BUCS’ BEST BET AT DE (EARLY 1-3)
DE Jordan Willis – Kansas State – Senior – 6-4, 255 – 4.53
Willis is one of the fastest rising players in the 2017 NFL Draft after a great senior season at Kansas State in which he tied the single-season sack record with 11.5, which earned him the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award, and then proceeded to win the Senior Bowl Most Outstanding Player on Defense honors with two sacks and two forced fumbles. The buzz around Willis grew even more when he starred at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.53 time in the 40-yard dash and a 39-inch vertical, and was one of the top testers in the agility drills. His game has been compared to that of Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan’s. The Bucs have been high on Willis this offseason, sending assistant defensive line coach Paul Spicer to work him out at his pro day at K-State and bringing him in to One Buccaneer Place for a pre-draft visit. Willis carries a late first-round grade, and Tampa Bay could elect to draft him at No. 19 or trade down a few spots and select him after acquiring an extra draft pick or two. The Bucs need an eventual replacement for Robert Ayers, Jr. and the hard-working, no-nonsense Willis knows how to get to the quarterback.

UT-Chattanooga DE Keionta Davis – Photo by: NCAA

BUCS’ BEST BET AT DE (LATE 4-7)
DE Keionta Davis – Tennessee-Chattanooga – Senior – 6-3, 271 – 4.72
The athletic Davis could be a late-round, small-school gem. He had a highly productive career and finished with 29.5 sacks and finishing as an FCS All-Amercian the last two seasons. After recording 5.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and 10 tackles for loss as a sophomore, Davis had a breakout season with 14.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss as a junior. Despite being a marked man as a senior, Davis had 10.5 sacks and three forced fumbles and showed well against Alabama with four tackles and half a sack. If the Bucs don’t land a pass rusher in the first two days of the NFL Draft, and the team likes Willis, Missouri’s Charles Harris, Villanova’s Tanoh Kpassagnon and Florida Atlantic’s Trey Hendrickson, Davis would be a good fit in the fifth or sixth round on Day 3 as they attended his pro day. He has good size to hold up at the point of attack and a knack for getting to the quarterback even though he may not be as quick-twitch as some of the other pass rushers that will be drafted in Rounds 1-4.