Round 2, Pick 39: Darnell Savage, S, Maryland
The Buccaneers have brought Maryland safety in for a visit, and the way the safety class appears to be shaking out, if Tampa Bay wants him, they may have to take him with the 39th overall pick. Desperately needing help in the back of their defense, a second round pick is a price Licht would be more than willing to pay for a talent like Savage as counterparts Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Nasir Adderley, and Juan Thornhill are likely going to be off the board already.
Savage sits as the fourth ranked safety in this class, and has the ability to cover ground over top of the defense as well as do the dirty work in the box. During the 2018 season for the Terps, Savage recorded both five and a half tackles for loss and four interceptions, giving him a total of eight picks for his career. The best comparison to Savage to be given at this point is Cleveland Browns safety Damarious Randall.
The Maryland product also has sub-4.4 40 yard dash speed, with great explosiveness, testing in the upper 84th percentile and 89th percentile in the broad and vertical jumps respectively. While Savage may be a bit raw, his level of play is more than needed in the Buccaneers’ secondary, and with the 39th pick in the draft he lands in Tampa Bay.