Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7-round mock draft the week of free agency
By Cory Kinnan
Round 1, Pick 5: Brian Burns, EDGE, Florida State
With their fifth overall pick, the Bucs take edge rusher Brian Burns from Florida State. Out of the edge rushers who saw their stock rise at the combine, Burns is among them.
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Putting on at least 15 pounds in order to prove that he has the ability to add weight and muscle to his thin playing frame from his collegiate career, Burns went to Indianapolis and showed that he did not sacrifice any athleticism in the process. As a result he appears to be a top-10 lock in April’s draft, barring a barrage of trade ups for quarterbacks.
Burns tested in the 97th percentile of both the broad jump and the 40 yard dash, the 82nd percentile in the 3-cone drill, 81st percentile in the vertical jump, and 95th percentile in wingspan. Burns has the makeup of an elite pass rusher at the next level.
Not only did he look fluid in the on-field drills as a pass rusher, he also displayed elite athleticism in the linebacker drills as well. In Tampa Bay’s 3-4 scheme, having Burns as an outside linebacker would give Bowles the flexibility to attack the quarterback and head to the flats if necessary.