The Tampa Bay Buccaneers now turn their attention to the Senior Bowl. The Buccaneers had scouts watching the players in the East/West Shrine game. These scouts are in place to help find what the Buccaneers are looking for in the upcoming NFL Draft.
The Bucs need help on both sides of the ball. The Senior Bowl is yet another chance for college players to shine. In this game, like in the East/West Shrine, they can show what they can do and be coached by NFL coaches. Here are the players the Buccaneers are watching at the 2019 Senior Bowl.
Offense:
Tyree Jackson QB
At the quarterback position is Tyree Jackson from the University of Buffalo. The Buccaneers need a backup quarterback to assist Jameis Winston. Now the Buccaneers could turn to Drew Lock or Will Grier, but those two gentlemen want to be starters. This is where Jackson is different—he is a junior and will come in as a premier NFL backup. His stats as a Bulls quarterback were 6,999 yards, 49 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions. He is a big pocket passer with decent mobility and will be a good addition to help Winston.
Bruce Anderson RB
The Buccaneers will also need help in the run game. They need to establish a run game and not depend on the pass so much. Anderson will help in that department. At North Dakota State he rushed for 2,896 yards and 24 touchdowns. He is a slashing runner with good balance at contact. He is a complete back and even helps on special teams. He will be a good back in Arians’ system.
Wide Receiver: Gary Jennings WR
Jennings could help the Buccaneers at the wideout position. He would be a great combination to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. He will be filling in for Emanuel Hill out of Missouri. He has decent size at 6’2” and 215 pounds. Jennings also possesses deceptive speed. He had a good career as a Mountaineer. His senior year he caught 54 balls for 917 yards and 13 touchdowns. He caught a game-winning touchdown against Texas and had a good game against Oklahoma, which the Mountaineers ultimately lost.
Offensive Lineman: Michael Deiter Guard
Deiter was a staple at the University of Wisconsin. He started in 54 games, which is a Badger record. He can play at left guard, left tackle and center. This versatility will help him in the NFL. Deiter also has a fantastic way of getting to the second level to help the run game. This is where the Buccaneers will need to start if their offense plans to get better in 2019.
Defense:
Defensive Line: Charles Omenihu DE
If the Buccaneers go on without Gerald McCoy, they will need to fill the void. With Jason Pierre Paul on one side and this gentleman on the other, look out. He had a distinguished career at the University of Texas. He recorded 115 tackles, 30 tackles for loss, and 19.5 sacks. Those sacks came against talented NFL quarterbacks such as Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Sam Darnold, Drew Lock, and Mason Rudolph. He is ready for the next level and, if given the chance, he would look good sacking Drew Brees, Cam Newton and Matt Ryan.
Linebackers: Deshaun Davis
Davis is known as a downhill linebacker. He brings the thunder when he tackles. If the Buccaneers decide not to resign Kwon Alexander, he would help. He was the motor, heart, and soul of the Auburn Tiger defense. In his career at Auburn, he had 262 tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 6 pass breakups, and 2 fumble recoveries. He will be a great asset to Lavonte David.
Secondary: Isaiah Johnson CB and Juan Thornhill Safety
Johnson is a big cornerback out of the University of Houston. He comes in at 6’4” and 203 pounds. He has great closing speed. Johnson also has great hands, which he uses to pick the ball off and deflect it. At one time he was a wide receiver. Johnson had 4 interceptions and 12 pass breakups. He also uses his speed as a gunner on special teams.
Thornhill has been given the title as the most underrated safety in college football. He is known for his playmaking ability. For the Cavaliers he racked up 208 tackles, 26 passes defended, 13 interceptions, 12 tackles for losses, and 1.5 sacks. Thornhill had a good senior season that will help him. He defends the run and pass equally and will be a terrific addition to the Buccaneer secondary.
Stats courtesy of Pewterreport.com.
