With the NFL Draft just over a months way, more and more mock drafts are coming in.
PewterReport.com unveiled our latest offering last week, and since then others have chimed in as well.
Below is a roundup of the latest local and national mock drafts and who they are picking the Bucs to select in April.
PewterReport.com
David Njoku – TE – Miami
ESPN
Todd McShay: David Njoku – TE – Miami
Mel Kiper: Corey Davis – WR – Western Michigan
USA Today
Luke Easterling: Obi Melifonwu – S – Connecticut
NFL Network
Daniel Jeremiah Chidobe Awuzie – CB – Colorado
Charley Casserly: Christian McCaffrey – RB – Stanford
Lance Zierlein Malik McDowell – DT – Michigan State
Bucky Brooks: Dalvin Cook – RB –Florida State
CBS Sports
Rob Rang: Corey Davis – WR – Western Michigan
Dane Brugler: Dalvin Cook – RB – Florida State
Pete Prisco: Obi Molifonwu – S – Connecticut
Will Brinson: John Ross – WR – Washington
Jared Dubin John Ross – WR – Washington
Ryan Wilson: Budda Baker – S – Washington
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About the Author: Mark Cook
I’m suprised Ryan Ramczyk, LT, Wisconsin is not projected in any draft to the Bucs. The Bucs could then move Smith to RT, Dotson to guard and Marpet to Center.
We need to have better pass protection for Winston to have time to throw to Djax.
I agree with you @magoobee on needing better pass protection, especially if we’re changing to a pass-first team. I am resigned to the fact that Smith will be our LT this year, although IMO too, he is out of place. I am more hopeful that we will upgrade at Center. I think the very late signing of Hawley tells me that the FO may not actually be as “happy” with the Center as they seemed to suggest, and rightfully so. Perhaps we’ll find a younger replacement post the first round. As for the mocks above – the worst thing we… Read more »
Agree whole heartedly EEB. Wr should not be our =1st round pick unless either Williams or Davis is there. I would take one in the 3rd or 4th though as it’s a deep class. That’s the round a guy can afford to sit and learn from while getting some good 3rd and 4th receiver reps this year. As for Smith, we all just have to accept the fact that Koetter and LIcht aren’t going to move him. I would wager there is ZERO chance we draft a lineman in the first 3 rounds, if at all.
Completely disagree with you that picking a WR at 19 is bad. Couldn’t disagree more. For one, he won’t sit. We’ll typically go with 3 WR sets on a majority of plays, sometimes 4 even. For another, if he’s a burner, he can also do the very important duty of kick or punt returner. Thirdly, DJax is most definitely not a long termer … he’ll do well to not see a downturn in his speed – his major asset – by or before the end of his 3 year contract. That would be precisely the time a third year WR… Read more »
Well if we typically go three wide out sets, who are you going to sit, Humpheries? He’s your slot guy. If your’e taking a WR, it’s to eventually replace Jackson and that’s why I wouldn’t use a 1st on a receiver unless one of the big two fell to us. Koetter runs a run first offense, he’s not all of the sudden going to go to a NE 5 wideout stretch offense.
Humph has done reasonably well for us as a UDFA, but he’s not someone who by his play to date is a proven starting-caliber WR. A first or second round talent in this year’s draft, one of the deepest in WR talent in years, is clearly somebody expected to be capable of stepping in as a no. 1 or no. 2 WR within a season or three and being “Pro Bowl” ready. I also don’t see Koetter as being a “run first” offensive coach as you say. He is actually known as a “quarterback whisperer”, and he certainly did not… Read more »
type correction to my note on the NE pass/run percentage – that’s 53%/47%
My point stands as Humph has earned that spot and Koetter is not the kind of guy to pull him just to draft a guy. Ross would be the 4th receiver if drafted until other wise proven. I’m not saying don’t draft a receiver, I’m saying don’t waste it on Ross in the first. As for the passing rushing statistics, don’t you think that might have to do with the fact that our running game sucked last year. Why run it when you know it’s not going to work. Koetters offense is heavily predicated on the play action pass, and… Read more »
“Sitting your top pick on the bench is not a recipe for success.” Fun fact of the day – 8 of the last 10 Super Bowl champions did not start their first round picks from the draft the year before they won the Super Bowl. In reality, if you are sitting your first round picks, that probably means you’re taking the best players available rather than reaching based on short term needs. The draft is not about plugging holes. It’s about getting the best players you can for the long term building of your team. Sure, needs factors in to… Read more »
We are clearly not on the same page – and that’s okay, and I do respect that you are entitled to your opinion. “In reality, if you are sitting your first round picks, that probably means you’re taking the best players available rather than reaching based on short term needs.” I couldn’t disagree more. In reality, if you are sitting your first round pick (and winning a Superbowl), that probably means you had a pretty good team without holes to begin with. Like New England and Denver did. If you’re a team that has missed the playoffs perennially, and needs… Read more »
my last point also known as “you win in the trenches”.
We’ll always be a run first team as long as Koetter is there and that may be a long time.
I think it’s because media members know that the team thinks highly of Donovan Smith, and that we aren’t looking to move on from Demar yet. The team has been very vocal in its approval of our current group of talent. They’re wrong, but it is what it is. Right or wrong, we will not be drafting a tackle in the first three rounds of this draft.
Yes better pass protection will give Jameis time to throw but having another WR will also force defenses to put more in coverage. Having more play makers on offense is an indirect way to keep the pressure off of Jameis.
Not only that but if this a strong WR class but weak o-line class then the statistics are going to show a better value in picking with the strength of the draft
No way do the Bucs take a LT in this draft in round 1 or 2. Im not sure a player at 19 could beat Donovan Smith out of that job. There will be too many other positions that make more sense at 19 and 50: #1 need is CB : Grimes, VH3, Josh Robinson, Ryan Smith are the only players worth noting at CB #2 need is DT : McCoy, McDonald, Baker #3 need is TE : Brate, Stocker, Westbrook #4 need is WR : Evans, D.Jax, Humphries, Huff, Martino, Dye #5 need is S : Conte, Wilcox, Tandy… Read more »
Despite peoples confidence, I still don’t see Cook falling to us. I’m just not going to get my hopes up for that one.
Of all the offensive play makers that have high grades, I think Cook is the guy that has the best chance to fall to us. There are health and character concerns. Plus he has publicly stated he wants to play with Jameis.
I agree with Magoo… Everything on offense starts with the OL. We can have all the fun toys everywhere else, but the Bucs are just one injury away from big trouble at OT. I would not complain at all if the choice was Ramczyk. The Bucs have done pretty good with Wisconsin Tackles :) … I’m still on the McCaffery train, but I don’t think he’ll be there with his post combine results.
A lot of variation, still, in the mocks for the Bucs. That’s a positive … makes our pick less predictable, obviously, and so more interesting for us as fans. It’s also an indication of how deep in talent so many position groups are this year.
The only thing I’m confident in now is that Jason Licht ought to have at least several attractive choices at BPA for pick no. 19.
Variation also probably means one of the offensive play makers that we all have on our wish list is probably going to drop to us
Loving those Obi picks! I’m hoping those John Ross picks came before free agency because that doesn’t really make sense at this point
Makes plenty of sense to me. Drafting Ross would scare the heck out of me due to his injury history. That said, who wouldn’t love the idea of having two of the three fastest players in the NFL on one receiving corps? Oh, and they both run a diverse route tree and can create major YAC on short passes, while also stretching defenses vertically. With one of the best all around receivers in the game lining up with those two, defensive coordinators might just stroke out during gameplanning sessions in the weeks leading up to matchups with us.
Because football is a game of finite resources (salary cap/draft picks/roster spots) and devoting more capital to the WR position would be excessive. It’s not like the rest of this roster is absolutely perfect aside from the third WR position. Based on the consensus that would be an overdraft for Ross and now it’s not even a position of need. Your offense sounds like it would be fun in Madden though.
Let’s draft a long snapper.
We have the opportunity to re-create the “Greatest Show on Turf” between big Mike Evans, a speedy over-the-top DJax, and a first round WR (any of the top three WRs), along with our nicely-developing first overall pick quarterback, Jameis Winston, who last season threw deep more than any other QB in the league. Why is that “excessive”? Do you mean there is such a thing as “excessive points scored” by an offense? It’s not as if we’ve neglected our defense (most of our draft picks for the last four pre-seasons, including the first and second round picks last year; we… Read more »
Out of all those names, give me Budda Baker please
I like Obi if we are going to reach for a safety
Safeties rarely get drafted in the first round and with good reason. I will take a shutdown corner over any safety at #19.
I like all opinions but doing mocks are fun I really like to do them for giggles but I seriously doubt we will go all skill positions. I will always perfer to solidify the offensive and defensive lines. At 19 if Howard is gone then I would seriously consider the best edge pass rusher or best pass blocker. The Dallas game exposed our biggest weaknesses and it’s not winston’s inaccuracy it was that we are too light on the d line and we were not athletic enough on the o line especially tackles. As for pass rushers I would be… Read more »
03 I agree it Start’s up front both sides of the ball!
I wouldn’t mind Lamp in the first and Ethan Pocic or Pat Elflein in the second. Then you can TE, WR, or Safety later
Run Forrest Run! Run away to another team that needs a guard.
So true toofamiliar17. This coaching staff knows so little compared to the rest of us armchair GM’s who have never played at the pro level, let alone coached or evaluated talent at that level.
All they have to qualify their judgement on is years of experience while the majority of us listen to every critic we can find and then regurgitate it like parrots. Such buffoons.
LOL.
Thanks for giving me a chuckle this morning Dr.D. I too find it hysterical every Draft season when folks take what amounts to a tidbit of information as compared to the professionals (not the talking heads on TV) and believe they somehow know more. We all talk best player then promptly make predictions based on need. Some here think we need to replace the entire O-line except Ali Marpet in spite of the Bucs brain-trust stating otherwise. Sometimes I wonder if they even watch the game. Maybe since you and I are actually at the game we see more. I… Read more »
SCU nobody said throw out the entire line. Drafting one OL is not throwing out the entire line, anymore than drafting one WR is throwing out all our WR. I doubt JL is going to draft an OT tackle early(though I wish he would). But spending a high draft choice to upgrade one of five offensive line spots does make some sense. If you look at the line outside of Smith and Marpet it is made up of primarily 5-7 round picks and UDFA. The Bucs need to spend some high draft picks over the next couple years (1 a… Read more »
Bank on a tight end being drafted, by now, they’ve realized that by continously tendering people that have outplayed their contracts they have a tendency to make a break at the 1st sign of daylight (i.e. McDougald). Have to prepare for the inevitable. But most importantly at this point Jason Licht and the Bucs board is set. Now is full blown lying season and that the mockers don’t have a unanimous decision on who the Bucs are drafting that means the Bucs have an upper hand because no one really knows what to expect from the Bucs. Cards have been… Read more »
I hope we take Awuzie in the first round.
Do you people even read the articles Scott writes? How we shouldn’t draft a receiver because it’s not a need. Teams who draft for needs end up having bad drafts more often than not. In reality DJAX got a 2 year deal. He’s a rental folks. I would totally draft a receiver round one. And don’t be surprised if Davis falls after he didn’t run at his pro day.
Corry Davis has not run a 40 may drop to 19, then take him because he CAN PLAY.
Every one of the prognostications offered here from the media experts notes a player to the Bucs as a perceived need. Of course we have a lot of areas where the roster is a bit weaker than others. But for me, at #19, who is likely to be the best player? As it is every year, there will be a group of players with equal grades when Jason Licht and staff have to turn in their card. That’s when a lean toward need will be a consideration, But it won’t be like we often think that they pick the missing… Read more »
we can use ross at slot an evans an Jackson out side,thats hard to match up with.
wishlist:
1st rnd: OJ Howard/Njoku
2nd: Budda Baker
3rd (or move back into 2nd): Donta Foreman
the rest BPA