It’s the beginning of the week, and you know what the means, another edition of the Bucs Report 3-round mock draft. Last week, readers took kindly to a draft that featured the offensive line and running back position. This week, the draft fell a bit differently. As usual, we’ll go through each selection with strengths, weaknesses, and rationale for the pick.
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Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville
HT: 6’7 WT: 369 lbs
In the second mock draft, Buccaneers 2020 3-Round Mock Draft 2.0, I selected Tristan Wirfs out of Iowa. Unfortunately, the Miami Dolphins selected him with the the 5th overall pick this time. Lucky for the Buccaneers, the 14th pick allows them to sit and wait for the best available trench player. This week, Meckhi Becton and Javon Kinlaw fell, but I elected to go with offensive line.
A monster of a man, Becton weighs in at 369 pounds. His tremendous size translates into power, and he excels at blowing run stuffing lineman off their base. Becton has deceptive speed and agility for someone his size, and can often counter speedy edge rushers. His reach and arm length immediately stick out on film, and he can often run defensive ends into the ground, creating a wide open hole on his inside hip.
With incredible reach, comes an often simple counter. If defenders can elude his hands, it’s easy to slip Becton off his base and move around the edge. Becton’s weight has also fluctuated frequently, and scouts are unable to come to a consensus at his most effective playing size. With that being said, Becton was asked to shed fat in 2019, which allowed him to play more swiftly.
Raekwon Davis, IDL, Alabama
HT: 6’7 WT: 312 lbs
In the second round, I opted to select Raekwon Davis out of Alabama. Davis has incredible athletic ability, and can easily control the point of attack. His ability to slip under the pad level of offensive lineman is second to none, and he can easily swallow up running backs in his gap. If Ndamokung Suh isn’t resigned, I would love to see Davis line up next to Vita Vea.
One aspect of Davis’ game that needs work is his ability to process chaos in the backfield. He can sometimes take a lot of time to shed blocks as he waits for the running back to commit, which is ineffective in play action passes. Another major concern was the drop in sack production, which decreased from 8.5 to 1.5 to 0.5 in three years.
Cam Akers, RB, Florida State
HT: 5’11 WT: 212 lbs
Okay, I’ll admit, this one was to satisfy all you Seminoles fans out there. But in all seriousness, if the Buccaneers don’t sign a premier running back in free agency, they need to address in the first four rounds. In the third round, Akers fell into my lap and I had to pull the trigger.
For those that didn’t watch Florida State last season, Akers runs similarly to Ronald Jones II. He is a north-south runner and effectively finds the open hole in zone reads. His hands and route running ability are sufficient, and his speed allows him finish off plays with a touchdown.
Similar to Ronald Jones, Akers struggled in pass protection last season. He must develop this aspect of his game if he wants to be a true third down running back in the NFL. What Akers has in speed, he doesn’t have in elusiveness. He often had the opportunity to size up defenders in the second level but failed to use a juke effectively.
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