FAB 2. SOME SURPRISE CANDIDATES FOR TAMPA BAY AT 19
Every year there are some surprises in the first round of the NFL Draft. And I’m not talking about the time when Mike Ditka traded his entire draft for Texas running back Ricky Williams in 1999.

I’m talking about some of the eyebrow-raising selections, such as wide receiver Troy Williamson going seventh overall to Minnesota in 2005, wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. going ninth overall to Miami in 2007, or wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey going seventh overall to Oakland in 2009.

There have been other questionable selections, too, such as Jacksonville selecting quarterback-turned-wide receiver Matt Jones 21st overall in 2005, and of course nothing tops Oakland selecting kicker Sebastian Janikowski 17th overall in 2000 or Denver drafting quarterback Tim Tebow 25th overall in 2010.

Raiders S Karl Joseph – Photo by: Mark Lomoglio/PR

There have been some first-round surprises over the last two years, such as wide receiver Nelson Agholor, guard Laken Tomlinson, offensive tackle D.J. Humphries, wide receiver Phillip Dorsett and defensive back Damarious Randall in 2015, and safeties Karl Joseph and Keanu Neal last year, in addition to cornerback Artie Burns and wide receiver Josh Doctson. Most of these players had second- or third-round grades by NFL draft pundits.

Some of those players, such as Randall, Joseph, Neal and Burns are worthy of first-round selection as it turns out. Some, such as Agholor, Humphries, Tomlinson and Doctson turned out to be questionable picks, just like Tampa Bay’s selection of kicker Roberto Aguayo in the second round of last year’s draft.

But just because a player isn’t considered to be a first-rounder in the mock drafts of so-called NFL Draft experts in the media doesn’t mean that is the prevailing feeling in the NFL scouting community. Keep in mind that opinions differ from team to team as beauty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to most draft prospects.

Yet when Oakland rolled the dice and took Joseph with the 14th overall pick it was a surprise, especially since he was coming off a torn ACL. A few picks later the Falcons drafted Neal with the 17th overall pick – much to the chagrin of NFL draft pundits. Both were instant starters and have the look of stars.

Now I’m going to let you into some inside information as to the way of sports journalism works. These media draft experts, draft pundits – call them what you will – rely on two things for their draft rankings. First is their own scouting by watching tape, and the second is from information they receive from league sources. Those sources might be coaches, scouts, general managers or agents.

Some of the information is legitimate. Some of it is misinformation designed for players to rise (info from agents) up draft boards or fall (info from teams) once it is disseminated to the masses. The trouble is that it is nearly impossible to glean what information is real and what is smoke this time of year as teams and agents try to manipulate the media for their own personal gain.

While Joseph and Neal may have been surprises to NFL media and fans last year, those selections didn’t really shock NFL teams as most had high grades on both players. This year there are some potential picks for Tampa Bay at No. 19 that might surprise you because most media mock drafts have these players going later in the first round or in the second round.

Fans have grown accustomed to seeing offensive stars, such as Florida State running back Dalvin Cook, Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey or Miami tight end David Njoku, mocked to the Buccaneers, but there is an increasingly good chance that most or all of the offensive weapons the Bucs desire are gone by pick 19. Don’t be surprised if the Bucs go defense in the first round this year.

KSU DE Jordan Willis – Photo by: GoPowercat.com

The first one is Kansas State defensive end Jordan Willis, who was worked out at his pro day by assistant defensive line coach Paul Spicer and is scheduled to visit One Buccaneer Place as one of the team’s 30 pre-draft visits. Willis was one of the top performing defensive ends at the NFL Scouting Combine, but he has the production on the field to back it up.

Willis, who was featured in a previous SR’s Fab 5 in addition to PewterReport.com’s latest Bucs’ 7-Round Mock Draft 4.0 as the Bucs’ second-round pick. League sources I’ve spoken with suggest that he could in fact be a late first-round pick and that he would go early in the second round at the very latest due to his work ethic, NFL-ready body and 25.5 sacks at K-State.

Willis, who ran a 4.53 in the 40-yard dash, was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year with 11.5 sacks this year, in addition to being the Senior Bowl’s top defensive player with two sacks and two forced fumbles. Willis, who played mostly left defensive end, gives Tampa Bay another young pass rusher to pair with Noah Spence, last year’s second-round pick as Robert Ayers, Jr. will be turning 32 this year.

NFL.com’s Chad Reuter has Willis cracking the first round in his latest mock at No. 21 being selected by Detroit, while CBSSports.com’s Pete Prisco and Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller have going 32nd to New Orleans. Don’t rule Willis out as early as No. 19.

Another defensive player that is starting to appear at the bottom of some first-round NFL mock drafts is USC cornerback Adoreé Jackson, who visited the Buccaneers a few days ago. Jackson, a junior entry, is a three-year starter for the Trojans that has six career interceptions, including five last year, in addition to 28 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. The Bucs love his competitiveness, as evidenced by some hustle plays against Alabama in the 2016 season opener.

Tampa Bay could use another young cornerback to pair with Vernon Hargreaves, who was last year’s first-round pick as starter Brent Grimes will be 34 this summer and is in the last year of his deal. The Bucs like last year’s fourth-rounder Ryan Smith, who has been developing well behind the scenes, but Smith is unproven and played at an FCS school. Jackson could step in and play outside opposite Hargreaves, who could slide inside at nickel corner, or Jackson could play against slot receivers during his rookie year.

Just as important is the fact that Jackson is a sensational return specialist, which is another area of need for Tampa Bay. Jackson has four kickoffs and four punt returns for touchdowns in his three years at USC, and scored four special teams touchdowns as a junior. Jackson, who ran a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash, was also used situationally on offense where he caught 39 passes for 628 yards (16.1 avg.) and scored six touchdowns.

At 5-foot-11, 185 pounds with great short-area quickness and agility, Jackson fits the mold of what a Bucs cornerback is in terms of size and traits. CBSSports.com’s Dane Brugler has Jackson going to Dallas at No. 28, while CBSSports.com’s Will Brinson has him going to Pittsburgh at No. 30 and NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks has him going No. 32 to New Orleans.

Washington CB Kevin King – Photo by: Getty Images

Another cornerback the Bucs are considering is Washington’s Kevin King. At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, he’s not an ideal fit in Tampa Bay’s scheme, although if the Bucs want more size in their secondary for match-up purposes King would be a good option.

King posted 164 tackles, 22 pass breakups, 9.5 tackles for loss, six interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries for the Huskies in a talented secondary that also features draft prospects in safety Budda Baker and cornerback Sidney Jones. King had 18 pass breakups and five picks over the last two years and has seen his stock climb into the first round due to his 4.43 time in the 40-yard dash and Jones’ Achilles injury, which will likely knock him out of the first round.

While King is considered to be a big corner, he is fluid and quick and has the hip flexibility to play against smaller receivers in the slot, which adds to his versatility. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, Reuter and Zierlein have King going to Seattle at No. 26, while Prisco has him going to Pittsburgh at No. 30.

The final surprise player that could wind up in the first round is Baker, King’s teammate at Washington. Baker, who was previously featured as a second-round pick by Tampa Bay in two of PewterReport.com’s 2017 Bucs’ 7-Round Mock Drafts, was an extremely productive player for the Huskies, recording 199 tackles, 18 pass breakups, 13 tackles for loss, five interceptions, four sacks and three forced fumbles as a three-year starter.

What’s holding Baker, a junior entry, out of most first-round mocks by media pundits is his size. At 5-foot-10, 192 pounds, Baker is no bigger than an average NFL cornerback, yet he is an aggressive tackler with tremendous instincts and a high football I.Q. As PewterReport.com pointed out on February 1, Baker’s skill set is awfully reminiscent of future Hall of Famer Ronde Barber, an undersized cornerback at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds.

Washington S Budda Baker – Photo by: Getty Images

If Baker was 6-foot, 200 pounds he would be a lock for the first round, and maybe even out of reach at No. 19 for Tampa Bay. As PewterReport.com has previously mentioned, Licht helped Arizona draft undersized defensive back Tyrann Mathieu aka the Honey Badger, and there are some real similarities between Mathieu and Baker, who can play single high free safety in Cover 3 or man defense, in addition to an inside the tackle box strong safety with the ability to flex to the slot as a nickel cornerback.

I have yet to see Baker in a major first round mock, but don’t rule it out. Tampa Bay defensive backs coach Jon Hoke was dispatched to Washington to put him through a private workout. The Bucs like him a lot and if they want him they may have to use a first-round pick because he won’t be around at No. 50 when Tampa Bay is on the clock in the second round.