Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2021 NFL three-round mock draft
By Rob Leeds
Buccaneers Round 2: Quincy Roche, Edge, Miami
The Buccaneer pass-rush is far better than the individual stats would indicate, but Tampa Bay will still need to invest some capital in a premium player for the future. Shaquil Barrett isn’t performing at his normal level, and Jason Pierre-Paul is getting older, so a young option makes the most sense.
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Miami Hurricane Quincy Roche looks like an excellent fit with the Buccaneers. While slightly smaller than the average outside linebacker in the NFL, his speed and athleticism should make him a consistent piece for the Bucs to rely on in the future.
Roche’s smaller size and athleticism will lend itself well to the Buccaneer outside linebacker style of play. Todd Bowles‘ defense frequently has outside linebackers dropping into shallow coverage, and Roche is built to do it better than any of the options currently on the roster.
Even if the Bucs decide to keep Shaq and JPP on their roster, Roche brings an added element as the third pass-rusher. Anthony Nelson has still not yet found his stride, and Roche offers the better option if one of the starters is off the field.
If Roche tests as expected, there is a good chance that he could move up to become a fringe first-rounder, but he was too good to pass up in the second round here.