Mock drafts are fun exercises to do and enjoyable for fans to read. With the NFL Scouting Combine beginning next week, Pewter Report decided to a do a couple of Bucs mock drafts – with a fun twist. Over the next two days, we’ll publish two Bucs drafts – one will be for defensive-minded head coach Todd Bowles and one for new offensive coordinator Dave Canales.

While the Bucs have some big needs on both sides of the ball, Bowles’ Bucs draft will be consist of all defensive draft picks. Canales’ Bucs draft, which will consist of all offensive players, will be published Thursday after his initial press conference on Wednesday. Remember, the Bucs don’t have a fourth-round pick this year and acquired an extra sixth-round pick – so they currently have seven selections in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and GM Jason Licht – Photo courtesy of the Buccaneers

The real Bucs draft in April will consist of both offensive and defensive players, but we wanted to have some fun with this exercise and see how it turned out just focusing on one side of the ball for both Todd Bowles and Dave Canales. Let us know what you think on Pewter Report’s social media channels or in the article comments section below.

Todd Bowles’ Ideal Bucs Draft

ROUND 1 – Alabama S Brian Branch
6-0, 193 • Junior

Remember last year when Todd Bowles nearly drafted Georgia safety Lewis Cine with the team’s first pick? Minnesota selected him right before Tampa Bay picked Logan Hall at the top of the second round. Branch is elite against both the run and the pass. He missed only four tackles in three years at Alabama, which is astounding, and looks like the second coming of Antoine Winfield Jr. because he can play in the slot, in the box or deep. Branch might not be available at No. 19, so this may be wishful thinking. If the Alabama star is there, he would be tough for Bowles to pass up.

He finished his Crimson Tide career with a dominant junior season, recording 90 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions and a 68-yard punt return for a touchdown. Branch was a one-man-gang in the Sugar Bowl against Kansas State with 12 tackles (11 solo), one sack and one pick. Imagine the versatility of having two Winfield-type DBs in Tampa Bay. With Logan Ryan, Keanu Neal and Mike Edwards all hitting free agency, safety could be a big need in April – depending on who re-signs. Regardless, Branch is a Top-20 talent in this year’s draft.

ROUND 2 – Bowling Green DT Karl Brooks
6-4, 304 • Senior

Brooks flashed at the Senior Bowl as a defensive tackle after playing defensive end while weighing 280-300 pounds. The 304-pounder has the size to hold up inside, where he can use his quickness to beat guards to penetrate the backfield. Brooks racked up 46 tackles for loss and 27.5 sacks and forced five fumbles in his college career. He’s coming off a monster season in which he recorded 50 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, broke up four passes, forced two fumbles and recovered one fumble.

It’s a big leap from Bowling Green to the NFL, but Brooks did record sacks at K-State and Tennessee in college. The Bucs have five defensive linemen – Will Gholston, Akiem Hicks, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Deadrin Senat and Pat O’Connor – hitting free agency, so defensive tackle is currently a big need. We’ll see which defensive linemen return to Tampa Bay in March. Regardless, the Bucs need a young defensive lineman to pair with Vita Vea and Logan Hall for the long haul.

ROUND 3 – Kansas State CB Julius Brents
6-4, 202 • Senior

Todd Bowles likes big cornerbacks and Brents is one of the biggest in this year’s draft. The Wildcats star really came into his own as a senior, recording four interceptions after notching just one as a junior. Brents battled well against TCU’s Quentin Johnson, a first-round wide receiver, and had a key interception in the Big XII Championship game in the end zone. He had a nice showing during Senior Bowl week that has upped his stock from a fourth-round pick to a potential third-rounder.

Brents is a tough-nosed tackler and physical in coverage, so he would fit in quite nicely in Tampa Bay’s secondary. The Bucs like to draft cornerbacks on Day 2, and Brents has a chance to replace Jamel Dean as a starter should he leave via free agency. The fact that Sean Murphy-Bunting is also a free agent makes cornerback a big need, although Murphy-Bunting might return on a cheaper, one-year prove-it deal, as he may be less sought after in March.

ROUND 5 – Louisville OLB Yasir Abdullah
6-1, 242 • Senior

Shaq Barrett and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka will be the starting edge rushers this year in Tampa Bay. That means the Bucs may not select an edge rusher high in the draft. Barrett makes too much money not to start, and the Bucs need him to bounce back from a down year in which he tore his Achilles. Tryon-Shoyinka needs to start playing like a first-rounder – plain and simple. Meanwhile, Anthony Nelson, Carl Nassib and Genard Avery are free agents.

Abdullah has similar size to Barrett and plays like him, too. He used his athleticism and bend to rack up 42 tackles for loss and 23.5 sacks, eight forced fumbles, eight passes defensed, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries in college. Abdullah can also drop into coverage like Barrett, which makes Louisville’s team captain a very good fit in Bowles’ defense.

ROUND 6 – Jackson State ILB Aubrey Miller Jr
6-2, 225 • Senior

Will Lavonte David return in free agency? That’s a huge question in Tampa Bay right now. If David departs, then linebacker might move to the top of the Bucs’ draft needs, as K.J. Britt, J.J. Russell and Ulysees Gilbert haven’t shown enough to be starting-caliber linebackers yet. For now, let’s assume David re-signs for another year. The Bucs still need to draft his eventual replacement.

Miller had a great week at the Senior Bowl after two stellar years at Jackson State, where he recorded 226 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, nine pass breakups, 8.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Miller had a 91.9 coverage grade last year, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s a do-it-all linebacker who can blitz, tackle and run and has enough athleticism to become a starter after David retires.

ROUND 6 – Louisville OLB-DL YaYa Diaby
6-4, 270 • Senior

Diaby is a good athlete who is a late bloomer. After notching 39 tackles, three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, Diaby had a breakout season with 37 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, nine sacks and two fumble recoveries in 2022. That earned him a spot in the Senior Bowl, where he had his moments during the practice week. He fits the athletic profile of a Day 3 pick in this Bucs draft.

Diaby has enough size to play inside as a nickel rusher or on the edge on early downs and help set the edge against the run, which makes him versatile and valuable. He would also be reunited with Abdullah, his teammate at Louisville, in Tampa Bay. The Bucs could also use the high-motor Diaby on special teams as he battles for a roster spot or a spot on the practice squad.

ROUND 7 – Chattanooga DT Devonnsha Maxwell
6-3, 296 • Senior

Bucs general manager Jason Licht has taken several defensive tackles late on Day 3, and Tampa Bay could use another one with so many free agents at the position. Maxwell earned a 90 and 90.8 grade from Pro Football Focus over the last two years, making him one of the top-rated defensive tackles in the nation. The fact that he played at a smaller school will likely cause him to slip to Day 3.

In five years at Chattanooga, Maxwell recorded 163 tackles, 45.5 tackles for loss, 28 sacks, four forced fumbles and one blocked kick. He has good quickness to penetrate the backfield on passing downs and plays the run quite well. Maxwell could challenge for a spot on the 53-man roster if Tampa Bay really lacks defensive tackles, or he can at least compete for a role on the practice squad. He would be an ideal pick to end Todd Bowles’ Bucs draft.