ALL TWENTY TUESDAY: POTENTIAL “BUCCANEER CORNERS”

With the knowledge of what we think the Buccaneers’ front office will be looking for in a cornerback in this draft, who are some of the names that fall under that category and have the best chance to be in Red and Pewter next year?

Now, before we get to the film, let me just remind you, these are preferences shown by the team. If they had the chance to take Jalen Ramsey last year, would the fact that he’s a different style corner have stopped them from selecting him? No, not at all.

At the end of the day, Licht, Smith and Koetter want the best football players on their team. But, writing this out shows that building a team isn’t always about having the luxury of taking the best players at each position. Sometime you have to compromise with a good scheme and good players for that scheme to match the star players you may have at different positions. Cornerback and secondary are two of those areas where certain types of skills along with good chemistry as a unit can overcome a lack of star power if you don’t have the chance to get your hands on one.

Knowing all that, here are a handful of corners who I think fit the mold of “Buccaneer corners” that could be had in each day of the draft.

Day 1

ADOREÉ JACKSON – USC – 5-10, 186

When it comes to possible first-round cornerbacks in this class, no player is more suited for that role of a Bucs corner than Adoreé Jackson. Jackson is slept on because people believe he’s more raw than he really is. They take the narrative of him being a track athlete or an LA kid and think that he’s overhype without even really looking at the details of what he does well naturally, and what he can improve upon.

The clip above is a good example of what Jackson can do naturally. if you’ll notice right at the snap at the top of the screen, Jackson flips his hips to the inside just like the Tampa Bay corners are taught to do when playing in their coverage scheme. That allows him to keep the wide receiver’s route in front of him so he could see when to break on the route as the ball came and knocked it away. That’s top notch recovery speed on a deep route.

This next play gave us a good look at his recognition and his ability to stop, start and burst to the ball by reading the quarterback’s eyes. Again, Jackson in this stance with this technique is very translatable to what the Bucs do on a play-by-play basis.

Jackson’s tackling could be more consistent, but that is something you can teach when you have the desire to tackle like Jackson does. The NFL will be the first time he’s ever been able to fully focus on football. Knowing that and seeing his starting point, he has the tools to play in Tampa Bay.

Day 2

TRE’DAVIOUS WHITE – LSU – 5-11, 192

White is a player who I did not like as a prospect initially, especially since people were trying to tell me he was a first-round player, but I do see characteristics that would make him a good corner for the Bucs at the right price.

In the play above, White was the break-up play in a role we saw a lot from Vernon Hargreaves in 2016. It’s an off coverage play where White is able to squat in a zone and read the quarterback as well as any receivers coming his way. White stayed aware, saw the play and had the speed to break it up.

This next play above is another good example of what the Bucs are looking for with their corners. This was something that Hargreaves did a lot during his time at Florida, both to break up passes and get tackles at the line of scrimmage, and White also does that quite a bit. Though he’s not as explosive when changing direction as Tampa Bay may need form an outside corner, he would be a very good inside, nickel option with the tools he has.

CORN ELDER – MIAMI – 5-10, 183

There are quite a few Corn Elder plays that I could show that almost mirror plays I saw the Buccaneers corners run in 2016, but this one is my favorite play from him, and one of my favorite plays by a cornerback this season.

Recognition is so key to playing off, quarters coverage and Elder can recognize, diagnosis and go after plays like any other corner in this class. He’s smooth with his hips and his footwork, which show in plays like the one above where he’s able to shuffle and move while keeping his eyes focused on the quarterback. Not every cornerback is that natural, even if they have that kind of athleticism. Corn is as smooth as it gets, and is absolutely a Buccaneers type.

Day 3

JALEN MYRICK – MINNESOTA – 5-10, 200

Myrick got on people’s radar after running a 4.28 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine this year. He doesn’t really play with 4.28 speed, expect for when he’s breaking on passes and player when changing direction. In the clip above, he did that to take on a tackle, closing the gap very quickly, and made sure there was no yards after the catch.

In this next play, he used his speed in off coverage to stay near his assignment and break up the pass by getting there right as the ball arrived. Myrick is not a player who you want to draft a start, but when it comes to being depth on the roster and being a strong special teams player, I could see him being an interest of the Buccaneers.

NAJEE MURRAY – KENT STATE – 5-9, 182

Murray is a prospect that not many know of, but may remember if you jog their memory. He was a former Ohio State corner before being released for violating team rules. He has big school talent, despite playing at a smaller school coming out of college.

He’s not a super athletic corner, which limits how explosive he is with recovery speed, but he is a smart corner, as shown in the play above, who can read and react to a offense. Athletic limitations are what make him a later round pick, but inters of intelligence and play recognition, Murray has that – a trait the Buccaneers require.