OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF THE BUCS’ DRAFT
SCOTT REYNOLDS: “Like most NFL teams, the measure of a good draft is finding two impact players in the seven rounds and two quality contributors. They definitely got one in tight end O.J. Howard, the team’s first-round pick. I see some solid contributors, but I just don’t see another impact player out of this group right now of Howard’s caliber, and that concerns me. We’ll know more when these guys put the pads on. The thing I’ll remind you to do is not necessarily jump to any definitive draft day conclusions. I was so lukewarm on Kwon Alexander when he was selected in the fourth round in 2015 because he played a good deal of Sam (strongside) linebacker and didn’t have great production or an amazing highlight reel at LSU. But Alexander had the physical traits, the temperament and football character that the Bucs recognized and projected him to middle linebacker where he would be able to be a more productive player at the next level. In fairness, we saw what the Bucs saw early on in the rookie mini-camp and began the media buzz around him, which ultimately led to him becoming an opening day starter as a rookie. As Gary Shelton accurately states in his latest PewterReport.com when analyzing the Bucs’ Day 2 picks: how much do you trust Jason Licht? I trust Licht, and one of these players while wind up being an impact player alongside Howard. I’m just not sure who that will be right now. Howard is the headliner, but the other players did little to move the needle of the Bucs’ fan base, that’s for sure.”

Texas A&M S Justin Evans – Photo by Brad Marquardt

MARK COOK: “Assessing a draft class less than 24 hours after it is wrapped up and before the players ever hit the field is just a guessing game. However, just looking at it on paper, the Bucs are a better football team today than they were on Thursday afternoon. We have already talked about Howard’s expected impact, but Justin Evans and Chris Godwin could also end up contributing this season as well, and should. Evans could end up even starting, although I expect him to start the season as the first safety off the bench. Tampa Bay’s Mike Smith did have somewhat of a safety rotation last season, and Keith Tandy partly played as well as he did once forced to start, because he had some meaningful snaps earlier in the season. Godwin looks to, at the very least, see playing time in the red zone where he exceled last season for the Nittany Lions, nabbing 11 scores. Ask me in three years and it will be much easier to assess this group. But I will remind some fans who have trashed this draft, Jason Licht and Co. have spent more time watching tape, interviewing players and watching these players live in the past 12 months, than all of us writing or reading this combined. It is what they do for a living full time and most have spent their entire adult lives working to get to this position. Doesn’t mean they are perfect, but much more informed than we are.”

TREVOR SIKKEMA: “Though the Buccaneers draft isn’t what I thought it would be in some of the later rounds, when their draft strategy and overall plan to get bigger up front (and in general) became obvious, the picks made sense. I didn’t love the trade up for Kendell Beckwith. I realize there had to be a SAM linebacker replacement for Daryl Smith, and Devonte Bond just isn’t big enough, but drafting a player who is coming off a recently torn ACL for a position that is pretty plentiful was puzzling to me, especially in a trade up. But, you have to think Kwon Alexander had something to do with vouching for Beckwith’s worth. The Howard pick was a home run, as was getting Penn State’s Chris Godwin in the third round. The sleeper good pick up was their final pick of the draft in USC’s defensive tackle Stevie Tu’ikolovatu. Tu’ikolovatu’s first played college football all the way back in 2009. He’ll be a 26 year old rookie for the Bucs this year, which isn’t ideal, but as a seventh round pick you’re not expecting a 10-year career anyways. He’s a 6-foot-1, 331-pound anchor on the interior defensive line, and if the team is really looking to shift their defense to, at times, play shades of a 3-4, he or Silver Sealver Siliga are the guys you want in the rotation – most likely only one will make the team.”