Buccaneers fans, the NFL Combine will take place next week! This is a big event for players and teams alike. This is particularly true for teams who put a lot of stock into athletic testing such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
General Manager Jason Licht has clear tendencies that have been established over time. One of them is that he won’t take a player who has less that a 9.0 relative athletic score (a system developed by Kent Lee Platte). This is to say that a player is in the 90th percentile of athletes at their position where you consider things such as size, speed, strength, agility, etc.Â
Licht hasn’t used his first pick on a player who didn’t hit that threshold since he drafted quarterback Jameis Winston in 2015. Since then it has been a decade straight of this pattern. Now going into the 2025 draft there is no reason to believe that will change this year.Â
That means that based on the NFL Combine results, some players will take themselves out of the running to be the Buccaneers first round pick. Even second round picks who don’t test very well are uncommon for this regime. If a prospect wants to play for the Bucs then they need to have a good workout.
Here are five potential Buccaneers prospects who need to test well at the NFL Combine.
Jihaad Campbell
The Buccaneers are in desperate need of a linebacker, particularly one who is good in coverage. This is exactly the skillset that Campbell brings to the table. On top of that, it is rumored that the Bucs are very interested in him.
However, a poor showing could take him out of consideration with their first round pick. At 6’3 and 245 lbs, Campbell looks like a good athlete for his size. In fact good is the word I would use to describe every part of his physical skill set.
His speed is good. Campbell’s agility looks good. His size is good. However, I don’t know if he’s great athletically. Campbell needs to show he is in that 90th percentile for all linebackers or he could be out of play for the Bucs.
Nic Scourton
Scourton is a pass rushing name that hasn’t received as much buzz as it should be for the Bucs. He has great size at 6’4 and 280 lbs and he’s had 15.0 sacks over the last two years. So why aren’t Bucs fans talking about him?
Perhaps because he doesn’t look like a great athlete. While Scourton is very flexible and uses his hands very well, he seems to lack explosiveness. His level of play jumps off the screen, but his athletic tools don’t.
If Scourton can prove that he is a top tier NFL athlete then I believe we will begin to see him connected to the Bucs more and more. If nowhere else, I will make the like between team and prospect here. But he has to clear those athletic thresholds first.
Xavier Watts
Watts projects as more of a second round player, but he’s everything the Bucs are looking for in a safety. He has 13 interceptions over the last two seasons at Notre Dame and he loves to come up and play the run. This is one of the most natural fits in the entire draft in my eyes.
The one knock against Watts is that he isn’t considered to be a top tier athlete. While he has the range to play as a single high safety, some question his straight line speed. The ability to close the gap in coverage is very important for a safety and that does require speed at the position.
Even with a great testing day, I don’t foresee Watts moving himself into the first round conversation. However, he can prove that he is the slam dunk second round pick for the Bucs that I view him as.
Jahdae Barron
If the Buccaneers are looking for a corner in this draft then Barron is a dream come true for them. He plays with a high level of intelligence and physicality and has the playmaking ability that this defense desperately needs. He is a perfect fit for what the Bucs are looking for.
Unfortunately, he’s not the perfect athlete that the Bucs typically target. Barron is only listed at 5’11 and the Bucs value size at the position. He also looks to have average speed which certainly won’t help his athletic profile.
Sadly, I don’t think Barrow will test the way he needs to for the Bucs to consider drafting him with the 19th overall pick. With that said, I really want him to because he’s a perfect fit for what the defense needs and how they want to play. Fingers crossed that we’ll be pleasantly surprised.Â
Donovan Ezeiruaku
Ezeiruaku is one of my favorite under the radar prospects in this draft. He’s very skilled with his pass rush moves, he has bend around the edge and he’s a feisty run defender. This is the prototype of a player that the Buccaneers are looking to add on the edge.
It’s likely that Ezeiruaku has already put himself on Licht’s radar. He was one of the standouts at the Senior Bowl and that’s another event that the Bucs have typically put a lot of stock into. I’d be willing to bet that the front office wants to fall in love with this prospect and put him in the running for their first round pick.
The only question is whether or not Ezeiruaku is a great athlete or not by NFL standards. At this point, he is considered a fringe first round pick with many mock drafts expecting him to go in the early second round. However, with a strong week at the NFL Combine then he could put himself in the first round conversations.
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