Bucs’ Best Bets: Cornerbacks

Bucs’ Best Bets Rounds 1-3: Virginia CB Bryce Hall

Hall was very productive at Virginia and a leader in the secondary, recording 154 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 38 pass breakups, five interceptions and four sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries in his four-year career with the Cavaliers. Hall established himself as a junior with 62 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 21 pass breakups, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Hall’s senior season was cut short with a severely broken ankle that limited him to just six games.

Hall was recently cleared to work out and the team that drafts him should be able to count on him for training camp, but he wasn’t the fastest cornerback prior to hurting his ankle and there are some concerns about his speed since the injury that could push his draft stock down into the third or fourth round. Because cornerback is not a pressing need for Tampa Bay, the Bucs won’t consider one prior to the third round. If Hall is there in the third round the team may consider pulling the trigger because of the value. At 6-foot-1, 202 pounds, he has the size and physicality the Bucs like at the position. He’s adept at blitzing from the slot, but can play press-man outside. Hall had an informal meeting with the Bucs at the NFL Scouting Combine, and met with defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.

Bucs’ Best Bets Rounds 4-7: Louisiana Tech CB L’Jarius Sneed

Sneed played cornerback early in his Bulldogs career before making the move to safety as a senior where he thrived, recording 73 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, breaking up six passes, while recording three interceptions and one touchdown. Tampa Bay views Sneed, whom the team met with informally at the NFL Scouting Combine, as a cornerback capable of playing in the slot where he enjoyed favorable match-ups due to his physicality near the line of scrimmage.

At 6-foot, 192 pounds he meets the physical requirements the Bucs have for their cornerbacks. Sneed recorded 177 tackles during his four-year career at Louisiana Tech, and had 2.5 sacks blitzing from the slot cornerback position. Sneed also has good ball skills, evidenced by eight career interceptions, including three in each of the last two seasons, in addition to his 19 pass breakups. Sneed still has some work to do with his technique, and didn’t always play against high-level competition. Those factors will make him a Day 3 selection, but his 4.37 speed is intriguing and could push his draft stock up to the fourth or fifth round.