PewterReport.com analyzes the top players in the 2019 NFL Draft with its position previews. Taylor Jenkins and Matt Matera preview the safety position with a comprehensive look at what the Bucs have and what they need at safety, a detailed list of this year’s top outside safeties, and Scott Reynolds offers up the annual PewterReport.com Bucs’ Best Bets – one early round pick, and a pick from the later rounds.

What The Bucs Have At Safety

The Bucs are prepared to enter the 2019 season with safety being the most interesting positional group on the roster. They have bodies at the position, but noticeably lack experience with incoming free agent strong safety Kentrell Brice being the most veteran guy in the safety room with three years in the NFL under his belt. Across from Brice is free safety Justin Evans who, along with backup Isaiah Johnson, will be entering his third year in the league, but also missed a good part of last year with a toe injury.

Bucs SS Jordan Whitehead – Photo by: Mary Holt/PR

Then comes M.J. Stewart, who will be transitioning from the nickel cornerback role he played last year to the strong safety position and compete with Jordan Whitehead, last year’s fourth-round pick who became the starter once Chris Conte was placed on injured reserve after Week 3, and newcomer Orion Stewart. Stewart was signed by Denver as an undrafted free agent in 2017 before spending time with Buffalo, Washington and the New York Giants practice squads (with a recent stint in the AAF) and then signed with the Bucs.

Tampa Bay didn’t re-sign Conte, and allowed safeties Josh Shaw and Andrew Adams, who led the team with four interceptions last year, to sign elsewhere in free agency.

What The Bucs Need At Safety

Safety remains somewhat of a question mark for the Bucs, mainly because it’s hard to know what all they have at the position due to a lack of NFL experience. Tampa Bay has been looking for solutions over the past few years in an attempt to shore up the position, and it looks as though they’ve got the core of the group that you’ll see on the field this upcoming season mostly assembled now. While they could likely use another veteran playmaker at the position, their salary cap makes that more of a pipe dream right now and the team might have to turn to the draft if it wants another player to add to the competition.

With that said, there is a lot of variety and talent in this year’s safety class so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them bring in a guy on Day 3 to compete for one of the final roster spots in training camp or land on the Bucs’ practice squad. Tampa Bay is looking to add more speed to its defense, so finding a safety that can hit, cover and run fast will be a prerequisite.

This year’s PewterReport.com’s 2019 Draft Previews + Bucs’ Best Bets and Draft Videocast are presented by Edmonson Electric & Security – the official smart home and security company of PewterReport.com.

Watch Pewter Reporters Scott Reynolds, Mark Cook, Taylor Jenkins and Matt Matera, as well as other special guests, live on-air via PewterReport.com from the team’s headquarters at One Buccaneer Place beginning on Day 1 of the 2019 NFL Draft at 7:00 p.m. ET.

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