Florida.
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Hargreaves was drafted to be a number one corner that would help slow down opposing offenses like he did as a Gator. Instead, Hargreaves struggled on the outside against the top wideouts, losing one-on-one battles in a division with receivers Michael Thomas and Julio Jones.
After a move to nickel in 2018, Hargreaves showed flashes of what made him a top pick but still has not consistently put it all together for the Buccaneers. After an injury cut his season short last year, he is looking to have a bounce back under a new staff as he hopes to find the form that made him one of the best corners in the nation at the collegiate level.
Under Todd Bowles, nickel corners have thrived as Tyrann Mathieu played a hybrid safety and nickel corner role in Arizona, and Buster Skrine has had some of his best years while Bowles was the head coach of the New York Jets. Hargreaves hopes to be Bowles’ next success story and restore his career.