Tampa Bay Buccaneers: One defensive line target in every round
By Cory Kinnan
Round 3: Dre’Mont Jones, Ohio State
Depending on how the draft falls, the Buccaneers could wait until the end of day-two to snag a defensive lineman to add to their defensive front. If they do choose to wait and add to their linebacking core and secondary in the first two rounds instead, Ohio State’s Dre’Mont Jones could still be on the board with the 70th overall pick for Tampa Bay.
Jones had a successful junior campaign in 2018, recording eight and a half sacks, 13 tackles for loss, one interception, and two defensive touchdowns for the Buckeye defense that struggled mightily. For his career, Jones tallied 22 tackles for loss and nine and a half sacks.
Although Jones had great production last season, he failed to test well at the combine, then chose not to retake tests at his pro day. In Indianapolis last month, Jones managed to run a slow 5.12 40 yard dash at 6’2 and 281. In addition, he ran only a 4.53 shuttle and 7.71 3-cone drill; he did, however, test well on his jumps, hitting 31.5 inches on his vertical and over 9 feet on his broad jump.
If the Buccaneers choose to prioritize the linebacking core and secondary over the defensive line, they could still potentially land Jones in the third round. While they may not be getting a day-one starter, Tampa Bay would get a solid rotational piece who could mold into a quality starter along the defensive line.