Buccaneers land two key pieces for Baker Mayfield in latest 7-round Mock Draft

Round 7, Pick 246: Steele Chambers, LB/Ohio State

Dating back to the 2016 draft, Tampa Bay has been one of many teams to fail to draft quality players late in the draft. Of the Buccaneers' last seven seventh-round picks, only Raymond Calais (2020), Chapelle Russell (2020), and Grant Stuard (2021) played in the league. Stuard, the Mr. Irrelevant of the 2021 draft, would go on to play in 49 games, followed by Russell's 27 and Calais' four, respectively.

This year, there isn't much to say this trend will change, especially with a draft class loaded with talent at the top. With that, the Buccaneers take a flier on Chambers, a three-year standout linebacker at Ohio State.

Chambers started his collegiate career as a running back, and totaled 221 yards and one touchdown from scrimmage on 28 carries in his first two seasons. Ahead of the 2021 season, Chambers converted to linebacker, and posted a solid first season on defense, consisting of 47 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, two pass breakups, and one interception in 13 games.

Next season, Chambers showed considerable improvement in 2022, finishing the year with 77 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups, and two interceptions in 13 games, and was named an Honorable mention for the All-Big Ten Conference team.

In his fifth and final season as a Buckeye, Chambers started all 13 games and recorded a team-and-career high 83 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one pass breakup, and one interception. Based on his play, Chambers was selected to the All-Big Ten Conference Third team, and played a key role in the Buckeyes' 11-2 record and Cotton Bowl appearance.

Standing at 6'1" and 226 pounds, Chambers is a versatile linebacker capable of playing in coverage and rushing the passer. Specifically, Chambers is physical with tight ends up the seam and has the awareness of when to raise hands and engage contact at the catch point, while still holding the agility to cover running backs and slot receivers.

While Chambers is lighter and smaller compared to the prototypical size of an NFL linebacker, his athleticism and versatility will be a selling point for teams that value hybrid defenders.

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