INFORMAL MEETINGS

N.C. State DE Bradley Chubb

By now most Bucs fans know about N.C. State defensive end Bradley Chubb.

Chubb is widely considered the top pass rusher in the 2018 NFL Draft, and honestly, the Bucs would be lucky if he even makes it to them at No. 7 in the first round.

Perhaps that’s why all they had with Chubb was an informal meeting. We know they’ve done plenty of homework with the people around him to find out what he’s like, and the tape speaks for itself, but again, them planning on having a shot at Chubb is a stretch for such a dominate player.

Washington DT Vita Vea

Vita Vea has been a player that Bucs fans have had on their radars since PewterReport.com learned he was a high Buccaneers target while at the Senior Bowl.

Vea’s massive 6-foot-4, 347 pound frame make him a natural anchor in the middle – and perhaps a natural compliment to a player like Gerald McCoy on the inside. But, what makes Vea different is that he might also have athleticism and pass rush ability in that massive body, too.

Rumor has it Vea is going to “wow” people when he runs his drills on the field at the Combine. The Bucs certainly got acquainted with Vea this weekend, if nothing else.

Ohio State DE Sam Hubbard

Though the Buccaneers had a formal meeting with Holmes, they did match by meeting another Ohio State defensive player, this one more of the edge variety, Sam Hubbard.

Hubbard actually started his football career as a safety. After putting on a lot of (good) weight, Hubbard took his athletic talents to the trenches and became a full-time defensive end for the Buckeyes. In his three seasons of play, he recorded 30 tackles for loss and 17 sacks.

Hubbard is still raw as a football player and as a pass rusher, but the production at a young age lured the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to find out more.

Florida DT Taven Bryan

Another top pass rusher in this draft class who comes from the interior position is Florida Gators defensive tackle Taven Bryan.

Bryan was an interesting film evaluation this season because the Gators had him one-gap rush a lot, even when the rest of the defensive line was playing in run control. At 6-foot-5, 291 pounds, Bryan has elite burst off the line of scrimmage for a man his size. His arms didn’t measure in freakishly long, so he’s not as much of a 3-4 defensive end as some thought he was. He could still do it in a one-gap scheme, but he’s more comfortable at 3-tech defensive tackle in a 4-3 – or at least he sounded like it from how he talked.

Perhaps the Bucs gathered that, too, in their informal interview with him.

Florida State DT Derrick Nnadi

For a different style of defensive tackle, the Bucs also informally met with Florida State’s Derrick Nnadi.

Nnadi, at 6-foot-1, 317 pounds, is a run-stopping anchor of a defensive tackle that would be more suited to play a nose tackle in either a 4-3 or 3-4 formation.

When Nnadi spoke at his podium presser at on Saturday, he was very honest with where he needs to improve and also was very well spoken and educated when analyzing what he did well and how he breaks down film.

USF DT Deadrin Senat

Deadrin Senat was a standout at the East-West Shrine practices earlier this year in January, and apparently that was enough to warrant a second conversation with Senat here at the Combine.

At 6-foot, 314 pounds, Senat is a bowling ball on the inside. He’s a true run stuffer in the middle and uses his leverage very well. He’s not a guy who the Bucs would likely pick in the Top 100, but as a day three option, the Bucs are looking into him.

Ole Miss OLB Marquise Haynes

The Bucs are in an interesting predicament this offseason. They need pass rushers and are coming from a 4-3 base formation, but there aren’t many 4-3 option available in free agency or in the draft.

Ole Miss OLB Marquis Haynes – Photo by: Getty Images

If they choose to switch up how they do things with their edge rushers and go for more of a stand-up edge rusher, one option could be Ole Miss’ Marquise Haynes.

At 6-foot-2, 235 pounds, Haynes is definitely one of the smaller pass rushers, but pound-for-pound he may be one of the strongest, too. Haynes put up 23 reps in the bench press, which is great for his size, and that number confirmed the 12 forced fumbled he had in his college career. He ended his time at Ole Miss with 32 sacks and 47.5 tackles for loss.

The Bucs are looking into all their pass rush options, and Haynes is one of them for the later rounds.