Reynolds’ Selections 21-25

21. C Tony Mayberry
22. DE Noah Spence
23. K Connor Barth
24. QB Brad Johnson
25. P Tom Tupa

Reynolds’ Reaction – Picks 21-25

The final five picks of PewterReport.com’s Bucs Fantasy Draft will feature mostly special teamers, but I’ve already struck first by drafting Karl “The Truth” Williams, the best return specialist in team history, with my pick in the 20th round. I am tempted to grab Gramatica with my 21st pick, but I’ve waited too long for Mayberry and opt for the best center in franchise history. Did you know that Mayberry was the first Tampa Bay offensive lineman to make the Pro Bowl? He accomplished that feat three times and is the most directed Bucs O-lineman in team history. What a steal.

Bucs DE Noah Spence – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I should have taken Gramatica next with my pick in the 22nd round, but I made a blunder and drafted Spence – even though both Cook and Sikkema had already filled their slots at defensive end. I wasn’t paying attention and it was costly. Although Spence only has 5.5 career sacks and three forced fumbles, he has an amazing upside and is definitely worth taking a chance on this late in the draft. My defensive line is light in terms of size, but it’s built to rush the passer. And with the best Bucs linebacker corps of all time in top tacklers like Derrick Brooks, Hardy Nickerson and Lavonte David, I feel like my front seven is formidable against the run.

After missing out on Gramatica, I make up for it in Round 23 with the selection of Barth. “Barth Vader” is the most accurate field goal kicker in Tampa Bay history at 83.8 percent, and he was the only kicker with 29 attempts or more to be perfect from 20-29 yards. Barth was also a long-range weapon, hitting 15 field goals from 50 yards or more and tying Gramatica for the most long-distance field goals in Bucs history.

Bucs QB Brad Johnson – Photo by: Getty Images

I don’t want to make Johnson, the only quarterback to take the Bucs to the Super Bowl, this year’s Mr. Irrelevant, so I selected him with my second-to-last pick in the PewterReport.com Bucs Fantasy Draft. Johnson, a Pro Bowler in 2002, is the steal of the draft getting him this late. But when Cook made Winston the first overall pick and Sikkema followed up early on with his selection of Doug Williams, I had the luxury of waiting until the end of the draft to take “The Bull,” a gritty leader and an accurate passer. With James Wilder and Ricky Bell to hand off to, and Mark Carrier, Kevin House and Cameron Brate to throw to, Johnson has a better arsenal at his disposal than the weapons on Tampa Bay’s 2002 Super Bowl team.

My final selection was at punter where I chose Tupa. He was the punter during the Bucs’ Super Bowl season, and gives me seven Super Bowl participants on my roster., which is an important statistic as you choose which Pewter Reporter has the best Bucs Fantasy Draft team. Tupa had the fourth best average in team history with 43 yards per punt, and never had a punt blocked in the regular season. He also nailed a 71-yard punt, which was the second longest in franchise history.