Boom-or-Bust Prospects Tampa Bay Should Gamble on in the NFL Draft

Buccaneers: Boom-or-Bust Prospects Tampa Bay Should Gamble on in NFL Draft Jason Kanno    Feb 5, 2015 Chris O'Meara/Associated Press For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to climb out of the cellar of the NFL, they will have to make bold moves in the upcoming draft. The Bucs have to consider some of the riskier prospects, even if it means missing on some players.Last year, the Bucs gambled on Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans with the No. 7 pick of the 2014 draft. Evans declared early and looked like his size advantage in college may not translate to success in the NFL.Evans proved his doubters wrong by catching 68 passes for 1,051 yards and 12 touchdowns, leading to an Offensive Rookie of the Year nomination.Not every gamble will be made in the first round. The Bucs have a lot of holes to fill and should remain intrepid though each round.There are very few athletic game-breakers on the Bucs roster. Adding players like Georgia running back Todd Gurley or Florida wide receiver Andre Debose might add a dimension the Bucs haven't had in years.Some players like Utah defensive end Nate Orchard and Louisville safety Gerod Holliman played lights out in 2014 but have little production otherwise. The Bucs would have to take a leap of faith in taking one-year wonders like Orchard and Holliman.Here are five boom-or-bust players the Bucs must consider drafting this spring.Todd GurleyJohn Bazemore/Associated Press If there is one thing the Bucs need to fix this offseason, it's their abysmal run game. While that requires a lot coaching and personnel changes, adding Gurley would make it considerably easier.The running back position has been devalued over the past several years, but the exceptional players who elevate the players around them remain, like Seattle's Marshawn Lynch. Gurley looks like he could be such a player.Gurley is a powerful, violent runner who throws off tacklers and fights for extra yards long after initial contact. Last season, he averaged 152 yards per game, 7.4 yards per carry and scored nine touchdowns.Unfortunately, his season was cut short, first, due to a suspension from the NCAA for accepting payment for autographs. Gurley's 2014 campaign ended when he tore his ACL in Georgia's November 17 game against Auburn.Gurley's knee injury poses both a concern and an opportunity for the Buccaneers. It remains to be seen how his knee surgery will affect his explosiveness and future durability.However, as he may not be ready to play on opening day next season, Gurley may fall in the draft to a point where the Bucs could take him in a middle round. His play-making ability may be too great for the Bucs to pass up in the third round.Andre DeboseJohn Raoux/Associated Press The Bucs missed every opportunity to find an adequate kick returner last season. Drafting Debose might provide the spark on special teams they have long lacked.Debose enters the NFL draft with tremendous upside, mostly due to how awful Florida was as a team last season. After tearing his ACL in 2013, the senior returned to school only to play on an inept offense with no semblance of a passing game.While Debose doesn't have a strong record as a receiver, he could be a great kick and punt returner. In four seasons, Debose scored five times on kick and punt returns.Last season, Debose averaged 14 yards per punt return and 25 yards per kick return. As the Bucs only averaged 10 yards per punt return and 22 yards per kick return while scoring no touchdowns on special teams, Debose presents a chance to improve.Given Debose's injury history and limited skill set, he's unlikely to be taken before the sixth or seventh round of the draft. If available at the top of the seventh, the Bucs should consider adding this special teams upgrade to the roster.Nate OrchardRick Bowmer/Associated Press The one thing the Bucs need more than anything on defense is better pass-rushers. Orchard broke out last season and terrorized opposing quarterbacks, but his abridged resume makes him a gamble for Tampa Bay.One-year wonders are dangerous prospects. Too much of their evaluation is based on small data sets where high performance can be attributed to any number of factors.In 2014, Orchard recorded 18.5 sacks and 21 tackles for a loss. The problem is, in the two previous seasons as a starter, he found the quarterback only 6.5 times and made only 17.5 total tackles for a loss.It could be that Orchard simply "got it" in his final collegiate season. By all accounts, he was very impressive down the stretch and at the Senior Bowl:The other area of concern as far the Bucs are concerned is Orchard's size. At 6'3" and 252 pounds, he may not have the size to play 4-3 defensive end in the NFL.For the Bucs to take Orchard in the draft, they will have to trust that his explosiveness and tenacity normalized at a high level last season and can keep his momentum going into the NFL.Tre McBrideUSA TODAY Sports Small school prospects are always a gamble given the lack of quality competition, but William & Mary wide receiver Tre McBride could be worth the risk.McBride could be the next Mike Williams, minus the off-field problems. Both stand at 6'2" and developed a college highlight reel of ridiculous catches. During his William & Mary career, McBride caught 19 touchdowns and had eight games with at least 100 receiving yards.Boasting reliable hands and rare body control, McBride catches just about anything thrown his direction. He looked impressive during East-West Shrine Game practices, according to CBS Sports' Dane Brugler, indicating he can hang with his FBS peers.Nearly every Bucs receiver had issues with drops this season. McBride could give the Bucs' next quarterback a reliable option out of the slot.The biggest question mark for McBride is his speed. Like Williams, he doesn't possess game-breaking speed and could struggle to get separation against NFL-caliber defensive backs. Playing in the FCS makes McBride a difficult pro prospect to assess.McBride projects as a midround draftee, a prime position for the Bucs to take him given their other needs. The senior would benefit from joining the Bucs' strong corps of receivers while adding a sure-handed weapon to the offense.Gerod HollimanStephan Savoia/Associated Press After two seasons of uninspired play from free safety Dashon Goldson, the Bucs may be ready to draft an upgrade. Holliman is one of the first players the Bucs should consider to replace their overpriced veteran safety.Much like Orchard, Holliman exploded last season with 14 interceptions, tying an NCAA record and winning the 2014 Jim Thorpe Award. Even for a one-year wonder, the junior safety's resume is enticing for any NFL team in need of a center field ball hawk.However, Holliman is not just a one-year wonder. He's a one-year starter.While his lack of experience means Holliman has tremendous upside, he is lacking in other aspects of his game. Quite the opposite of Goldson, Holliman can be a timid hitter and exhibits poor technique wrapping up and finishing tackles.Though Holliman is not likely to play in the box too often, he won't survive long in the NFL if he cannot improve as a tackler. If the Bucs are considering Holliman, they cannot afford to take him too early lest he prove unequal to the task of taking his development to the next level.link