The first round of the NFL draft has come and gone. Many teams were able to add young talent who will be the foundation of future success. However, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were not one of these teams. Instead, they traded back into the second round to acquire more draft picks.
Back To The Front
This means the Buccaneers will have the 33rd overall pick, which will be the first pick on Friday evening. There are still many interesting options on the board at this point in the draft. Here are a few of the best players remaining as we go into day two of the draft.
Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut
Jones is a bully on the defensive line. His combination of power and explosiveness is far from common. At 6’4 and 325 lbs Jones played primarily at nose tackle for the Huskies. However, he was able to show off his athleticism and pass rush potential where he dominated guys like Zion Johnson and Cole Strange who were both drafted in the first round.
If the Bucs drafted Jones then he could immediately replace Ndamukong Suh as a top notch run defender. And while his pass rush isn’t completely polished he has all the tools you could hope to develop. Jones would be at the top of my wishlist for the Buccaneers.
Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma
In many ways, Winfrey is much like Travis Jones. Both played mostly as a nose tackle in college and both were dominant at the Senior Bowl. What separates them more than anything is their size. Winfrey is just 290 lbs and that lack of size and strength shows up on the field.
On the other hand, Winfrey is a more natural projection as a pass rusher. He is explosive off the line of scrimmage scrimmage and extremely disruptive. The Bucs have had great success when drafting pass rushers from Oklahoma and I’d expect this one to be no different.
Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson
Booth has a legitimate case to be the best cornerback in the draft. He brings the size, 6’0 and 195 lbs, that the Buccaneers covet. He also brings good ball skills with five interceptions in the last two years combined. This is the type of talent that can bring the Bucs secondary from good to great.
The only reason Booth is available for the Bucs is a little bit of an injury concern. If the Bucs are willing to take the chance on a guy with an injury history then Booth is the type of player that can take this defense to the next level.
Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State
McBride was an incredibly impactful college player. He had over 1,000 receiving yards last season and showed well as a blocker in the right circumstance. In terms of talent and need, this is a natural fit.
This might be a hair early foe McBride. Ideally, the Buccaneers could trade back again with a quarterback hungry team and make this pick a little later. With that said, McBride is still one of the best options that the Bucs could realistically consider.
Logan Hall, DT, Houston
To be honest, I feel obligated to include Hall here because the Buccaneers have been connected to him. If we’re talking a true best player available list then Hall would not be included. However, there’s a realistic chance he’ll be in play.
What Hall does have is elite athletic tools. If the Buccaneers can mold him as a rotational pass rusher, particularly if they re-sign Suh, then Hall could develop into an impact player in a few years.
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