Round 7: USF WR Rodney Adams – 6-1, 189 – 4.44 – Senior
Previous Pick: West Virginia WR Shelton Gibson
Tampa Bay finishes the 2017 NFL Draft with its fifth-straight offensive player and fourth weapon for quarterback Jameis Winston with the selection of Adams. The local USF product hails from St. Petersburg and would become the first Bulls player to be drafted from the hometown Buccaneers.

Adams has overcome the death of his mother three years ago during his football career and is a model of hard work. For more on this aspect of Adams’ development as a player and a person watch the #BAYMADE video below.

Adams and Winston have actually been working out together this past offseason, as first reported by ESPN’s Jenna Laine, and the USF playmaker would bring speed and instant acceleration to Dirk Koetter’s offense. Adams was not only used as a big-play receiver on downfield passes and on wide receiver screens, he also racked up a lot of rushing yards on end-arounds, especially during his senior season.

Adams’ USF Receiving Stats
2016: 67 catches for 822 yards (12.3 avg.) with 5 TDs
2015: 44 catches for 816 yards (18.5 avg.) with 11 TDs
2014: 23 catches for 323 yards (14 avg.) and 2 TDs

Adams’ USF Rushing Stats
2016: 23 carries for 236 yards (10.3 avg.) with 5 TDs
2015: 11 carries for 87 yards (7.9 avg.) with 1 TD
2014: 5 carries for 52 yards (10.4 avg.) with 1 TD

Adams, who began his collegiate at Toledo before transferring to South Florida after his freshman year, had five 100-yard games at USF, and also had 10 catches of 40 yards or more, including an 84-yard touchdown against Florida State in 2016. He also had a 92-yard end around for a touchdown against Memphis, which showed his big-play ability.

The 6-foot-1, 189-pound Adams needs to add more size to his frame in the weight room and more consistency catching the ball and holding on to it. He battled several drops during his first two years at USF, but improved in that area as a senior. Yet he had five fumbles last year, which concerns NFL scouts and keeps his draft prospects at the seventh-round level.

Adams also returned 46 kickoffs for 1,140 yards (24.8 avg.) and one touchdown, and could become an impact player on special teams the way Russell Shepard was in Tampa Bay, in addition to being a candidate to return kicks in Tampa Bay. Adams, who was scouted by Bucs offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Todd Monken at the East-West Shrine Game, has 4.44 speed and plays even faster, which makes him worth a look by Tampa Bay in the final round.