Mock Draft No. 3

Pick No. 5 (first round) – Greedy Williams, CB, LSU

Let me get this straight. There’s a top-rated cornerback from LSU who goes by the name Greedy, and we’re trying to sit here and act like he’s not the automatic pick for the Buccaneers at No. 5?

I kid, I kid – sort of.

Andraez “Greedy” Williams is next in line in a rich line of very talented LSU defensive backs. After redshirting his true freshman season, he was the top freshman defensive back in the country in 2017. In that season, he recorded six interceptions while starting every single game at left cornerback. In 2018, he was a Thorpe Award Semifinalist and once again started almost every contest LSU had.

What makes Williams so alluring is his frame. At 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Williams is tall and he is also long with his arms. Williams uses that to his advantage in many ways, first with press coverage off the line of scrimmage and then with getting his hands into catching zone, even picking some passes off.

But Williams doesn’t come without concerns. Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network noted both what to love and what brings hesitation with Williams’ scouting report.

“Greedy Williams projects as a high impact player in the NFL, for better and for worse. Williams’ ball skills, length and speed will allow him a lot of challenges on the football. But Williams’ effort and lack of desire to play all phases of the position will impact his team as well, only in a negative light. Williams has Pro Bowl potential with a fire lit underneath his rear. He’s got the ability to be a starter fairly quickly, but team will have to be comfortable with the ups and downs … or eliminate them.”

– Kyle Crabbs, The Draft Network

It seems as though most great defensive backs come with those ups and down of the emotional game when it comes to focus or effort. Perhaps Williams is truly the next in line in that regard, too. Home run potential, but still some risk at No. 5.

He could be worth it for a big need.

Pick No. 39 (second round) – Gerald Willis, DT, Miami

As stated before on the previous page, if the Buccaneers are going to move on from Gerald McCoy, they better have a back up plan that is more than just Vita Vea and Beau Allen.

Gerald Willis could potentially be that guy at the beginning of the second round. Now, if Mississippi State’s Jeffery Simmons makes it to this point due to his off the field concerns (which I highlighted and detailed in the hyperlink there), then I think you take him. But I like Willis’ upside as a pass rusher more than just like Notre Dame’s Jeffery Tillery or Alabama’s Isaiah Buggs in this spot.

Willis, a former 5-star recruit, started his career at the University of Florida. But after issues off the field got him dismissed from the team, he transferred to Miami. That absolutely stunted Willis’ growth as a player, but it also might have been the best thing for him. Willis even said entering this season that he needed to grow up – and those around him believe he has.

In his final and only real season in college football, Willis recorded 18 tackles for loss and four sacks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btKphyGRBkw

Here’s what Joe Marino of The Draft Network had to say about Willis.

“Character concerns marred Willis’ growth as a player for years, until a surprising year off from playing in 2017 altered his path dramatically. Now, coaches and teammates rave about the changed man he’s become, heralding his leadership and work ethic on and off the field. It shows on tape, where Willis was one of the most productive defensive linemen in the country and one of the most relentless.

“That’s huge for Willis’ evaluation, but on-the-field concerns still exist. Watching in flashes this year, I was high on what he brought to the table, and there is no doubt his upside is exciting to watch. But Willis also abandons technique too often and gets sloppy with his pad level, winning on natural tools more than sharp refinement. If he lands with a great defensive line coach on a solid unit, the results could be deadly for the opposition. There’s risk involved with Willis, but his Combine performance should help tell us just how high the ceiling is if he gets the development he needs at the next level.”

– Joe Marino, The Draft Network

Coaching will mean a lot for Willis. If the Bucs have the right coaches for him, they might be able to get a monster in the middle in the second round.

Pick No. 70 (third round) – Ben Powers, OG, Oklahoma

I like my offensive guards the same way I like my pit bulls: Big, strong, powerful and drooling everywhere. Okay maybe not that last part.

I was so impressed with Powers when I was at the Senior Bowl. Not only was he impressive on the field, his reputation was being boasted by people he didn’t even know. In an interview at the podium session before the week began, Texas defensive tackle Charles Omenihu said that Oklahoma had the best offensive line “by far,” and Powers was one of the reasons for that.

This is what Jon Ledyard of The Draft Network had to say about Powers.

“Has a strong, wide base as a run blocker. Good build with little bad weight, durable player. As a puller, take optimal paths and has excellent hat placement in the hole. Very solid with a good initial punch. Effective as puller and can react to defenders movements or blitzes. Gives little ground in pass protection, able to anchor and drop his weight to stalemate if necessary.”

– Jon Ledyard, The Draft Network

If the Bucs are looking for a late Day 2 right guard update, perhaps it could be Powers if they’re sticking to more of a power run scheme.