Round 4: Toledo TE Michael Roberts – 6-4, 270 – 4.78 – Senior
Previous Pick: Texas A&M WR Josh Reynolds
The Bucs could draft two tight ends this year, as PewterReport.com had in its previous mock draft, but one player the team is really high on is Roberts, who is viewed as a more athletic version of Luke Stocker, Tampa Bay’s run-blocking tight end. Stocker plays a crucial role in Dirk Koetter’s offense, but turns 29 this summer and has missed nine games over the past three seasons due to injuries.

Roberts’ hands measured 11.5 inches at the Combine, which were the largest of any player in this year’s NFL Draft. At 270 pounds, Roberts brings great size to the Bucs and his in-line blocking ability will help Tampa Bay’s run game and give the team depth in case Stocker gets hurt this season.

Whereas Stocker has limited ability as a receiver, Roberts flourished in the Rockets’ passing game last year where he caught a career-high 45 passes for 533 yards (11.8 avg.) with 16 touchdowns, which was the most of any tight end at the FBS level in 2016. He just six touchdowns in the first two years of his Toledo career, Roberts emerged as a red zone weapon during his senior season.

Roberts’ Toledo Career Stats
2016: 45 catches for 533 yards (11.8 avg.) and 16 TDs and a long of 41 yards
2015: 21 catches for 234 yards (11.1 avg.) and 4 TDs and a long of 26 yards
2014: 4 catches for 65 yards (16.3 avg.) and 2 TDs and a long of 36 yards

If invited to both college all-star games, most draft prospects choose to play in the more prestigious Senior Bowl and skip the East-West Shrine Game. Roberts impressed the Bucs and other NFL teams by playing in both the East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl this offseason.

“That just says the guy loves football, and I know I love football and being around people who love football,” said NFL draft prospect running back Kareem Hunt, who played with Roberts at Toledo. “If I had the chance to play two games I would play two games, too. Mike Roberts is an incredible player and I know he just wants to show the world how great of a football player he is.

“I had a 200-yard game in my last game and Michael Roberts is a big guy that can move and move people up front, too. He really works hard and I’m so happy he broke out this year. He’s a great guy and I always knew he had it in him. He would do it in practice and all that stuff and he’s just a big factor. He helped me make some big plays this year, too.”

The Bucs have shown a lot of interest in Roberts and have interviewed him at the East-West Shrine Game, the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine,

“I have had a chance to interview with the Buccaneers several times,” Roberts said. “It’s a great organization. They’re a team that is coming up, and they’re taking the right steps to become a great team. They interviewed me at the Senior Bowl and back at the Shrine Game. They are giving me a lot of love. They’re giving me a lot of pointers, too, some things that the scouts wanted to see and some things that the people in the higher office want to see. They want to see me block like I hate everyone. I’m pretty nasty at the point of attack, but they want to see me be vicious.”

A tight end corps that features Cameron Brate, Roberts and Stocker would help not only Tampa Bay’s passing game, but also it’s running game and set the team up from a depth standpoint for years to come. A former fifth-round pick in PewterReport.com’s previous mock draft, Roberts’ stock is on the rise after improving his 40-yard dash time from the NFL Scouting Combine, running a 4.78 at the Toledo pro day.

Click below to view Tampa Bay’s fifth-round pick in 2017.