With the official end of the season seeing New England topping the NFL pile, the offseason begins. The offseason comes with many highlights, one being the NFL combine. The combine is a chance for scouts to see up close and personal the young men who might be selected by their franchise and handed millions of dollars. It’s part exhibition and part job interview.
In years gone by it was a chance to see “workout warriors” boost their draft stock. Although, fortunately, with the amount of work that goes into scouting in today’s NFL, this is a rare occurrence now. Sometimes a player will reveal the sometimes bizarre questions those interviews involve, although they are often meant to gauge how a potential candidate will react to certain events.
Despite all the talk about Tampa Bay trading out of the 5th overall pick, when the Bucs’ scouting team attend Lucas Oil stadium in Indianapolis, they will be looking at everyone with the hope of adding players who can improve the Buccaneers on day 1. So who might be under the Bucs microscope?
Greedy Williams – CB – LSU. It isn’t a big secret that Tampa needs help in the secondary. One of the weakest units last season could see an immediate upgrade with a new starting CB, and Williams fits the bill after being a standout performer for LSU.
Ed Oliver – DL – Houston. Football games are so often won and lost in the trenches, and this draft is loaded with talent on the lines. Oliver is beast on the line and could be a dominant force for years. With the depth available, Oliver might still be available in a trade-down situation.
Jawaan Taylor – OT – Florida. Again in the trenches, but this time on the offensive side of the ball. Taylor excelled at right tackle for the Gators and could be a crucial piece to add to a struggling offensive line.
Whilst these 3 prospects are likely to be at the top of a lot of shopping lists, rest assured that the scouting team will be looking very deeply at day 2 and 3 value should the front office make a trade. With the depth in talent available this year the scouting team has some very long days ahead of them.
