Honestly I want us to go Edge first but unless a top prospect is available at our pick(19) we should probably go corner. I’d like to grab James Pearce Jr or Jalon Walker for our edge, then someone like Trey Amos, Azareye'h Thomas, or Zy Alexander at CB in the second, but the board doesn’t really fall that way.

I think we’ll probably have to grab a corner in the first because all the top tier edge prospects are gone(we’d likely get Shavon Revel Jr or Benjamin Morrison), then trade up in the second because our second round pick is so low(53) to grab a good Edge(someone like Jack Sawyer, Mike Green, or Princely Umanmielen).

There’s a lot of great later prospects, I think for the third round we have to go safety, likely a player like Kevin Winston Jr, Kamari Ramsey, or Latham Ransom. The fourth is probably linebacker, likely someone similar to Chris Paul Jr, Lander Barton, or Jeffrey Bassa. I think we will grab a depth receiver(Will Shepherd, Kobe Hudson, or Ricky White are my late picks) in the fifth then a depth safety(Jaylen Reed maybe) in the seventh.

Can anyone explain to me what I’m missing with Jihaad Campbell? I keep seeing him mocked to the Bucs at 19, I watch him play and then I sit on my toilet and cry and cry.

He sees the play develop with the vision and response time of a drunk driver. The 4.5 wheels do not show up at all on tape. He doesn’t avoid blocks like the little linebackers do and he doesn’t take them on like the big guys should. The edge snaps are bad. If he was any good at edge Bama would play him there full time so I don’t buy that he’s this versatile weapon that you can move around the front.

He covers ground pretty well when he’s dropping into coverage and he’s a pretty damn consistent open field tackler, if he sights you up you’re going down.

I saw a guy who could be a good SAM backer in a 4-3 that deploys the position at the LOS in base sets who can offer you pretty much whatever you want in nickel looks in coverage or as a blitzer. If you don’t have a plan to keep the field small for him against the run he’s going to get exploited.

Can someone please tell me what I’m getting wrong? Is it the Zach Baun effect- we finally got to see the prototype for that kind of player work (after a 4 year runway and a team change fwiw) and now we assume Campbell is next up and it’s just that easy? Draft guys that I have a ton of respect for rave about him and I just don’t see the fit, at least not for what the Bucs try to do on defense.

If you’re going to tell me what a dumb asshole I am please also tell me which games to watch to prove your point. I’ve watched every snap against Oklahoma & LSU so far.

With free agency being mostly done, I decided to do one more Reddit wide mock draft. I’ve done 2 of these so far and turned them into videos. You can check out Fan Mock Draft 1.0 or Fan Mock Draft 2.0. This is the last one I plan on doing, unless people ask for it. But I wanted to see how fan opinions changed during the offseason. So let me know who you guys prefer to draft at your draft spot.

*Also, no trades.

Draft Results

1. Tennessee Titans:

Cam Ward, QB

1. Cleveland Browns:

Shedeur Sanders, QB

1. New York Giants:

Abdul Carter, EDGE

1. New England Patriots:

Travis Hunter, WR/CB

1. Jacksonville Jaguars:

Mason Graham, DT

1. Las Vegas Raiders:

Will Johnson, CB

1. New York Jets:

Armand Membou, OT

1. Carolina Panthers:

Tetairoa McMillan, WR

1. New Orleans Saints:

Mykel Williams, EDGE

1. Chicago Bears:

Ashton Jeanty, RB

1. San Francisco 49ers:

Will Campbell, OT

1. Dallas Cowboys:

Jahdae Barron, CB

1. Miami Dolphins:

Jihaad Campbell, LB

1. Indianapolis Colts:

Tyler Warren, TE

1. Atlanta Falcons:

Jalon Walker, LB

1. Arizona Cardinals:

Walter Nolan, DT

1. Cincinnati Bengals:

Malaki Starks, S

1. Seattle Seahawks:

Grey Zabel, IOL

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE

1. Denver Broncos:

2. Pittsburgh Steelers:

3. Los Angeles Chargers:

4. Green Bay Packers:

5. Minnesota Vikings:

6. Houston Texans:

7. Los Angeles Rams:

8. Baltimore Ravens:

9. Detroit Lions:

10. Washington Commanders:

11. Buffalo Bills:

12. Kansas City Chiefs:

13. Philadelphia Eagles:

I know he’s a fan favorite & heavily mocked to Tampa. How do you think this impacts what the Bucs will do in the draft? Is he now a prime trade-back asset? I already had a late 1st round grade on him, really has round 2 tape but his upside & positional flexibility bolsters his stock. What do y’all think?

Officially - we will have the pick #19 at the NFL draft.

Here are NFL Players (in recent history) that got picked at #19

2024 - Jared Verse, Rams

2023 - Calijah Kancey, BUCCANEERS

2022 - Trevor Penning, Saints

2021 - Jamin Davis, Washington

2020 - Damon Arnette, Raiders

2019 - Jeffrey Simmons, Titans

2018 - Leighton Vander Esch, Cowboys

2017 - OJ Howard, BUCCANEERS

2016 - Shaq Lawson, Bills

2015 - Cameron Erving, Browns

2014 - Ja'Wuan James, Dolphins

2013 - Justin Pugh, Giants

2012 - Shea McClellin, Bears

2011 - Prince Amukamara, Giants

2010 - Sean Witherspoon, Falcons

2009 - Jeremy Maclin, Eagles

2008 - Jeff Otah, Panthers

2007 - Michael Griffin, Titans

2006 - Antonio Cromartie, Chargers

2005 - Alex Barton, Rams

2004 - Vernon Carney, Dolhpins

2003 - Kyle Boller, Ravens

2002 - Ashley Lelie, Broncos

2001 - Casey Hampton, Steelers

And since I kinda started doing this list looking for a real "holy shit they got that guy at #19, buccaneers are going to feast" type of a player and this list seems mostly underwhelming..

2000 - Shaun Alexander, Seahawks

Ive been thinking about the Bucs drafting Emeka Egbuka if he falls far enough. I think that would be the only offensive player to draft this year. Especially if we cant pay Chris Godwin the amount he wants. Also need some young great receivers for when Mike & Chris retire or leave. We got a gem with McMillan but him and a star receiver like Egbuka would be amazing.

Obviously Reddick could be a great pick up but it’s not exactly a sure thing. We have Bryce Hall and Jamel Dean still for the CB2 role but they’re not exactly locks to be on the field during the season either. We do have LVD for one more year but it’s worth thinking about a replacement. Mike Evans is also getting older unfortunately, and Bowles did say he wants a receiver in this draft.

It’s starting to look like any combination of the following players could fall to us:

Jihaad Campbell(LB/Edge convert)

Jalon Walker(LB/Edge Convert)

Will Johnson(CB)

Jahdae Barron(CB)

James Pearce Jr(Edge)

Donovan Ezeiruaku(Edge)

Other but less likely options:

Luther Burden(WR)

Tetairoa McMillan(WR)

Matthew Golden(WR)

Kenneth Grant(DL)

Walter Nolen(DL)

Malaki Starks(S)

Nick Emanworri(S)

I think my top pick would be edge, then corner in round two. Some round two players I like:

Bradyn Swinson(Edge)

Kyle Kennard(Edge)

JT Tuimoloa(Edge)

Princely Umanmielen(Edge)

Shavon Revel Jr(CB)

Trey Amos(CB)

Azareye’h Thomas(CB)

Benjamin Morrison(CB)

Thoughts? I’m also open to trading back if one of our top picks doesn’t fall to us, I could see that very likely happening if the first.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers select _____________ (Provide your decision & why) #LFG 💪🏾🔥

I wanted to put together a mock draft to see what fans want at different times in the off-season and make a video on it. I will be doing a mock draft prior to free agency, post free agency, and after the combine. The player that is either most commented or most upvoted will be considered the pick. I will be going around every subreddit to see who they pick. Let me know what you guys believe your biggest team needs are as well. Also, there won’t be any trades for this mock draft.

Draft Results

1. ⁠⁠Tennessee Titans:

Cam Ward, QB

1. Cleveland Browns:

Abdul Carter, EDGE

1. New York Giants:

Travis Hunter, CB

1. New England Patriots:

Mason Graham, DT

1. Jacksonville Jaguars:

Will Johnson, CB

1. Las Vegas Raiders:

Shedeur Sanders, QB

1. New York Jets:

Tetairoa McMillan, WR

1. Carolina Panthers:

James Pearce Jr, EDGE

1. New Orleans Saints:

Will Campbell, OT

1. Chicago Bears:

Tyler Booker, IOL

1. San Francisco 49ers:

Tyler Warren, TE

1. Dallas Cowboys:

Ashton Jeanty, RB

1. Miami Dolphins:

Kelvin Banks Jr. , OT

1. Indianapolis Colts:

Malaki Starks, S

1. Atlanta Falcons:

Mike Green, EDGE

1. Arizona Cardinals:

Kenneth Grant, DT

1. Cincinnati Bengals:

Walter Nolan, DT

1. Seattle Seahawks:

Armand Membou, OT

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Benjamin Morrison, CB

1. Denver Broncos:

2. Pittsburgh Steelers:

3. Los Angeles Chargers:

4. Green Bay Packers:

5. Minnesota Vikings:

6. Houston Texans:

7. Los Angeles Rams:

8. Baltimore Ravens:

9. Detroit Lions:

10. Washington Commanders:

11. Buffalo Bills:

12. Philadelphia Eagles:

13. Kansas City Chiefs:

Rd 1: EDGE Mike Green, Marshall. Led the FBS in sacks, proven production. Very athletic too, gives us an alpha edge rusher across from YaYa Diaby. Good size, and should develop nicely. Braswell, Green, and Diaby will all compete to decide the starters, with the 3rd taking over the Nathony Nelson role.

Rd 2: Trade pick 53 and RB Rachaad White(Expiring contract, frees up more reps for BI7 and Tucker) to the Cowboys for the 44th pick, select CB Trey Amos, Ole Miss. Good size and athleticism at CB. 3 picks in his senior season, plays on the outside. He could start year 1, or be a backup for when Jamel Dean inevitably goes down.

Rd 3: S Andrew Mukuba, Texas. Had 5 interceptions in his final year at Texas. THE BUCS DESPERATELY NEED A BALLHAWK ON DEFENSE. Not the biggest, but pretty fast for a SS. Would probably compete for the starting job with Jordan Whitehead, and I wouldn't be too surprised if he managed to win it.

Rd 4: WR Nick Nash, San Jose State. Won the triple crown for WRs in CFB this past season. He also did it by quite a lot in every stat. Going to slip through the cracks because of the lack of competition, but he has production. Ideally we get Godwin back, so this just becomes a luxury pick.

Rd 5: IOL Addison West, Western Michigan. 94.9 overall PFF grade with 90.5 PBK and 94.4 RBK. Hopefully another developmental option who could be a solid depth piece. Maybe he competes for a starting job in his rookie year.

Rd 7: LB Shaun Dolac, Buffalo. Highly underrated draft prospect, had a PFF grade of 91.9. Coverage grade of 92.6, run grade of 90.3, pass rush of 84.2. Could be a huge steal for the Bucs in the later rounds of the draft.

What are you guys' opinions on these picks? I know that we probably should take a LB earlier, but I really liked Dolac.

I know Licht is not known for trading up, but…….is this the year it makes sense?

The one negative to drafting well, you have a lot of players looking for that second contract. Over the next 3 years we have Goedeke, Yaya, McCollum, Otton, Mauch, Kancey, Irvin, McMillian, Smith and maybe an extension for Barton. And let’s not forget Baker will need a new contract and maybe Evan’s or Godwin. And let’s not forget Winfield’s contract expires in 2027 and will probably need an extension in 2026.

We all love lots of good players, but to help the salary cap in the future, might it be worth it to trade up and get a true stud on a 5y contract at the expense of a couple 4y players?

I’m not suggesting we trade up solely for this reason, but I think it makes sense and could help the future salary cap. Also not suggesting we move up to #2 but maybe into the 7-10 range. There we could get either the 2nd best DL, CB or WR in the draft.

I think this year, especially if they think it could be a SB year, is the year we trade up for an impact player that can help win this year.

Hey everybody just wanted to craft an interesting draft scenario in which the top CBs prospects are gone in the 1st round(Hunter, Barron, and Johnson) along with our top EDGE rushing prospects (Ezeiruaku and Green). How does that shape our board if we are unable to trade down? Getting to the late stages of digesting this class on my end so I am forming my final opinions on these prospects before draft day. Tell me what you think if this is the scenario that plays out for us :)

1:19 Kenneth Grant IDL Michigan 6'4 331lbs

If Kenneth Grant is the pick I feel as if it will split our community in two. Some people might dismiss Grant as another big IDL prospect who is good on run defense but lacks consistent pass-rush moves. While not the most refined pass rusher Kenneth Grant is much more than that being a highly athletic IDL who is strong as a bull and does a great job demonstrating that strength with his bull rush. With a 9.5% pass rush win rate which jumps to a 14.3% true pass rush win rate Grant has improved in his pass rush every season at Michigan and played primarily Nose Tackle and 3Tech for the Wolverines. On run-stopping downs, Grant was a one-man wrecking crew maintaining his blocks and slicing his way through double teams using his superior size and frame to get the RB before he could even hit the hole. The reason I love this pick for us in this scenario is the versatility this gives our IDL. Being able to play the trio of Grant, Vita, and Kancey does two major things for us which is to neutralize completely Kancey's lack of size on run plays and allow Vita to get more 1 on 1 scenarios to display his improved pass rush moves along with potentially extending Vita's career for us in the long run.

Link: Kenneth Grant RAS

Any buc fans keep tabs on the senior Bowl this year? Given the recent draft history of this team they will most likely draft a few players who participated in the senior Bowl. I took a look at the wide out group and I do like Jaydin Higgins a big bodied receiver from Iowa State and I even like the smaller wideout from oregon Tez Johnson this dude will wreck havoc in the slot. I'll post my defensive guys later on since we all know that side of the ball needs the most help.

I loved this draft and used a simulator a few times before I got this one. I think the 2 Ohio state players in the 5 and 7 round might be a stretch. But this is generally what I think we should do. We have more needs than I would like, but we aren't in dire need right now for anything besides maybe impact at LB. I am pretty happy with most other groups.

19: R1 P19 EDGE James Pearce Jr. - I had the choice of edge Donovan Ezeiruaku and James Pierce. I would be happy with either. I think Pearce is the safer pick and more Pro built. His get of and strength through his rip is super smoother. He has above average bend, not elite, and can generate pressure on the outside. He can't beat a double team much, but he also plays it correctly and doesn't let them disengage from him, free up others. He has long arms and strong grip. He doesn't lose ofter in solo. He also is strong in run support in addition to being a strong pass rusher. Donovan Ezeiruaku on the other hand is slightly small, but has extremely violent hand movement. He is maybe the best pure edge rusher this class with elite bend and really fast feet to engage also 50% past his blocker so hand action can be very effective. He can be overpowered at times though by tackles, which is why I don't view him as safe or 3 down ready as Pearce.

53: R2 P21 WR Tre Harris - Ole Miss - Besides injury concerns this guy is a big play threat on any down. A ton of his tape he just completely destroys lesser competition and pads stats by having insane separation. But when he faced pro level competion he still made strong contested catches and even some huge momentum plays in the biggest spots of games. I want him on the outside. He would likely be our 4th option and likely see significant playing time. When Evans and Godwin went down, our lack of WR depth was exposed.

84: R3 P20 LB Barrett Carter - Clemson - solid player and metrics. He is athletic and calls the plays on defense. His combine was really good and would fill a huge need with a LB with a potentially high ceiling.

121: R4 P19 CB Zah Frazier - UTSA - this guy is just super athletic and raw. Another mid round CB to develop like Zion. Part of this pick is he was just BPA by a large margin in my eyes.

157: R5 P19 DL Ty Hamilton - Ohio State - solid rotation body.

235: R7 P19 LB Cody Simon - Ohio State - super athletic. Could be used as an outside rusher on passing downs early and develop.

Currently a tackle that would be better equipped to play guard giving us another starter at Guard that’s capable of sliding over to tackle if Godeke/Wirfs gets hurt.

As for the next 3 picks… all defense:

Top 4 position picks IMHO:

1 - G

2 - ILB

3 - edge

4 - CB

We’ve been hitting the jackpot in the draft with lineman I say we keep going. We’ve got the weapons just need to find a solid guard and need a plan to deal with injuries during the season.

Who’s your 1st pick and top 4 positions for us?

Curious what you guys think about approach to first round of draft.

Do we target a stud who fills specific defensive position of need, or do we take the best defensive player available regardless of position?

Mace’s Mock Offseason Scenario 1

Hey everybody just wanted to show a mock offseason I have been working during slow periods at work. This scenario is based on us retaining Chris Godwin and our own key players and only making one splash move in free agency with the rest being smaller moves to improve depth or throwing darts at high potential free agents. Let me know what you would do differently or any questions about my thoughts. 

Retained

Chris Godwin WR

Lavonte David LB

Anthony Nelson EDGE

Greg Gaines IDL

Justin Skule LT

Robert Hainsey IOL

Will Gholston IDL

Tavierre Thomas CB

JJ Russell LB

Our free agency starts with retaining our guys which begins with our most important free agent Chris Godwin. Godwin came into the season a man on a mission and early on showed the Chris Godwin of old. I’m curious about what the price of Godwin will be but I believe we will end up agreeing to terms with Godwin on a 3-year extension which brings him back as the WR1B for Gizzard’s offense while allowing McMillan more time to develop. Lavonte David comes back for one more season with an upgraded team which is easy to say. Role players who are retained are Anthony Nelson who has been a solid piece for us for years now and a great depth EDGE player, Greg Gaines who is Vita Vea’s primary backup, Justin Skule who played admirably in the absence of Luke Goedeke minus the Lions game, Hainsey one of the better backup C’s in the NFL and a good stop-gap starter, WIll Gholston who continues strong as a presence on the defense especially as a run stopper. Key special teams players like Tavierre Thomas and JJ Russell also are retained but are on the bubble for the roster.

Departures

Ben Bredeson IOL

Joe Tryon-Shoyinka EDGE

Chase Edmonds RB 

Kyle Trask QB

Sterling Shepard WR

Bryce Hall CB

KJ Britt LB

Royce Newman IOL

Mike Edwards S

Key departures for us are starting LG Ben Bredeson who is poached by an IOL needy team who saw his stability in that spot. Licht and Co would like to retain him but I believe with the resigning of Godwin and bringing in other key additions Bredeson will be the odd man out on offense. Other departures would be JTS who sadly could never put it together for us no matter how athletic he is, the often injured Chase Edmonds who would not beat out Sean Tucker, Kyle Trask who joins a McVay type scheme most likely the Rams or Vikings as QB2, Sterling Shepard who would lose his role with Godwin coming back and overall trying to get younger, Bryce Hall who while promising will be returning from injury and KJ Britt who couldn’t cover much at all and sadly also wasn’t good in run stopping during his time here. 

Additions

Nick Bolton LB Kansas City Chiefs

Malcolm Koonce EDGE Las Vegas Raiders

Isaac Yiadom CB San Francisco

Alex Cappa IOL Cincinnati Bengals

Tommy Devito QB New York Giants

With our cap space, we will be able to be more active in free agency than we have been in a while. Currently before restructuring the Bucs have roughly 11 Million in cap space. That includes dead money to Ryan Jensen and Shaq Barrett. We can free up cap space with restructures to Baker, Wirfs, and AWJ very easily and I wouldn't be surprised if we restructure Wirfs specifically to create that room for this free agency period. This also isn't counting Jordan Whitehead's injury which could free up space if he is placed on the ineligible-to-compete list before the season. Our big signing of this period would be Chiefs LB Nick Bolton in this scenario. Bolton is only 24 years old and will come with years of experience starting in the NFL. He plays well against the run and holds up well in pass coverage, he would come in and slot opposite of Lavonte David and ahead of Sirvocea Dennis and allow Bowles's scheme to return to form finally. The other key addition is Malcolm Koonce who tore his ACL before the 2024 season began. Koonce ended his 2023 season primed to break out becoming an excellent piece next to Maxx Crosby as both a pass rusher and run support, he was tenacious on the point of attack and I believe he can replicate that season with a near 15% pass rush win rate he could elevate the floor of our pass rush opposite of Yaya Diaby. Other additions are depth options Isaac Yiadom is a steady backup CB on the boundary, Alex Cappa can come in and compete with Elijah Klein as the starting LG after Ben Brederson takes a bigger contract after being reliable all season. Tommy Devito plays like a budget Baker and comes in and competes with Michael Pratt after the departure of Kyle Trask to a team like The Rams.

Draft Picks

TRADE TB sends 1.19 to HOU for 1.25 and 3.89

1.25: Trey Amos CB Ole Miss 6’0 195lbs

The more film I have watched on this class the more and more I have liked Trey Amos’s game for specifically the Bucs. Amos has decent size, good athleticism, and great technique on tape. In the 2024 season, Amos was the best CB in the SEC locking down some of the best receivers in the conference under a complex Ole Miss defense which used a mix of man and zone coverage. Amos also holds his own in run coverage being disciplined on getting off his blocks and showing versatility to play in the slot even if he is a more natural boundary CB. Amos also does a good job keeping his head on a swivel, having a career year at Ole Miss in terms of pass breakups and interceptions I can see Amos entering a rotation with Zyon McCollum and Jamel Dean immediately and being the perfect insurance policy for when eventually Jamel Dean goes down. 

2.52: Jayden Higgins WR Iowa State 6’4 217lbs

With the 2nd pick in their draft the Bucs get their future X-Reciever in Jayden Higgins the Florida native was one of the best receivers in college football during the 2024 season. Higgins uses his elite length and size to his benefit he has great short area quickness allowing him to create space in the boundary or over the middle of the field. He has strong reliable hands with only 3 drops in 2 years at Iowa State. Great contested catch player in the red zone and experience in both the boundary or the slot. Higgins is also aggressive and willing as a blocker which is a major positive for me. The only knocks I have on Higgins's game is while he has adequate speed he doesn’t always show it striding more often then sprinting along with his technique when trying to get off of press being inconsistent. Overall I love Higgins games as the primary backup for Mike Evans similar to how Jalen McMillan is the backup for Chris Godwin with these two our WR room is deep and set for the future.

3.84: Josaiah Stewart EDGE Michigan 6’1 248lbs

A EDGE rusher who is a pass rush specialist who uses his elite speed, technique, and smaller size to get to the QB Josaiah Stewart is the next pick for the Bucs. Stewart amassed 30 sacks over his college career and h did that with an impressive array of pass rush moves from a great rip move and cross-chop on the inside. He also displays a very good get-off and quickness which gets OT’s off balance allowing him to use his bend and smaller size to get around them. If Stewart was bigger he would be getting 1st round hype but due to his size Stewart has issues with run-stopping and lacks the size for it. But for me, that’s not where Stewart will make his money in the NFL. Stewart from day 1 will be a viable pass rush option which the Bucs desperately need. With this move, the Bucs have completely rebuilt the EDGE group bringing in 2 new faces which should immediately contribute on passing downs.

3.89 Kevin Winston Jr S Penn State 6’2 208lbs 

The Bucs continue adding to it’s weak secondary room with the long and explosive Kevin Winston Jr. Winston Jr is a tone steer on defense a player who isn’t afraid to make a big play for the defense in pass coverage or run stopping. His length and size are ideal for our SS role opposite of AWJ with Winston’s responsibilities being to cover TE’s and maintain the edge on outside runs. Winston Jr has explosive speed and loose hips when backpedaling. Issues with Winston’s game are his lack of consistency when tackling and he is often trying to make the big play instead of the safe play and his over aggression when in coverage. If Winston Jr can cut this down he will play immediately for the Bucs and could push Jordan Whitehead for his starting spot. With this move, the Bucs' safety room would consist of AWJ, Winston Jr, Jordan Whitehead, Tykee Smith and Christian Izien which when healthy is a strong and deep group that can flex between S and NCB on any given down.

4.120: JJ Pegues IDL/FB Ole Miss 6’2 323lbs

One of the other two way players in this class Pegues is insanely fun to watch. The Mayor of Oxford Pegues has been the anchor for the Rebels D-Line for 3 seasons now. In his career Pegues had 26.5 TFLs with 10 sacks and 7 rushing touchdowns. Pegues was a stout Nose tackle for the rebels but was moved around the formation playing 3-Tech and even EDGE at times. A strong bull-rush and club moves Pegues did a great job penetrating the middle of the line and holding stout next 1st round pick Walter Nolen. I love Pegues as a backup IDL-men who has the flexibility to line up at NT. He also provides versatility on offense lining up as a FB due to his past history at TE. 

5.158: Danny Stutsman LB Oklahoma 6’4 241lbs

I am lower on Danny Stutsman than most but the main positive about Stutsman is his leadership ability. At Oklahoma Stutsman was the leader of the defense and the tone setter for the room wearing the green dot for the Boomers. Stutsman is a old school LB who has no issue shooting a gap in the middle of the field and using his size to take a RB down to size. The issue with Stutsman is his lack of coverage ability and athleticism. While a tackling machine Stutsman struggles with keeping up with athletic TE’s and making plays on the ball. Even with that in the 5th round Stutsman is the type of prospect you bring into a weak LB room to elevate the floor. He will add mass to our defense on obvious rush downs and with the right development he can slide into the LB rotation with Bolton and Dennis in the future.

7.237: Dalton Cooper OT Oklahoma State 6’5 323lbs

I just wanted to highlight a draft prospect who hasn’t gotten a ton of love but did adequate during his time at the Shrine Bowl. Dalton Cooper isn’t the most athletic OT but he did a great job holding up on passing down. Cooper was an ironman for the Cowboys playing nearly all games during his 3 seasons at Oklahoma State. The issue with Cooper’s lack of athleticism does him no favors in the run game but as a Swing OT or a potential move to the IOL I like what Cooper has especially as a practice squad player and developmental guy.

Hey everybody over on r/NFL_Draft we did a community mock draft. I was the Bucs GM and wanted to share over here my picks for the process and my thoughts. Would love to hear what you guys think.

R1:21: Shemar Stewart EDGE Texas A&M 6’6 290lbs

I was between 3 players at this spot Jalon Walker, Shemar Stewart, and Benjamin Morrison all 3 firmly 1st round talents on my board. Walker is higher on my board as an EDGE but I think Shemar Stewart has the highest potential out of any of the EDGE prospects other than Abdul Carter. Elite measurables which he frequently is using to disrupt the O-Line and bat down balls Stewart pairs that skill with some elite athleticism. Constantly turning his speed to power and bull-rushing OTs Stewart is a constant problem for QBs. Stewart is also one of if not the best run stoppers in this class Stewart will contribute to the Bucs as a 3 down player with Yaya Diaby who is a rising star for the Buc’s defense. Stewart is still raw in his pass-rushing skills with a war counter move if his bull rush fails, but with the young 21-year-old steadily improving every season I believe Stewart will continue his growth on a young D-Line with Diaby and Calijah Kancey. During this season Stewart had 33 QB hurries, more than his Aggie teammate Nic Scourton and I believe he was the more dominant player for the stout Aggies D-Line. If Stewart continues his trajectory he can become one of the most imposing EDGE rushers in the NFL similar to JPP, Trayvon Walker and Rashan Gary who are my comps for Stewart.

Others in Consideration: Benjamin Morrison CB Notre Dame, Jalon Walker EDGE/LB Georiga, Shavon Revel CB East Carolina

R2: 52: Azareye’h Thomas CB FSU 6’2 198lbs

Top CB on my board Thomas was a phenomenal player stuck on a terrible defense. During this season as FSU Thomas held QB’s to a 50.2 passer rating while only allowing 17 receptions and 141 yards with zero touchdowns. Thomas has elite length and size which is absolutely necessary for Todd Bowles defense. Thomas held some of the best WR’s in the ACC to their lowest production of the season and thus was because of his premier size and athleticism absolutely suffocating WR’s. Thomas can immediately plug into Bowles press heavy defense using his length and run support from the perimeter. Pairing Thomas with McCollum and Dean helps Tampa’s weak secondary depth while Thomas can continue developing his game to eventually replace Jamel Dean.

Others in Consideration: Maxwell Hairston CB Kentucky, Elic Ayamanor WR Stanford, Darien Porter CB Iowa State

R3: 83: Barrett Carter LB Clemson 6’1 230lbs

For this pick I was between Carson Schwesinger and Barrett Carter. I have similar grades in both of them but believe Carter has a higher upside. Carter will match up well against RBs and TE’s in coverage due to his speed and overall instinctual coverage skills. Carter will also be used as a pass rushing piece like he was at Clemson where Bowles can blitz Carter using his speed go shoot through the middle and find the QB or RB. With Carter and Dennis, Tampa can start revitalizing a LB position who needs an infusion of talent. Outside of Walker and Campbell I believe that Carter has the highest potential out of all the LB prospects in this class and in that spot.

Others in Consideration: Carson Schwesinger LB UCLA, Chris Paul Jr LB Ole Miss, Savion Williams WR TCU, Zy Alexander CB LSU