NFL.com’s Gil Brandt,
released NFL.com’s 2016 All-Rookie team and two Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on it.
It’s no surprise to find Bucs rookie corner Vernon Hargreaves III and rookie defensive end Noah Spence on some kind of All-Rookie list for their performances during the 2016 season. It is also no surprise that they are on a short list of only 27 rookies.
Hargreaves started out the season as the starter and all 16 games he started. He recorded 68 solo tackles, 9 passes defended and, 1 interception. Not bad for the 2016 first round pick who many claimed was too small to play in the NFC south.
Noah Spence, who was selected in the second round of last year’s draft, sacked the QB 5.5 times, forced three fumbles, and had 16 solo tackles to go along with two passes defended. His sack count is good enough to rank as the fifth most amongst all 2016 rookie defensive lineman.