It’s that time of season, put on your GM hat and let’s get to work. In this mock, the Buccaneers traded up to the third overall spot to get their guy. The Pewter Pirates gave up their 19th overall pick and their 2024 first and third round pick to the Cardinals for the third overall pick.
Round 1, Pick 3 via Arizona
Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
HT: 6’0
WT: 194 lbs
Accolades:
– CFP national champion (2020)
– Heisman Trophy (2021)
– Maxwell Award (2021)
– Davey O’Brien Award (2021)
– Manning Award (2021)
– AP College Football Player of the Year (2021)
– Sporting News College Football Player of the Year (2021)
– Consensus All-American (2021)
– SEC Offensive Player of the Year (2021)
– SEC Championship Game MVP (2021)
– Sugar Bowl MVP (2022)
– First team All-SEC (2021)
– Second team All-SEC (2022)
Video:
Pros:
– Really good leader with a super high football IQ – is really respected by team and coaches alike
– Has the ability to come through when it matters most – he has an innate ability to lead his team from behind. Montana-like presence in the huddle
– Super instinctive when it comes to avoiding the rush, he plays like he has eyes in the back of his head and displays an elite ability to get the pass off, even under incredible pressure
– The usual criticism of Alabama quarterbacks (producing impressive stats because of the elite talent around him) can’t be leveled at Young, as he produced a similar elite season in ’22 as ’21 while losing his two top receivers to the ’22 draft
– Very confident passer and shows good accuracy and feel when in rhythm. Demonstrated even better ball placement from past years and constantly throws very catchable passes
– Quick-footed and balanced in dropping back, scanning the field. He rarely retreats or takes his eyes away from the secondary to look at the rush.
– Possesses decent arm strength although it’s not elite – he’s still capable of making every NFL throw easily. Zips to all areas of the field, demonstrating very good touch on underneath routes to running backs and receivers, as well as down the sideline on deep passes.
– Possesses excellent straight-line speed (has a chance to break into the 4.4’s at the combine) for the quarterback position and vision, impressive mobility to evade defenders in the open field, and good strength considering his size
– Extraordinary accuracy to all levels. He consistently throws to the open receiver. Excellent touch down the seam to fit the ball between defenders.
Cons:
– Young is undersized and doesn’t come close to having the prototypical stature you look for in a pro quarterback, this however hasn’t translated into poor production. He still may be viewed as a player who could be an injury risk at the next level
– Has already missed time this year – lost time in 2022 due to a shoulder injury. This may scare some teams off
– Arm strength is not elite – doesn’t have a cannon, although still manages to get enough zip on most of his throws
Summary:
In 2021 as a sophomore he exploded onto the scene while playing in 14 games as he passed for 4491 yards on 492 attempts with a completion percent of 67.1 for an average of 9.1 yards per pass, with 45 TDs, while also taking 32 sacks, and put up a QB rating of 122.3. He added 45 runs for a total of 273 yards at an average of 6.1 per rush.
As a junior in 2022 Bryce Young continued to put up elite numbers as he played a total of 14 games. He finished the year with 3325 yards and put up a completion percentage of 64.5 for an average of 8.4 yards per attempt, with 32 TDs and just five interceptions, he was sacked just 16 times, with a QB rating of 114.9. This was the third-best in the SEC. As a runner, Young logged 33 runs for a total of 306 yards at an average of 9.3 yards per run.
Round 2, Pick 50
Antonio Johnson, S, TAMU
HT: 6’3
WT: 195 lbs
Accolades:
– First-team All-SEC (2022)
– Second-team All-SEC (2021)
– USA Today HS All-American (2019)
Video:
Pros:
– Has the change-of-direction ability to mirror underneath but did solid work out of the press and off coverage.
– Has excellent ball skills, tracking the ball effectively and instinctively taking the right route to break up the play. Johnson has the strong hands and coordination to come down with interceptions.
– Very smart player who is a student of the game. Knows what to look for in coverage and could be a coach on the field
– Can play in the box (more than 25% of his snaps) and is a tough reliable tackler who knows how to wrap up
– Tracks the ball well downfield and has the innate feel for high-point passes. He’s willing to come up and fill against the run and seems to take pride in delivering violent hits in run support.
– Exceptionally quick for his size (6-3), with the feet and fluidity to mirror underneath, including in the slot against the two-way go. Johnson stays low in his backpedal and explodes toward the ball, with an outstanding closing burst.
– He’s a willing and capable hitter in run support and closes fast to make plays against quick screens.
– Can track the ball downfield and gets his head around when playing in a trail position, and Johnson shows excellent ball skills when breaking on a route. He’s a plus tackler in run support as well.
– Quicker than he is fast but has a burst to close in zone coverage and plays physical at the line in man.
Cons:
– Despite his size, he’s not an overly physical tackler. Antonio Johnson will have to add some weight at the next level in order to become more physical.
– Has only average long speed and body flexibility and plays a bit high – he also isn’t as smooth in space, especially in the deep zone
– Isn’t great in route recognition when he’s facing the action, is hesitant and susceptible to double moves, and too often gets unnecessarily handsy when playing trail position
– Will need help if forced to cover wide receivers deep – where his deep coverage abilities are a little suspect
Round 3, Pick 82
Will McDonald IV, EDGE, Iowa St.
HT: 6’3
WT: 241 lbs
Accolades:
– Big 12 Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year (2021)
– 3× first-team All-Big 12 (2020–2022)
Video:
Pros:
– McDonald has a high motor and does a solid job setting the edge against the run.
– He has a lethal spin move and the pure speed to close quickly.
– Crazy athletic skills — Made Bruce Feldman’s ‘Freaks List’ at number 5. He wrote: “He’s an elite athlete who can do backflips standing still and has videos jumping over cars. All of that along with sacking the QB,” Cyclones coach Matt Campbell said of the 6-3, 236-pound edge rusher. Campbell expects McDonald will vertical-jump 42 or 43 inches when he goes to the combine and should broad jump around 11 feet.”
– He’s very instinctive when it comes to countering and solid with overall hand usage.
– He’s very good with his hands, a technician with the violence, quickness, and the long arms to ward off blockers. He has a great motor and enough creativity to make plays late in the down as a pass rusher.
– Challenges inside with quickness and strong hands. Run-and-chase defender who can leave a mark.
– He’s quick to react and locate the ball, and McDonald shows thespeed to succeed in backside pursuit. McDonald plays with excellent balance and a strong, flexible core, rarely ending up on the ground.
Cons:
– McDonald is so eager to get upfield that he far too often abandons responsibilities against the run.
– He lacks the speed of a chase and- tackle guy. He lacks the feet and flexibility to threaten around the edge.
– Often shows poor instincts when locating the ball against the run.
Summary:
In 2020 as a junior Will McDonald IV played in 12 games and contributed on 343 snaps. He recorded 10 tackles, 6 assists while making 17 stops. As a pass rusher, he produced 35 total pressures, which included 20 QB hurries, 6 QB hits, and an excellent 9 sacks on the year.
In 2021 as a senior McDonald IV logged playing time in 13 games and logged a total of 502 snaps for the Cyclones. He also added 17 tackles, 2 assists, and 25 stops. As a pass rusher, he tallied 45 total pressures, which included 24 QB hurries, 8 QB hits, and an outstanding 13 sacks on the season.
In 2022 as a fifth year senior McDonald IV logged playing time in 12 games and logged a total of 519 snaps for the Cyclones. He also added 27 tackles, 5 assists, and 24 stops. As a pass rusher, he tallied 25 total pressures, which included 16 QB hurries, 3 QB hits, and a solid 6 sacks on the season.
The PFF.com mock draft simulator was used in this article.
Information in this article first appeared on NFL Draft Buzz and is used with permission. Find the latest coverage, analysis, and player rankings for the 2023 NFL Draft at nfldraftbuzz.com
Follow, Like and Subscribe to Bucs Report
For more on this and everything Buccaneers check back here hourly at BucsReport.com
