Naturally, this pick depends on what direction Tampa Bay chooses to go in the first round. With the Buccaneers most likely spending their first pick on a defensive back, adding a much needed running back or offensive line help in Round 2 would be the right choice. If Derrius Guice, running back out of Louisiana State, is still on the board in the second round, the Bucs will welcome him to Tampa with open arms. After letting Doug Martin walk, Tampa Bay now has Peyton Barber as their feature back. This will simply not cut it, adding another weapon at running back is crucial to this offense’s success in 2018.
Derrius Guice possesses a great combination of size, speed, power and determination to win. The 5’10” running back ran a respectable 4.49 seconds in the 40-yard dash of this year’s combine, which is fast for a running back who weighs 224 lbs. His powerful lower body enables him to make quick cuts without losing speed. He has great vision and finds holes quickly, hits them with power. Guice has proven he can handle a big workload. He is great at breaking and avoiding tackles. Averaged a whopping 8.5 yards per carry in his freshman year in 2015. Played as Leonard Fournette’s backup in 2016 and had a bigger workload than expected, due to Fournette’s injuries. Guice filled in nicely, averaging 7.6 yards per carry, rushing for 1387 yards and scoring 15 Touchdowns. In 2017, Guice was expected to be one of the top running backs in the nation. However, he was kept off the field with a knee injury.
All in all, Derrius Guice has what it takes to be an all-purpose running back at the next level. He is tough to bring down and plays, particularly well late in games. He is arguably the second best running back in the draft this year, behind Saquon Barkley. Guice might even get picked late in the first round. Yet, if he is available early in the second, the Bucs should pick him up and make him the feature back for years to come. Adding him will certainly elevate our running game tremendously and take quite some weight off the shoulders of our leader, Jameis Winston.
