Round 4, Pick 107: Bobby Okereke, LB, Stanford
After switching to a 3-4 defensive look, the Buccaneers do not seem interested in adding a linebacker early if they cannot land either Devin White or Devin Bush. Tampa Bay signed Deone Bucannon this offseason and will move veteran linebacker Lavonte David to the middle of their defense in 2019 under new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.
However, Bucannon is better served in a role that allows him to roam the field like a heat seeking missile, so adding another linebacker (as it looks like Kendell Beckwith will not be back) would give Bowles a great deal of flexibility and versatility to work with. Bobby Okereke out of Stanford would give the Buccaneers a solid linebacker to play next to David at just the cost of a fourth round pick.
Running a 4.58 second 40 yard dash while displaying good agility and explosiveness in his testing as well, Okereke has flown under the radar throughout this draft process. He does not have the athletic prowess of the Devins, but has more than enough to succeed at the next level.
Okereke has bordered on 100 tackles each of the last two seasons for the Cardinals’ defense, and in addition has tallied a career total of 10.5 sacks and 20 tackles behind the line of scrimmage as well. His ability to fight through blockers and get into the backfield is a much-needed asset for the Buccaneers in 2019.