Buccaneers: How to fix years of drafting the wrong running back

The Buccaneers have to be cautious

Tom Brady desperately needs a third-down back that can catch. With Jones and Vaughn on the roster and Fournette not far off from a return, none of these backs have the hands to step into the James White role. Williams could be the best of the bunch, but there are backs with better hands later in the draft.

The easiest way for the Buccaneers to end their running back woes is to avoid the trap that is Williams. He should be there are 32, but he is not worth the pick. Williams was a great college back with excellent production on the ground and through the air, but so were Jones and Vaughn. Do you see the issue here? None of this also mentions that the pick is still in the first round. How often do those first-round backs work out for all parties?

Instead of going after the slightly-obvious Williams, who is still an excellent player, the Buccaneers should instead target one of the “new age” backs that should be available later.

Players like Kenneth Gainwell and Demetric Felton are a part of a popular, rapidly-growing subsection within the running back community. The running back-wide receiver hybrid is the next step in the evolution of the running back, and the Buccaneers have a chance to get in on this early.

Look at the rest of the NFL. Other than Derrick Henry, who still has good hands in the screen game, the best running backs are those with hands. Players like Dalvin Cook and Aaron Jones can threaten the ball through various points, and consistent hands help their quarterbacks out tremendously. The truly elite backs can also line up at receiver.