Mock Draft Monday: Buccaneers looking to replace Jameis Winston?

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ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 01: Nick Coe #91 of the Auburn Tigers forces a fumble as he knocks the ball from the hands of Jake Browning #3 of the Washington Huskies at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

4.107: Nick Coe, EDGE, Auburn

A consistent pass rusher is another need for the Buccaneers, but expecting them to plug every hole in their roster in one year is unrealistic. Here in the fourth round, the Bucs grab Auburn’s Nick Coe to add some depth to the position.

All three Carl Nassib, Shaquil Barrett, and Jason Pierre-Paul are set to be free agents after this season, and while the Bucs would like to keep both Nassib and Barrett, how much effort and money can they invest in one position if they are on the brink of a rebuild?

With Anthony Nelson as the only edge rusher under contract for the Bucs beyond this season, they will inevitably need to take one in the 2020 Draft. If the Bucs decide to keep Winston beyond 2019, then we could potentially see a top end edge like Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa taken in the first round.

Listed at 6-5 and 291 pounds, Coe has the size that defensive coordinator Todd Bowles likes in his ends, a bit on the bigger side. Looking at Nelson and Nassib, both longer, stockier edge rushers, it appears that Bowles has a type: those who can set the edge and maintain a strong anchor in contain rather than those who can get after the quarterback consistently.

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