FAB 4. (Way Too) Early 2018 Bucs Mock Draft Picks

Not only is the start of the 2017 NFL season less than two months away, so is the 2017 college football season. What does that mean?

Scouting season for NFL general managers, personnel men and college scouts.

Although the 2018 NFL Draft is over nine months away, there have already been some (way too) early 2018 mock drafts hitting the web. Who knows what needs the Bucs might have following the 2017 season, and who knows where Tampa Bay will pick based on its finish for a season that hasn’t started yet.

Yet it’s never too early to start familiarizing yourself with some of the top prospects for the upcoming draft. Here are what four of the mock drafts I follow selected for your Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

USA Today’s DraftWire.com
Notre Dame OT Mike McGlinchey – 6-7, 312 – Senior
Luke Easterling had the Bucs picking 20th overall in his first-round mock draft and McGlinchey could be the top tackle in this draft class. It’s a good pick because the team needs an heir apparent to Demar Dotson, who turns 32 this year, but if the Bucs are picking 20th, McGlinchey, who can play left tackle or right tackle, likely won’t be there.

WalterFootball.com – Walter Cherepinsky
North Carolina State DE Bradley Chubb – 6-4, 275 – Senior
Cherepinsky’s reasoning is that the Bucs will need an eventual replacement for Robert Ayers, Jr., who will be 32 by the time the 2017 season starts. Chubb is a similar player with a high motor, a nasty attitude and the ability to get to the quarterback, evidenced by 10 sacks last year, in addition to 21 tackles for loss. If Chubb hits double digits again in the sack department he may not be there at No. 20.

WalterFootball.com – Charlie Campbell
Texas OT Connor Williams – 6-6, 320 – Junior
Campbell has Tampa Bay picking 18th in the first round and has the Bucs taking Williams for the same reason that Easterling had them taking McGlinchey. Not only is finding Dotson’s replacement an issue, but if Donovan Smith doesn’t continue to progress at left tackle, especially in pass protection, the Bucs might rethink keeping him there and may ponder moving Smith to the right side.

CBSSports.com – Will Brinson
Clemson junior DT Christian Wilkins – 6-4, 310 – Junior
Brinson has the Bucs drafting eighth overall and taking the top defensive tackle in Wilkins, a three-technique stud with great initial quickness and tremendous agility. Athletically he’s more like Warren Sapp than he is Gerald McCoy, and the guess here is that he’s the eventual replacement for McCoy, despite the fact he’s only 29, or newly signed Chris Baker, who turns 30 this season. Wilkins has 5.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss in his two years at Clemson.

CBSSports.com – Ryan Wilson
Boston College DE Harold Landry – 6-3, 250 – Senior
Wilson also has Tampa Bay picking eighth and has the team selecting Landry, who was the nation’s leading sacker last year with 16.5 quarterback captures. Landry is a bit smaller than Ayers is, but pairing him with Noah Spence would give the Bucs two dangerous speed rushers. The thinking is that Landry would eventually replace Ayers in Tampa Bay.

Offensive tackle and defensive end are logical needs for Tampa Bay in next year’s draft, but so is the cornerback position with starter Brent Grimes turning 34 and entering the last year of his contract. Here are some draft prospects to become familiar with at those positions:

Top 5 Offensive Tackles To Know
1. Notre Dame OT Mike McGlinchey – 6-7, 312 – Senior
2. Texas OT Connor Williams – 6-6, 320 – Junior
3. Mississippi State OT Martinas Rankin – 6-5, 307 – Senior
4. Clemson OT Mitch Hyatt – 6-5, 295 – Junior
5. Oklahoma OT Orlando Brown – 6-8, 360 – Junior

Top 5 Defensive Ends To Know
1. LSU DE Arden Key – 6-6, 231 – Junior
2. Boston College DE Harold Landry – 6-3, 250 – Senior
3. North Carolina State DE Bradley Chubb – 6-4, 275 – Senior
4. Ohio State DE Tyquan Lewis – 6-4, 265 – Senior
5. Wake Forest DE Duke Ejiofor – 6-4, 270 – Senior

Top 5 Cornerbacks To Know
1. Florida State CB Tarvarus McFadden – 6-2, 198 – Junior
2. Alabama CB Minkah Fitzpatrick – 6-1, 203 – Sophomore
3. Louisville CB Jaire Alexander – 5-11, 192 – Junior
4. Virginia Tech CB Adonis Alexander – 6-3, 193 – Junior
5. Oklahoma CB Jordan Thomas – 6-0, 192 – Junior