4.112 Khalid Kareem, EDGE, Notre Dame
Solidifying their defensive front, the Buccaneers take another player in the fourth in pass rusher Khalid Kareem from Notre Dame. Kareem will be one of two Fighting Irish pass rushers who will hear their names called in April, along with Julian Okwara who will likely be a first round selection.
Both Shaquil Barrett and Carl Nassib are free agents after this year, but after restructuring Jason Pierre-Paul’s contract, the Buccaneers should have the money and the need to re-sign both of them. With that being said, the Bucs will need to add another pass rusher to their roster to give them a formidable rotation behind both Barrett and Nassib, and alongside Anthony Nelson with the second unit.
With ten career sacks, Kareem has already recorded two and a half of them through the first four games of his senior season as he looks to improve his draft stock. Listed at 6-4 and 262 pounds, Kareem has the size and length to match that of Bowles’ preference as well; adding Fotu and Kareem in back-to-back rounds would give the Bucs quite a young and tough front five, and a formidable rotation behind them.
With so much fire power on the offensive side of the football, the Buccaneers can continue to shore up the defensive side in the draft by using the majority of their middle round picks to try and stack depth. They do that here as Kareem joins Barrett, Nassib, and Nelson off the edge for the Buccaneers.