Tampa Bay Buccaneers: One linebacker to target in every round

Round 4: Bobby Okereke, Stanford

Another hot name that is rising at the right time is Stanford linebacker Bobby Okereke. He is pegged to land right around the fourth round in most mock drafts. While there is a high probability that the Bucs will have landed a linebacker by this point in the draft, they could invest heavily into their secondary and defensive line instead.

Over the last two seasons, Okereke has tallied 182 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and seven and a half sacks from the second level of the Cardinal defense. In 2018, he recorded 94 tackles, seven and a half of which came behind the line of scrimmage, and three and a half sacks.

At the combine in Indianapolis last month, Okereke ran a 4.58 40 yard dash, hit 33.5 inches on his vertical jump, and over 10 feet on his broad jump; at his pro day he ran a 7.08 3-cone drill as well. Okereke’s athleticism is well above average, and his production is solid enough to have him talked about as an early day-three pick, and possibly a late third rounder.

If the Buccaneers choose to improve their defensive line and secondary with their first three picks, then Okereke would be a solid option for general manager Jason Licht with the 107th pick in the draft.