Shaq Lawson
Position: DE
College: Clemson
Hometown: Central, SC
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 270 Pounds
With so many glaring needs going into next season, Jason Licht and company certainly have their work cut out for them. The natural expectation is that the Bucs will be heavily focused on defense in the 2016 NFL Draft. With the lack of a respectable pass rush in the last few seasons, Tampa Bay could potentially be interested in Clemson DE Shaq Lawson. Lawson is coming off a national championship run with the Tigers in a season where he ranked 1st in the nation with 24 tackles for loss and 4th in the nation in sacks with 12. His combination of size, speed, and athleticism would make him an immediate impact player for the Bucs at the end position.
Lawson could be the wingman for Gerald McCoy to be able to elevate his game to the next level, something the Bucs and, of course, the fans have been anxious to see for quite some time. The team has not produced a player with double digit sacks since DE Simeon Rice in 2005, and when Warren Sapp was in his prime, there was always a Brad Culpepper or a Booger McFarland accompanying him and taking on double teams. McCoy, in 6 seasons, has never had “that guy.” There is a big opportunity for the Bucs to remedy that issue with the right pick and get this defensive line wreaking havoc in the backfield for years to come.
