FAB 3. SR’s Bucs Re-Draft

I have spent this week researching Tampa Bay’s draft picks, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t think the Bucs’ 2019 draft is horrible. I don’t even think it’s bad.

I think it’s slightly above average at first glance. We’ll see how it pans out over time.

Like I said in my Draft Evaluation in earlier in the week, Tampa Bay’s draft got progressively worse after a hot start on Day 1 and a decent haul on Day 2. Outside of the selection of Iowa defensive end Anthony Nelson in the fourth round, I think the Bucs could have done a better job on Day 3.

I understand that there is less than a 20 percent chance of fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-round picks sticking on the roster after two or three years, but

I love Tampa Bay’s first pick of the draft in LSU inside linebacker Devin White. I think it’s an absolute home run, and I would have drafted White instead of Kentucky outside linebacker Josh Allen just like the Bucs did.

KSU RT Dalton Risner – Photo courtesy of Kansas State

I like the selection of Central Michigan cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, but I would have preferred Kansas State right tackle Dalton Risner instead – and that’s not me being a K-State homer, either. Offensive linemen usually take a year or two to develop, as we’re seeing with Alex Cappa, and I would have liked for Tampa Bay to begin the process of finding Demar Dotson’s eventual replacement as I don’t think that player is on the roster right now – unless it winds up being Cappa.

We had Jamel Dean as a Bucs’ Best Bet and in our final Bucs’ 7-Round Mock Draft and his size, 4.3 speed, physicality and ability to play press-man coverage. I don’t know if I would necessary draft him in the third round or not, but I don’t begrudge Tampa Bay’s selection of Carlton Davis’ former Auburn teammate.

The more research I do on Kentucky safety Mike Edwards the more I like him, his versatility and his ball skills. I’ll admit it. I slept on Edwards, who didn’t work out at Kentucky’s pro day or the NFL Scouting Combine due to an injury. Instead, he had a personal workout where he ran a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash.

At first I questioned the selection of Edwards over Florida’s Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, but I trust Todd Bowles knowing what kind of safety he wants. Edwards is also supposedly a tremendous leader.

So for your entertainment, please allow me to re-draft the Bucs’ draft with players that were available when Tampa Bay was on the clock.

1. LSU ILB Devin White
2. Kansas State RT Dalton Risner
3. Old Dominion OLB Oshane Ximines
3. Kentucky S Mike Edwards
4. Notre Dame CB Julian Love
5. Texas A&M DT Daylon Mack
6. Utah State RB Darwin Thompson
7. James Madison CB Jimmy Moreland

I’m obviously a big fan of the White pick, and I would make it again for Tampa Bay. In the second round, I wouldn’t have passed on Risner.

Assuming I would make the same trade that Licht made with the Rams, I would have drafted Ximines, Old Dominion’s leading sacker, who had 32.5 sacks in college, racking up more QB captures each year, in addition to forcing 11 fumbles. I would keep Edwards with the Bucs’ other third-round pick.

I would use Day 3 to address the cornerback position with Love in the fourth round. The Notre Dame defensive back stuck to receivers like glue and broke up 39 passes in three years, along with five interceptions and two pick-sixes. He’s not as fast as Murphy-Bunting or Dean, but he’s fast enough.

Utah State RB Darwin Thompson – Photo by: Getty Images

Mack really impressed me at the East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl with his power. He could challenge Stevie Tu’ikolovatu for the backup nose tackle spot behind Beau Allen.

I would grab Thompson, a shifty, pass-catching running back, in the sixth round. Thompson averaged 6.8 yards per carry while rushing for 1,044 yards and 14 TDs, while averaging 15.3 yards per catch on 23 receptions for 351 yards and two scores.

I would snag Moreland in the seventh round to play in the slot in nickel defense. Moreland has a slight build, but ran a 4.44 and was an interception machine at James Madison with 18 picks, including six pick-sixes, 63 pass breakups and six fumble recoveries and six blocked kicks.

1. LSU ILB Devin White
2. Kansas State RT Dalton Risner
3. Memphis RB Darrell Henderson (Rams pick)
4. Notre Dame CB Julian Love
5. Texas A&M DT Daylon Mack
6. Texas A&M S Donovan Wilson
7 James Madison CB Jimmy Moreland

White and Risner are the top two picks once again, but instead of trading down with the L.A. Rams, I would stay put in the third round and draft Henderson, the player that the Rams actually took at Tampa Bay’s spot. Henderson is a big play waiting to happen and would have brought speed and great hands to Tampa Bay.

I would keep Love and Mack as the fourth– and fifth-round picks, and add Wilson from Texas A&M in the sixth round to help the depth at safety. Wilson is a do-it-all safety with eight interceptions, seven passes defensed, five sacks and four forced fumbles as a three-year starter for the Aggies.

JMU CB Jimmy Moreland – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I would round out the draft with the selection of Moreland again in the seventh round.

So what do you think of my mock drafts? Which of my mock drafts did you prefer? Let me know in the article comments below, and feel free to post your own Bucs’ draft re-do as well.