The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn't knock their first round of this year's draft out of the park. They were literally gifted one of the best athletes in the draft by 14 other NFL teams. Merry Christmas in April.
The fact that Reuben Bain, Jr. fell is the shocking surprise of the opening night. We looked at potential free-fallers ahead of the draft, and, yes, we listed Bain as a potential fall to 15. Admittedly, we said it wasn't going to happen, but it could. It did. Now, Jason Licht has to turn his attention to day two.
The NFL doesn't gift players twice, so fans shouldn't expect another draft night bonus that leaves the Buccaneers shocked. The talent in rounds two and three remains deep. For Licht, this is where he will make his money, instead of being handed a blank check on night one.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking for another day two steal that these players would provide
After addressing the edge, Tampa needs to continue filling its roster needs. While they could take a best player available approach, the money in this draft aligns with their roster vacancies.
Jermod McCoy - CB - Tennessee
Could lightning strike twice in two days? We said Bain wouldn't fall, so we can say McCoy won't either. But he absolutely could. The knee concerns were real enough on night one to drop into the day two pool of prospects. Considered to be a top-10 draft prospect entering this season, the Vols CB may have been taken off draft boards due to concerns about his medical reports. At pick 46, McCoy is worth the risk.
Jacob Rodriguez - LB - Texas Tech
We had Rodriguez going in round one. A lot of teams had first-round grades on him, but something happened on Friday night. A run on offensive linemen went deeper than some expected, and a few teams took some early risks on players with round-2 grades. Rodriguez is a utility knife on the field, which helps his draft potential, but it has clearly hurt his draft stock. If he slides to 46, it's a great move for the Bucs, who need to replace LaVonte David.
Oscar Delp - TE - Georgia
This isn't a deep talent pool at the tight end position, but the value can't be overlooked. Delp is a quality tight end who can make an immediate impact on the Buccaneers' offense. One of only a few TEs in this year's class who is equally good in the passing game and as a blocker. Delp has day-one starter written all over him, but the benefit Tampa has is that they don't need to force him onto the field. Delp would line up well in the TE2 role while Cade Otton holds TE1.
Avieon Terrell - CB - Clemson
Terrell's draft stock has taken a hit at no fault of his own. The entire Clemson defense didn't play well last season, and it is having an impact on players in this year's draft. Edge rusher T.J. Parker has also dropped into round two. Terrell is more than capable of handling the boundary duties that Tampa needs. It's far more realistic that Terrell is on the board at 46 than it is for McCoy to be.
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