There won’t be an SR’s Fab 5 column on Friday with the NFL Draft this week. I encourage you to read last week’s SR’s Fab if you missed it. I turned 50 on Saturday and wrote about the 50 things I’ve loved about covering the Bucs in last week’s column.

Instead, I’ve got some pre-draft analysis, insight and some inside scoop for you as the Bucs are just a day away from adding another first-round pick. Enjoy!

A Safety For Bowles’ First Pick As Bucs Head Coach?

I could see Bucs general manager Jason Licht wanting to get Todd Bowles a safety for his first pick as Tampa Bay’s new head coach. That would just be the Licht thing to do.

Who?

Georgia’s Lewis Cine, who was first mocked to Tampa Bay in Pewter Report’s Bucs 7-Round Mock Draft 3.0 back in March. The Bucs brought him in for a Top 30 visit. They also likely met with him at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he blazed a 4.37 in the 40-yard dash.

Why?

It’s a position of need with Jordan Whitehead’s departure. And Bowles played safety for eight years in the NFL, mostly with the Redskins.

When Bowles got into coaching at both the college level (Morehouse College in 1997) and the pro level (New York Jets in 2000) he coached the secondary. There is no position Bowles knows better than safety.

Georgia S Lewis Cine – Photo by: USA Today

In his first draft as a defensive coordinator in Arizona in 2013, the Cardinals drafted safety Tyrann Mathieu in the third round. Licht, who was the vice president of personnel, did the majority of research into Mathieu. Obviously Bowles played a big part in that selection, too.

When Bowles was the Jets head coach in 2017 he drafted two safeties back-to-back in the first two rounds. Bowles used the sixth overall pick to select Jamal Adams and then came back to grab Marcus Maye near the top of the second round.

Not only is the safety position near and dear to Bowles’ heart, but it’s also a position Licht has prioritized. He drafted Justin Evans in the second round in 2017 and Antoine Winfield, Jr. in the second round in 2020. Licht also used a third-round pick on Mike Edwards in 2019, and found a starter in Whitehead in the fourth round in 2018.

Cine The Bucs Future At Strong Safety?

While the Bucs signed veteran strong safety Keanu Neal this offseason, it was for one year at a reasonable $1.87 million. Drafting Cine would give Tampa Bay a long-term answer at strong safety. And he would be on a cheap, rookie contract for four years with a fifth-year option.

That’s important because Winfield, who made the Pro Bowl last year, will be in a contract year next year. Winfield stands to earn a sizable contract starting in 2024. Cine would have two years left on his rookie deal at the time, plus a fifth-year option season in 2026.

Bowles was also present at the Georgia pro day to see Cine in person. Cine is a bright, serious, no-nonsense football player. He’s a striker and he’s fast. Don’t be surprised if Cine is the Bucs’ first-round pick.

Here is Cine’s interview at the Combine. Watch this video and you can see why he would mesh well with Bowles’ personality.

“I think that I’m a smart player,” Cine said in Indianapolis. “I can get guys lined up. When guys are wrong, I can make them right. The fact that I have depth to do that is a stress-reliever in a way for me. I can also make plays. I’ve got range. I’m fast. I can come from top down extremely fast.”

After I watched the Cine interview earlier in the spring, I wrote down “Todd Bowles, Jr.” in my scouting notes.

If Not Cine, Bucs Have Targeted Other Safeties

If the Bucs don’t draft Cine in the first round, they could select Illinois safety Kerby Joseph in the third or fourth round. Tampa Bay had Joseph in for a Top 30 visit and safeties coach Nick Rapone did his positional workout at his pro day.

Auburn S Smoke Monday – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs also had Auburn safety Smoke Monday in for a Top 30 pre-draft visit. Licht has drafted three Auburn defenders over the past four years. The former Tigers are cornerback Carlton Davis III in 2018, cornerback Jamel Dean in 2020 and linebacker K.J. Britt in 2021.

Monday is a late Day 3 selection. The Bucs have a pair of seventh-round picks, but could package those to move up into the sixth round to grab Monday if they still need a safety. Tampa Bay also hosted Iowa safety Dane Belton on a visit in April.

Hall Also In The Mix For Bucs In Round 1

There are five players that Pewter Report believes the Bucs could draft late in the first round. In addition to Cine, Houston defensive lineman Logan Hall, Georgia defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, Colorado State tight end Trey McBride and wide receiver Treylon Burks are the five.

Cine addresses a need, but defensive tackle and tight end are actually more pressing needs. Hall, who was Tampa Bay’s pick at No. 27 in Pewter Report’s final Bucs 7-Round Mock Draft, is a very versatile defensive lineman. Don’t be surprised if Hall is picked over Wyatt if both are on the board at No. 27 – if the Bucs opt not to draft Cine.

Hall turns 22 today, April 27, while Wyatt is already 24. The Cougars star has an impressive frame at 6-foot-6, 283 pounds and will grow to be a 300-pounder.

Wearing the No. 92 jersey at Houston, Hall looked like Bucs 3-4 defensive end Will Gholston, who also wears No. 92. While the Bucs need to find an eventual long-term replacement for defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who will likely re-sign after the draft, Tampa Bay will also have to replace Gholston at some point.

Gholston enters his ninth season as a starter and is a great run defender. He’s also coming off a career-high 4.5 sacks. He’ll turn 31 later this year and only re-signed for one year. Hall has a much higher ceiling as an interior pass rusher. He had seven career sacks at Houston, including six last year.

Houston DL Logan Hall – Photo courtesy of Houston

Hall has the versatility to play all along the defensive line. At Houston, Hall even played a few reps on the edge. We’ve seen Bowles play nose tackle Vita Vea on the edge at times to give opposing offenses a different look. Hall would be an even better fit there on occasion.

Wyatt is primarily built to just be a 3-tech. And he comes with a few issues aside from his age. There was a publicized domestic violence incident that happened at Georgia. Charges were ultimately dropped, but there are other unreported incidents of concern with Wyatt. Ultimately it will be up for teams to determine the validity of the concerns. Those of us in the media don’t have the vantage point to cast judgement.

The other issue is his lack of production. Wyatt is supposed to be an athletic pass-rushing tackle, but only had five career sacks for the Bulldogs, including 2.5 last year. Six other Georgia defenders had more. That lack of production has to be a bit worrisome to the Bucs. It wouldn’t be a shock if Bowles and Licht see more versatility and greater upside in Hall.

The Age Old Issue With Licht

Maybe it’s something – or maybe it’s nothing. But Licht has only drafted very young players in the first round. In fact, the oldest player he’s used a first-round pick on was Vea, a truly special nose tackle. He was 23 in 2018.

Age Of Bucs’ First-Round Picks Under Licht
2014: WR Mike Evans – 20
2015: CB Vernon Hargreaves III – 20
2016: QB Jameis Winston – 21
2017: TE O.J. Howard – 22
2018: NT Vita Vea – 23
2019: ILB Devin White – 21
2020: RT Tristan Wirfs – 21
2021: OLB Joe-Tryon Shoyinka – 21

Licht has only drafted one senior, and that was Howard in 2017. Every other first-rounder has been a redshirt sophomore or a junior.

This doesn’t mean that Wyatt, a 24-year old senior, won’t be drafted by Tampa Bay. But given Licht’s past track record, it makes it unlikely given Wyatt’s other issues.

McBride A First-Round Surprise?

Pewter Report had Hall at No. 27 to the Bucs in our final mock draft. But the player we almost put in there was McBride, the play-making tight end from Colorado State. While defensive tackle seems like a pressing need, the need at tight end is actually greater.

Colorado State TE Trey McBride – Photo by: USA Today

Tampa Bay only has two tight ends on the roster in backup Cam Brate and practice squader Codey McElroy. The team hopes to re-sign starter Rob Gronkowski once again, but at age 33 he’s non-committal about playing football again. Injuries have taken their toll on Gronkowski’s body, and he missed five games last year with broken ribs and a punctured lung.

This year’s draft is rather deep at the position – but mostly with players that will ideally be No. 2 tight ends. McBride may be the only starting-caliber tight end outside of Greg Dulcich, but the team hasn’t shown much interest in the UCLA star from what we’ve gathered.

McBride was given a formal interview by the Bucs at the Combine, and also came in for a Top 30 visit. At his Colorado State pro day, the John Mackey Award winner said that the Bucs are one of the teams that have shown the most interest in him.

Even if Gronkowski is re-signed, the Bucs will need a starter at the position moving forward. Brate turns 31 this year and his skills are in decline. There’s no guarantee that McElroy even makes the team in 2022.

The Bucs or another team could draft McBride by at the end of the first round. But he’s probably going to be a second-round pick. However, it’s doubtful he lasts until Tampa Bay picks again at No. 60.

The Bucs admire the fact that McBride loves to block as much as he does catch the ball. And his hard-working, humble Midwestern upbringing will definitely appeal to Licht. McBride could be a player Licht trades up for in the second round.

The Backup Option At Tight End

While Tampa Bay loves McBride, there are a couple of other tight ends the Bucs are targeting. The team brought Washington’s Cade Otton in for a Top 30 visit. He’s likely a third or fourth-round pick.

Tampa Bay has also spent time with Virginia tight end Jelani Woods on multiple Zoom calls this offseason. The Bucs are intrigued with the athleticism of the 6-foot-7, 253-pounder. Woods ran a blazing 4.62 at the Combine and his stock is rising. He’ll likely be off the board by the end of Day 2.

The Ideal Trade Scenario For The Bucs

Bucs GM Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

If the Bucs want to draft a player like Hall or Cine in the first round and then snag McBride in the second round, Licht will have to get creative. Because Tampa Bay would have to trade up in the second round to select McBride, the best way that could happen would be for the Bucs to trade back with Lions at pick No. 32 or pick No. 34, which is the second selection in the second round.

Detroit might want to draft another quarterback to challenge Jared Goff. And there will still be two or three of the better quarterbacks around when Tampa Bay is on the clock at No. 27. The Lions could trade a pair of third-round picks to the Bucs to move up to No. 27.

That could give Licht the ammo needed to move up into the early part of the second round to grab McBride. Licht could move back to 32 or 34 and draft either Hall or Cine with Tampa Bay’s first pick of the draft.

No Guard In The First Round?

So what about the guard position? Aren’t the Bucs interested in finding a replacement for Ali Marpet at left guard in the draft? That’s not totally necessary.

The Bucs have a veteran in a contract year in Aaron Stinnie, in addition to a pair of young talents. Tampa Bay loves Nick Leverett, who is athletic enough to also play tackle or center in a pinch.

The Bucs also spent a third-round pick on Robert Hainsey last year. After learning center last year as a rookie, he’ll be thrust into the fight at left guard this offseason.

Boston College G Zion Johnson – Photo by: USA Today

While Boston College’s Zion Johnson is a skilled guard, he might not be there at No. 27. Even if Johnson is there when the Bucs are on the clock, he would have to beat out Stinnie, Leverett and Hainsey in camp for the right to start. All three of those players know the offense and have an immediate advantage.

If Johnson can’t win the job as a rookie – and there is no guarantee, even with first-round picks – then the Bucs will have wasted a year of their first-round pick in Tom Brady’s final year in Tampa Bay. Drafting another position, such as tight end, defensive line or safety, means the Bucs can rotate their first-round pick onto the field to get some value. That’s what happened with Joe Tryon-Shoyinka last year. Teams just don’t rotate offensive linemen into games because of the cohesion needed in the trenches.

Texas A&M’s Kenyon Green isn’t a very good athlete, and is not in Johnson’s class. It’s hard to see the Bucs select Green for the same reason they wouldn’t draft Johnson.