FAB 4. SR’s Favorite Bucs Draft Prospects

This is the last SR’s Fab 5 column before the 2019 NFL Draft kicks off next week on Thursday at 8:00 p.m. ET. I’ve been studying a lot of these Bucs draft prospects for the last several months – some of them over the last several years – and it’s time for me to reveal my favorites for Tampa Bay at each position.

LSU ILB Devin White – Photo by: Getty Images

It would be easy for me to just stick to the first round and simply give the Bucs the best players at each position with Alabama’s Quinnen Williams at defensive tackle, Kentucky’s Josh Allen at outside linebacker and LSU’s Devin White at inside linebacker, but I won’t do that here. With 12 positions to cover, I decided to make it a bit of a challenge and force myself to only pick four positions with first-round talent, then select four other positions with Day 2 talent (second and third rounds) and then the last four with Day 3 prospects.

As a Kansas State alum, I typically watch a lot of Big 12 football, so my home conference is well represented here, but I decided not to go too overboard. Remember, these are the players I would draft for the Bucs if I were playing the role of general manager Jason Licht. Some of these players are draft prospects Tampa Bay is legitimately interested in, and some of them the team might not be interested – but they should.

Quarterback – West Virginia QB Will Grier – Day 3

There is a chance that Grier gets drafted in the third round, but the fourth round is more like it after a disappointing Senior Bowl and a fair showing at the NFL Scouting Combine. Grier has a gunslinger’s mentality, which I like, but not really a gunslinger’s arm. He’s a good leader with charisma and reminds me a bit of a younger Ryan Fitzpatrick in some ways. In the end, I don’t think the Bucs draft a quarterback this year with Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin already on the roster backing up Jameis Winston.

Running Back – Memphis RB Darrell Henderson – Day 2

Memphis RB Darrell Henderson – Photo by: Getty Images

Tampa Bay seems to like its running back stable a lot more than I do. I’m not sure Ronald Jones bounces back like Licht and the coaches think he will. And with Peyton Barber signed to a one-year deal, Henderson, who interviewed with Tampa Bay at the Combine, gives the Bucs an explosive, all-around back that can be here for the long haul. I love, love, love his ability to slip tackles and rip off long touchdown runs. Henderson has great hands, too. I’d take him in the second round because I think he’s that good. The Bucs might not draft a running back until the third round.

Wide Receiver  – Baylor WR Jalen Hurd – Day 3

Because wide receiver is not that pressing of a need, I used a Day 3 pick on the position, selecting Hurd, who absolutely destroyed K-State this year in his first season at receiver for the Bears. The Bucs had Hurd in for pre-draft visit, so there is interest there. I’m sure Bruce Arians likes Hurd’s 6-foot-5, 226-pound size and his background at running back where he was atop the depth chart at Tennessee ahead of John Kelly and some guy named Alvin Kamara. I like the fact that he ran the ball some at Baylor last year too. I’m a big believer that Winston needs receivers with big catch radiuses. I picked Hurd over the likes of West Viginia’s Gary Jennings, Texas Tech’s Antoine Wesley and Northeastern’s Jazz Ferguson.

Tight End – LSU TE Foster Moreau – Day 3

Hey, with O.J. Howard, Cameron Brate and Antony Auclair on the roster, the Bucs don’t need a tight end. I didn’t spend a lot of time watching tight ends last year – or even this winter. My favorite tight end, Missouri’s Albert Okwuegbunam, stayed in school for his junior season, so I’ll pick a tight end I saw and liked at the Senior Bowl in the 6-foot-5, 255-pound Foster, who is a great blocker with 4.66 speed and underrated hands. In the end, I don’t think the Bucs pick a tight end this year.

Offensive Tackle – Kansas State OT Dalton Risner – Day 1

Kansas State RT Dalton Riser – Photo by: Getty Images

I’m going to cheat here and go with Risner, my K-Stater. No, I wouldn’t draft him at No. 5 overall. No way. But I think Risner is a late first-round talent that could slide into the second round, and that’s where I would take him. I had the chance to meet him at the Senior Bowl and again at the NFL Scouting Combine and absolutely love his personality, his competitiveness and his leadership ability. The film’s pretty good, too. He could start at right tackle or right guard in Tampa Bay.

Center/Guard – Boston College G Chris Lindstrom – Day 2

I really liked Lindstrom’s tape and then I saw him in Mobile, Ala. at the Senior Bowl and loved him. Lindstrom is a plug-and-play right guard, whose game reminds me a lot of Ali Marpet’s. The Bucs have been trying for years to find a solid guard to play opposite Marpet and Lindstrom could be that guy. I love how he finishes blocks and gets to the second level. He would be a great option in the second round.

Defensive Tackle – Mississippi State DT Jeffery Simmons – Day 1

Of course I would love to see the Bucs get Williams here, but I want to use this opportunity to talk about Simmons, who could be an absolute steal if he slips to Tampa Bay into the upper part of the second round due to his torn ACL. I’m cheating a bit here because know I have him as a Day 1 player, which is he talent-wise, and I’m talking about drafting him in the second round. I really like Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver, but he’s maxed out from a size standpoint, and while he’s similar to Aaron Donald – he’s not Donald. Simmons is a Top 10 talent. Imagine if the Bucs drafted LSU inside linebacker Devin White in the first round and got Simmons in the second? He won’t be able to play in 2019, so would general manager Jason Licht have the guts to take such a gamble?

Defensive End – Boston College DE Zach Allen – Day 2

Boston College DE Zach Allen – Photo by: Getty Images

I wasn’t a huge fan of Allen, who is really a 3-4 end, until the Bucs switched to a 3-4 defense under Todd Bowles. Now I think he’s an ideal fit to play strongside defensive end due to his size, strength and athleticism. He’s built similarly built Will Gholston, but he’s younger and a better pass rusher. Allen will likely get drafted in the second round. He interviewed with Tampa Bay at the NFL Scouting Combine and would look great as a second-rounder in the second round.

Inside Linebacker – LSU ILB Devin White – Day 1

Hey, we had White in our PewterReport.com 2019 Bucs Mock Drafts dating back to January for a reason. He’s awesome – and a perfect fit in Tampa Bay’s new 3-4 defense. There is a reason why PewterReport.com had him as the fifth overall pick for the Bucs for the last four months, while others in the media were trying to link Alabama offensive lineman Jonah Williams, Alabama running back Josh Jacobs or LSU cornerback Greedy Williams to Tampa Bay. White is similar to Patrick Willis, Ray Lewis and Luke Kuechly, and I believe he’ll be the Bucs’ first-round pick – unless Williams or Allen slips to No. 5.

Outside Linebacker – Florida State OLB Brian Burns – Day 1

Don’t get me wrong, I like Allen and wouldn’t mind seeing the Kentucky pass rusher in red and white. But the more research I do on Burns, the more I really like him. I was a fan of Leonard Floyd when he came out of Georgia in 2016, and I think Burns, who is similarly built to Floyd, is a better edge rusher with more pass rush skill. He might even have a little bit of Derrick Thomas to his game in the way he can bend the edge with his agility. I don’t know if Burns is worth the No. 5 pick, but if the Bucs are looking to trade down and acquire more picks, he would be worth selecting around No. 10.

Safety – Delaware S Nasir Adderley – Day 2

Delaware DB Nasir Adderley – Photo courtesy of Univ. of Delaware

There are a bunch of safeties I like in this year’s draft class and Adderley might be at the top. Adderley, who was schooled by Bucs safeties coach Nick Rapone last year at Delaware, is a big-time playmaker. He’s more of a single high safety due to his coverage skills, and Adderley actually began his career at cornerback, and I would consider him there, too. If Adderley is there in the second round, it would be tempting to draft him and move Justin Evans to strong safety due to his physicality in the box.

Cornerback – James Madison CB Jimmy Moreland – Day 3

I don’t know if the Bucs like Moreland – but they should. Moreland had 18 interceptions at James Madison, including seven defensive touchdowns and 63 pass breakups. Arians said that Vernon Hargreaves III and Carlton Davis will start outside and that the team is looking for a nickel cornerback. At 5-foot-10, 179 pounds, Moreland doesn’t have the size to play outside in the NFL. Moreland knows how to play press coverage and thrives in it. I loved him during the East-West Shrine week. Draft him on Day 3, Buccaneers.