With the NFL Draft just around the corner, there are many different paths the Bucs could take, as there are a few different positions they need to fill. The order they draft them in can vary depending on the circumstances that play out. For example, in a recent mock draft that I participated in, I was offered the 18th pick, a 2nd round pick, and a 2nd round pick for 2021 from Miami, just to jump up four spots into 14th. I accepted this offer, since there is quite a bit of depth to the positions we need, and plenty of sleeper picks to add to this developing team. In addition, the top prospects for O-Line were practically off the board, so waiting until a later round to draft one wasn’t the worst idea. But O-line isn’t the only need we have, as we still need options for the run game, and have to pay close attention to our developing secondary.
With this, let me speak about a couple of players who would be worth selecting in this upcoming draft:
Grant Delpit (S, LSU):
One of the main reasons LSU was able to receive a playoff spot and win the National Championship was due to the way their defense was performing, particularly the secondary. After drafting LB Devin White only a year prior from the same exact defense, selecting Grant Delpit would not only be good for chemistry but would also allow for the Bucs to improve their secondary, which was clearly a major problem, especially in the first half of the season. Although the Bucs’ have recently spent many of their draft picks attempting to improve this struggling secondary, there were moments where it began to come together, especially in the second half of the season, when the Bucs did not give up hope and strived for a winning record after two heartbreaking 5-11 seasons. Although this fell short, the Bucs were able to land the 14th pick, and selecting Grant Delpit from LSU would be a perfect fit, as he provides almost everything the Buccaneers need in a safety, adding to a quickly developing and improving secondary. Anyways, if you feel the Bucs have spent too many picks on the secondary, remember, “Money solves all your problems”, or in this case, draft picks…
AJ Dillon (RB, Boston College)
Yes, I realize, this upcoming draft has more well-known running backs than Dillon such as Jon Taylor and JK Dobbins, but waiting until the 3rd or 4th round and picking Dillon up is honestly something that could and definitely should happen. If it wasn’t clear, the Bucs have not been doing too hot on the ground, especially after Doug Martin fell out of his prime, and we eventually parted ways with him. With this, the Bucs transformed into one of the most deadly passing offenses, nearly airing it out on every other play, however after a 30 INT season from Jameis, we should have come to realize that this team needs a rushing game just as much as it needed a new Quarterback. With that in mind, Dillon can be the next explosive running back in the NFL. Remember Marshawn Lynch in his prime? If you watched Dillon’s highlights, you’d probably make the comparison for yourself, but the kid is not only a hard and powerful runner, he also has the ability to break out and burn everybody on the defense. In 3 seasons, Dillon rushed for over a thousand yards every year and totaled over four thousand yards in his NCAA career. This past season he led the AAC in total rushing yards and is currently 4th on the AAC leaderboard for career rushing yards. I honestly recommend that you search up some of his highlights because the way he runs is extremely impressive. It may sound like I’m hyping him up, but he can really be the next Beast Mode.
Devin Duvernay (WR, Texas):
Okay, just relax and hear me out on this one. I know what you’re all thinking right now: “We have the top receiving duo in the league, why would we possibly need another wide receiver!?”, but the answer is simple. We. Need. To. Build. Around. Brady. Having the Greatest Quarterback of all-time is great and all, but it won’t be used effectively unless we build around Brady and get him as many weapons as possible. Duvernay operates as a perfect slot receiver, and in his entire career at Texas, he dropped only five passes from 240+ targets. After you do the math, you see that Duvernay is hands down one of the most efficient receivers in college football and the fact that he can fall into our lap with a late-round draft pick makes the possibility that much more likely. Duvernay has blazing speed, making it clear with his 4.4-second forty-yard dash. Along with this, he has amazing awareness, hands, depth-perception, you name it, he has it all and can prove to be a crucial weapon to our already high-powered offense. Brady will have the option to throw a short pass and watch the rookie break free and take it the distance, or can just as easily drop back and launch it downfield to a wide-open Duvernay flying down the field. Either way, it’s a win-win situation, and it’s definitely worth noting when draft day comes around.
With that, you have come to the end of my prospect report, and I have to leave you with this: No matter who the Bucs decide to draft this year, we will have almost everything we need to become a high-powered team for the next five to ten years. Signing Tom Brady is obviously a very special moment to almost all of us as fans, but it is also one of the biggest moments in Buccaneers’ history, and nailing this draft will allow us to become a playoff team for many years to come. So, remember Bucs’ fans, Raise the Flags!
