NFL editor Gregg Rosenthal published an article about every NFC teams weak spot on NFL.com last week. For the Buccaneers, Rosenthal chose the defensive backfield (surprise, surprise). See article here
Bucs general manager Jason Licht knew the team’s secondary was a problem, so he traded down to select two surprising cornerbacks (M.J. Stewart and Carlton Davis) in the second round of this year’s draft. Their ability to make an immediate impact will be crucial for this defense, especially with both safety spots being up for grabs.
The reason why Tampa Bay’s secondary was picked here should not be surprising to anybody. Outside of Cornerback Brent Grimes the Bucs‘ defensive backfield looked absolutely lost and often-times outclassed, with the exception of Rookie Safety Justin Evans. Evans had a decent year for a Rookie. However, the Tampa Bay finished at the bottom of the league in practically all pass defense-relevant categories, which is unexcusable.
Consequently, Jason Licht and the Bucs‘ front office decided to bolster the defensive backfield by using two second round picks on Cornerbacks MJ Stewart and Carlton Davis in this year’s draft. Due to the lack of competition, both rookies have a realistic chance at playing starting Cornerback this year. It will be crucial for the Buccaneers‘ success that at least one of them can establish themselves as a solid player at the next level, like Rosenthal stated in his article, as well.
All in all, Gregg Rosenthal is spot on with his pick for the Buccaneers. Most likely, a majority of fans and experts would agree that the secondary is Tampa’s weakest link at the moment. Yet, the acquisitions the Bucs have recently made on the Defensive Line will certainly improve the defensive backfield, as well. Barring injuries, this defense could be on the verge of being very, VERY scary.
