We have finally reached the week of the draft Buccaneers fans. Thank the Lord for getting us here. Now, in between the good and really bad uniform releases (good job by the Broncos to make an upgrade and still have trash uniforms), not a lot has been happening. Except for endless upon endless speculation. Oh and playoff hockey. That’s been good. So, I finally decided to do a full 7 round mock as I try to address all the teams moves. No trades this time around. Just making the picks as is.
Round 1- C Jackson Powers-Johnson
Now, I know I said before that edge rusher should be the place to go in the first round, but it is looking more and more likely that all the really good edge rushers will not be here, and it seemed more likely the lesser edge rushers will be there in the 2nd. So, I went with the guy that will immediately improve the Bucs run game. JPJ is big and nasty, exactly what we want from a center. He looks like the goddamn Juggernaut once he gets going in space. It’s an open secret that the Bucs need to get interior line help. A lot of people have been saying Graham Barton here, but I think it is more likely he will be gone by then and JPJ will be there.
Round 2- Edge Marshawn Kneeland
This is one of the more divisive prospects in this draft. He is either going in the late first or the fifth, it just depends on how much you like him. Pewter Report likes him, Lance Zurlein seems to like him, and most importantly, I like him. This is definitely more of a project pick, but considering this edge class falls off a cliff after Latu, having a project guy that can develop into someone is better. I like him a lot more than Chris Braswell and Braelen Trice. He has a great frame for playing the position and while he does use a bull-rush move to win, actually has a variety of pass rush moves. While I would prefer one of the big three, this would not be a bad consolation prize for the Bucs.
Round 3 (89)- LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
As much as I would love to go with Cedric Gray here. Jeremiah Trotter is just so damn good. I can’t help but look at him and be reminded about what people said about Lavonte David. A smaller, undersized LB (David is 6′ 1″ and weighed a little over 230, Trotter is 6′ and a little under 230) but has great football instincts. Granted, Lavonte was a more rounded prospect and plays faster, but the point remains. His size should not deter anyone as he is a great LB prospect. He is great in coverage, but also has proven to be a good blitzer with 12 sacks his last two seasons. Whether he can hang with the bigger athletes of the NFL is another question, but he has great instincts and a proven NFL lineage.
Round 3 (92)- G Dominik Puni
This one is admittedly a little bit of a reach, but I didn’t like the other guys in the 4th. And it wasn’t that much of a reach, just a little one. I like Puni quite a bit because he is built well and works well in the Buccaneers blocking scheme. Technically, he played left tackle in college, but there is no way that will translate to the NFL. He will be moving inside for whatever team drafts him, whether it’s the Buccaneers or someone else. Now I know the last time we moved a tackle inside with short arms didn’t work well, but I don’t think Puni is the same as Luke Goedeke. The big question with him is if he can use his arms correctly and get some push in the run game. However, that sort of technique issue can be easily resolved with good coaching, which the Buccaneers have
Round 4- RB Audric Estime
Audric Estime is my guy. Now, there are definitely some big name NFL analysts that have caught on to how good he is, but he still managed to fall here. He is the perfect complement to Rachaad White. If Rachaad is a scalpel, Estime is a bone hammer. He doesn’t force missed tackles, he just follows the wisdom of Marshawn Lynch as “he runs through a motherfucker’s face”. I like that. Is he fast? Not really, his 40 time is abysmal (4.71). However, who cares about that if all the defenders are lying on the dirt after trying to bring him down. Like I said, the perfect change of pace back for White.
Round 6- TE Erick All
So, my big reason for why I want this guy is because he is from Iowa. George Kittle, TJ Hockenson, and Sam Laporta. That is my big argument. However, there are some concerns regarding his health. He is a good receiving threat, despite not being the fastest. However, he tore his ACL last season and suffered another season-ender the year before. But, if he can stay on the field, he can help upgrade a TE room that is very mediocre. It needs some kind of juice in both the passing game and as a blocker.
Round 7- WR Josh Cephus
This is a guy who has solid YAC potential. He is reminiscent of Trey Palmer in certain ways, albeit slightly bigger and not as good a red zone threat as he is. Cephus has the potential as another gadget player with the potential departure of Deven Thompkins after this year. Maybe not the most important guy to replace, but it is nice to have players that can be used in more unusual roles.
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