The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in need of pass rushers. With Haason Reddick leaving in free agency after an underwhelming year, the team needs to bring in his replacement. Improving the pass rush will be a very high priority this offseason.
However, not every edge rusher is created equal. Even among projected first round picks, not every talented player will be a fit for the Bucs. This just being based on the system they play and what they ask their edge rushers to do.
A lot of names have been connected to the Bucs in recent mock drafts. Names like Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell and Auburn’s Keldric Faulk have been commonly projected as likely picks for Tampa Bay. Recently, a new name has become linked to the Bucs as well.
The Miami Duo
Miami has a pair of high profile pass rushers in this draft. One is Rueben Bain, who is expected to go before the Bucs have a chance to pick him. The other is Ahkeem Mesidor and that is who some are beginning to believe will be the pick at 15th overall.
Mesidor does fit the need of a pass rusher as someone who had 12.5 sacks last year (which led the ACC). But is he the right fit? Here’s how I view the other Miami edge rusher and how he fits with the Buccaneers.
In watching his film, I found Mesidor to be a very well rounded player. He’s a big body player at 6’3 and 260+ lbs, but he’s pretty light on his feet. He was even asked to drop into coverage more than I expected for someone who plays as more of a hand in the dirt guy and we know that Todd Bowles will love that.Â
Mesidor brings good burst off the line of scrimmage. He combines that with good bend around the edge to pressure the quarterback. He’s a very nice blend of speed, bend and power.
Where Mesidor is at his best is when he’s running games along the defensive line. He’s very good at stunts inside that keep the guards and tackles confused. This is where his size and speed really shine at their best.
Sounds perfect, right? Here comes the caveat
While Mesidor is very good at stunting inside, he really isn’t special in the other aspects of his game. Yes, his bend is pretty good, but it’s not good enough to consistently win around the edge as a speed rusher. He moves well for his size, but he might not move well enough to play as a stand up outside linebacker in the Buccaneers defense.
He also isn’t big enough to play the 4i defensive end role that Logan Hall played in recent years. The Bucs have said they want to get bigger and 265 lbs just isn’t big enough to play as a hand in the dirt defensive lineman in this defense. That makes him a bit of a tweener for what the team wants to do.Â
Beyond this being a less than ideal fit, Mesidor is an older prospect with an injury history. He will be a 25 year old rookie and will be a 30 year old edge rusher at the end of a five year rookie contract. So if you’re hoping to develop this guy to a point where he could do the things the Bucs need him to, that doesn’t leave a lot of time for him to really change and adapt his game.Â
When it comes right down to it, Mesidor just isn’t a good fit for the Buccaneers. His skillset just isn’t what the Bucs are looking for in an edge and this defense wouldn’t maximize his talent. He might be the trendy pick in mock drafts right now, but come April I will be pretty surprised if the Bucs go in this direction.
For more from J.T. click here, then make sure to follow him on Twitter.
