Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3 draft targets as Demar Dotson’s heir apparent

Yoshua Nijman, Virginia Tech

Relatively unheard of, Yoshua Nijman from Virginia Tech is another raw prospect, but is easily the most athletic tackle in this class. While he faced top talent in the ACC, his film shows the need for him to sit and learn a system before jumping into action, so sitting for a year or two, as he could do in Tampa Bay, would be an ideal landing spot for Nijman.

At the combine Nijman measured in at almost 6’7 and 324 pounds, ranking him in the top 75 percent of all tackles. While he only tested selectively, Nijman tested in the 90th percentile or above in both the broad jump (95th percentile) and the 20 yard shuttle (91st percentile). He also pressed 27 reps on the bench press, ranking him in the 71st percentile.

What was most impressive was Nijman’s fluidity and lateral movement displayed during the on-field portion at the combine. Nijman moved with relative ease and has the quickness to stick with elite pass rushers off of the edge. At his pro day, Nijman ran a 4.83 40 yard dash, which would have ranked him in the 99th percentile at the combine and hit 30.5 inches on his vertical jump as well.

Nijman is an elite athlete, but is expected to be a late day-three to undrafted target due to his rawness. However, a player with these traits warrant a flyer even worthy of a sixth rounder to secure his potential.