Pewter Report analyzes the top players in the 2023 NFL Draft with its position previews – energized by CELSIUS, the official energy drink of Pewter Report. Josh Queipo continues the previews with the nickelback position, and a comprehensive look at what the Bucs have and what they need at nickel DB. Queipo also provides a detailed list of this year’s top slot defenders. Scott Reynolds offers up the annual Pewter Report Bucs Best Bets – the most likely nickelbacks for the Bucs to select in Rounds 1-3, and in Rounds 4-7.

What The Bucs Have At Nickelback

Bucs S Antoine Winfield Jr. – Photo by: USA Today

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles decided he wanted a more physical presence inside the slot last year, so he replaced cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting inside with safety Antoine Winfield Jr. The results weren’t what he or the team ultimately wanted. Winfield had just one interception last year, which came in Week 1 in Dallas, and didn’t make the impact that he typically does at safety. But Winfield showed he could do it, and if Tampa Bay can’t find another, better option he could be pressed into that duty again.

Dee Delaney, Anthony Chelsey and Zyon McCollum all have limited work playing in the slot. None of them have mastered the position, but with Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis III manning the outside cornerback positions, one has to wonder if the Bucs want to try McCollum inside again during the offseason to see if his supreme agility could make him a candidate there. Of course, drafting a safety or a cornerback that has experience playing in the slot would be even better.

What The Bucs Need At Nickelback

The plan is to move Winfield back to free safety this year and find another option who can play in the slot. This draft has a handful of safeties and corners with slot experience that have draftable grades. With Murphy-Bunting’s departure it makes sense to draft a defensive back whose best trait is playing in the slot in this year’s draft, especially with the Bucs considering nickelback a starting position.

Top Nickelbacks In The 2023 NFL Draft

1. Alabama Nickel S Brian Branch – Junior – 6-0, 190 – 4.58

Alabama S Brian Branch – Photo by: USA Today

The tape shows that Branch can be a great football player. As the consensus top safety on the board,  he’s incredibly intelligent and would be a perfect fit in a Todd Bowles’ meeting room. Though his 40-time might have been a little underwhelming, that shouldn’t prevent a team from selecting him. What you do see is his ability to just take over a game, which is tough to do these days.

Branch played more in the slot at Alabama with 569 snaps there last year and 411 in the slot the year before, compared to 136 snaps in the box and 25 deep in 2022 and 123 snaps in the box and 49 deep in 2021. The Crimson Tide star is one of the best tacklers in the draft with just four missed tackles in his entire three-year career. Branch had a formal interview with the Bucs at the NFL Scouting Combine. He’s destined to be a Top 20 pick on Day 1 and could be in play for Tampa Bay at No. 19 if he’s still on the board.

2. Michigan Nickel CB DJ Turner – Junior – 5-11, 178 – 4.26

Turner had one of the best combine performances of any prospect in this year’s draft, with a 4.26 40-yard dash, 1.42 10-yard split, 38.5-inch vertical and almost 11-foot broad jump. Those numbers aren’t mirage’s either. Turner’s tape is littered with athleticism. He has speed for days, smooth hips that flip easily. He is able to read and react quickly to disrupt passing windows on slants and crosses.

Turner will need to overcome a shorter frame with even shorter arms. This leads him to getting muscled by stronger receivers from time-to-time. And Turner’s speed can work against him on occasion when receivers break down their routes, he can slow to gear down. Ultimately, Turner’s athleticism should play up in a slot role. In 36 career games Turner compiled 69 tackles, two for a loss, 20 passes defensed and three interceptions. There is a chance Turner could sneak into the first round, but he’s likely a Day 2 pick.

3. Illinois Nickel S Quan Martin – Senior – 5-11, 194 – 4.46

Illinois DB Jartavius Martin Photo By: USA Today

An explosive player with great footwork, Martin has the ability to play deep and also move into the slot. He often rotated between playing nickel and single high safety for Illinois, so he’ll have no issue play either role on an NFL team. With an athlete like Martin, there’s no shortage of what a team can do with him. He started five years in college and has plenty of playing experience.

Martin bookended the beginning and ending of his career by recording three interceptions both as a freshman and a senior in those respective seasons. In between that he only had one other pick, but did rack up 30 overall pass breakups. Last season Martin was a team captain and made third team All Big-Ten. Martin had a Top 30 visit in Tampa Bay and a formal interview with the Bucs at the Combine. He has a chance to be a second-round pick, but will likely fall no further than the third round.

4. Utah Nickel CB Clark Phillips III – Junior – 5-9, 184 – 4.51

Phillips is the ultimate test case of how much faith do you place in tape over other indicators. Phillips’ athleticism is below average. However, every single piece of evidence on tape shows an instinctual player who leverages his football IQ and preparation to be in the right place at the right time. His short area quickness and change of direction skills allow him to stay connected to the receivers with high-end wiggle. Phillips is twitchy and strong which make him a force over the middle-of-the-field.

The question with him will be whether his short arms and lack of speed will limit him to being anything more than a backup/special teamer. Those short arms make it even more important that he exhibit sound tackling techniques. Additionally, Phillips’ preparation leaves him overly confident to the point that he can get beat on double moves. In four seasons at Utah, Phillips compiled 112 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, 30 passes defensed and nine interceptions. Phillips is a third- or fourth-round selection.

5. TCU Nickel CB Tre Tomlinson – Senior – 5-7, 178 – 4.41

Tomlinson is a speedy bowling ball with an explosive lower half that helps him drive down on receivers with authority. Tomlinson has impressive short area quickness and change of direction agility. Tomlinson reads out plays well and disrupts passes at an above-average clip. Tomlinson plays with a chip on his shoulder, taking on blockers with the mentality of a bigger corner.

Tomlinson is not without his red flags. His size is an immediate standout. And despite his tenaciousness as a run defender, he lacks the form tackling technique to consistently bring down ball carriers. Tomlinson will always need to play with a chip on his shoulder but it does not stop him from struggling against power receivers who can muscle him around. Tomlinson had a lengthy college career, playing 49 games (38 starts), where he collected 125 tackles, four for a loss, three forced fumbles, 41 passes defensed and five interceptions. His small stature will cause him to slide to Day 3.

6. Florida State Nickel S Jammie Robinson – RS Junior – 5-11, 191 – 4.59

Robinson had a great showing at the Senior Bowl proving he can cover all types of players. He particularly held his own against the tight ends while guarding them in the red zone. Robinson is as sound of a tackler as it gets. He has complete body control when out in coverage and can make a break on the ball quickly.

After two years at South Carolina, Robinson transferred over to Florida State where he recorded five interceptions in two seasons. In 2021 he led the ACC with four interceptions and led his team with two forced fumbles and 84 tackles. The following year in 2022 he led the team again with 99 tackles and was named team MVP. He received nominations of first team All-ACC in 2021a and 2022 an also made second team All-American last year. Robinson had a formal interview with the Bucs at the Combine, and is likely a fourth- or fifth-round pick.

7. Louisville Nickel CB Kei’Trel Clark – Senior – 5-10, 181 – 4.42

Clark was a four-year starter in college where he racked up 165 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, 34 pass breakups and five interceptions between one year at Liberty and three years at Louisville. While he’s got very good speed, Clark has a slight build. That might limit him to playing inside at the next level. Clark has experience playing in the slot and outside in college.

Clark is a very intelligent, heady defender, but his technique sometimes falters, which causes him to get grabby and commit unnecessary penalties. He missed part of the 2021 season due to a torn ACL. While he returned in time for his senior season he did surrender seven touchdowns, which will hurt his draft stock. Clark needs to get stronger and play with more of a physical presence. He could face some tough matchups in the slot against bigger receivers. As a result, Clark is viewed as a fifth- or sixth-round pick.

8. Boise State Nickel CB Tyreque Jones – Senior – 6-2, 195 – 4.52

Between redshirting in 2017 and the COVID season giving him an extra year, Jones was at Boise State for six years. Jones has the right type of length a teams want in the secondary and good speed as well. His best year came in 2021 where he led the Broncos with eight pass breakups to go with two interceptions. He also scored a touchdown that year on a punt block.

Jones then moved to slot corner in 2022, recording 34 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups and an interception. Over the last two years Jones was an honorable mention for all-Mountain West Conference. Jones is likely a sixth- or seven-rounder.

9. Kansas State Nickel S Josh Hayes – Senior – 5-11, 197 – 4.44

Hayes was a very good slot safety for the Wildcats in 2022, helping K-State win the Big XII Championship in an overtime upset over TCU. In his lone season in Manhattan, Kan., Hayes recorded 71 tackles, seven pass breakups and forced one fumble. Prior to transferring, Hayes starred at FCS power North Dakota State where he recorded 21 pass breakups, two interceptions and two forced fumbles in four seasons. The Lakeland, Fla. native was one of dozens of players on a local pre-draft visit with the Bucs.

Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles was also at the K-State pro day, probably checking out more heralded Wildcats like edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah, cornerback Julius Brents and running back Deuce Vaughn, but possibly getting to know Hayes, who ran a respectable 4.44 in the 40-yard dash. Hayes has great acceleration to the ball and hits like a hammer. His best game of the season was an 11-tackle (eight solo) performance in a 10-9 K-State win at Iowa State where he also broke up a pass. Hayes will most likely go undrafted, but if the Bucs are interested they could draft him in the seventh round or make him a priority undrafted free agent.

Bucs Best Best At Nickelback

Bucs Best Bet – Rounds 1-3: Illinois Nickel Safety Quan Martin

The Bucs are looking for a new slot defender after Sean Murphy-Bunting’s departure in free agency and Todd Bowles’ decision to move Antoine Winfield Jr. back to free safety full time. Tampa Bay considers the slot cornerback/safety position a starting role because the team spends close to 70 percent of the snaps on nickel defense. Alabama’s Brian Branch would be an ideal fit, but he could be off the board by the time Tampa Bay picks at No. 19. Martin was the nickel slot cornerback in a very talented Illinois defense that featured Sydney Brown at safety and Deven Witherspoon at outside cornerback. The 5-foot-11, 194-pound slot DB has logged 966 snaps inside over the past three years, including 493 snaps last year.

Martin notched 225 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss as a five-year starter, and showed a good nose for the ball with seven career interceptions, including three last year, 22 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. The Bucs had him in for a Top 30 pre-draft visit and also formally interviewed Martin at the NFL Scouting Combine. If the Bucs are going to draft a quality nickel defensive back it will likely have to come in the first four rounds due to a lack of depth of experienced slot defenders. Martin would be a nice addition to the Bucs in the third round.

Bucs Best Bet – Rounds 4-7: Florida State Nickel Safety Jammie Robinson

If the Bucs can’t draft a nickel defensive back in the first three rounds of the draft, Robinson could be a nice fallback option on Day 3. Robinson’s tape and stats suggest he could be a third-round draft pick, but an underwhelming showing at the NFL Scouting Combine (4.59 in the 40-yard dash) makes a slide into the fourth or fifth round a possibility. Despite not having blazing speed, Robinson displays very good body control and is a hard-hitting, sure-tackler when he comes downhill to support the run. His short arms (29.5-inch) may scare off some teams, or be a reason why he slides down the draft boards.

Between two years at South Carolina and two years at Florida State, Robinson was able to amass 318 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and one sack near the line of scrimmage. He also recorded 16 pass breakups, seven interceptions, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Robinson had formal interviews with the Bucs at the Senior Bowl and also at the NFL Scouting Combine. He could be Tampa Bay’s best bet in the fifth round if the team waits that long to draft a nickel defensive back.