Leading upto the Draft, I will list a number of Buccaneer mock synarios, based upon player availability, and our first overall selection, and positional needs.
No Trades!
Rd #1 - Joe Haden - CB - Florida Gators - 5-11/190
This may not be the popular pick, so let me explain my choice.
The Bucs biggest need is without doubt, DT, however, with the big 2 off the board, and two pics in Rd2, they'll look to address the position later.
Eric Berry would be most peoples choice, but I can't imagine using the #3 overall pic on a Safety, especially in Raheem Morris's evolving Tampa 2. The draft is deep at the position and can be addressed (again) later.
That being said, it was 1997 when the last CB was drafted in the top 3, but with so many willing to select a S with the #3 overall pic, why not the best CB in the draft?
Some will argue that Berry can play CB as well, that may be true, but I've yet to see any real evidence of this, and IMO, his backpedal isn't good enough as a CB, he has a tendency to get too high.
He may be a great athlete, but he failed to impress me the two or three times I watched him this year, especially as a Safety in Monte Kiffins Tampa 2, (which he would be using (to a point) in Tampa) he takes poor angles against the run, and appears to lack upper body strength.
With Joe Haden, the Bucs are getting the best CB in the draft, a possible lock down corner, who would solidify the Bucs secondary for years, alongside former 1st rd pic Aquib Talib.
In effect, this may pro-long the career of Ronde Barber, by allowing him to move inside and play nickel, hopefully, this would allow Ronde to help coach up Haden in the process?
With the lack of real pressure from the front four, Morris elected to use Tampa's LB's to add pressure against the pass, with the addition of Haden, this would be less of a gamble.
He has a terrific closing burst, very fluid hips, and has long speed to play on island, in addition, he's a physical corner who gets a nice jam at LOS, he's not afraid to "mix it up", and he's terrific in run support, and to which, he's able to locate the football very well in air.
In 2009, he 45 solo tackles, and 12 asstd, 3 sacks, 1 FF, and 4 Int's.
Think of it like this, if 35 year old Ronde Barber gets injured, his replacement will be Elbert Mack.....
Rd 2a - Jared Odrick - DT - Penn State - 6-5/308
With McCoy off the board, the Bucs address the DT position, Odrick is a great penetrator, who knows how to get up the field and disrupt. Quick and agile with a great motor, has the frame to bulk up if req'd, though needs some work against the run.
Alternate: Tyson Alualu - Cal - 6-2/291
Rd 2b - Damian Williams - WR - USC - 6-1/190
I'm not sure why, but Williams seems to be slipping down charts into the 2nd rd? In all honesty I'd be stunned if he was still available at this point, but if he is, we grab him with both hands, something he's been doing with the passes thrown his way his entire career.
IMO, he's arguably the best WR/PR in the draft, "IF" he has a weakness, it may be his blocking and pure speed, outside of that, he ticks every box.
Alternate: Andre Roberts - The Citadel - 5-11/192
Rd 3 - Jared Veldheer - OT- Hillsdale - 6-8/315
Left tackle Jared Veldheer made it hard for scouts to take their eyes off him at the Texas vs. Nation Game, he is odds-on favorites to be the highest-drafted player from this game. Veldheer is this year's version of Sebastian Vollmer, the Houston offensive tackle who wowed scouts enough at the 2009 East-West practices to earn a late second-round pick by the Patriots (and a starting spot on the right side). His athleticism -- at 6-8, 315 pounds -- is astounding and he plays with real toughness and consistent arm extension in pass protection. After he runs a sub-5.0 40-yard dash at the Combine, he's almost assured of being a top-75 selection. Fingers crossed Trueblood will be allowed to leave in FA, should he get any offers?
Alternate: Jason Fox - OT - Miami (Fla.) 6-6/314
Rd 4 - Clifton Geathers - DE - South Carolina - 6-7/281
Junior defensive end who started opposite Cliff Matthews. He gained a significant amount of experience, seeing action in 24 of the 25 games over the past two seasons. Has excellent size and athletic ability, powerful athlete with long arms and good reach, he also comes from a tremendous family tree of football standouts.
IMO, he has tremendous upside, size and shape to make a very good NFL defensive end, and a great belief in himself, along with a great work ethic.
The only downside, only 1 year of starting experience in college, (like JPP) he's shown flashes of brilliance but nothing sustained, he'll be a project.
Rd 5 - Harry Coleman - SS - LSU - 6-2/206
Harry Coleman, SS, LSU: He led the Tigers with 71 tackles from the strong safety spot in 2008, but coaches moved Coleman to strong-side linebacker because of his speed and secure tackling. He has held up his end of the bargain as a senior, racking up 52 tackles (including five in their 42-0 win over Tulane), five for loss, two sacks, three pass breakups and three forced fumbles. Unless he can bulk up to 230 pounds or so, it's likely Coleman will slide back to safety as a rookie. But unlike many safeties who get moved to linebacker in college, Coleman's coverage skills are more than adequate to play as an in-the-box safety at the next level.
Rd 6 - Seyi Ajirotutu - WR - Fresno State - 6-3/211
West squad coach Marty Schottenheimer specifically mentioned Fresno State WR Seyi Ajirotutu as a prospect that stood out at East-West Shrine Game practices. Schottenheimer isn't the only one talking up Ajirotutu, who led the Bulldogs in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns in 2009. "He reminds me a lot of Vincent Jackson or Malcom Floyd in San Diego," Schottenheimer said. "He is a big kid and can run like the wind. I've been very impressed by him."
Rd 7a - John Conner - FB - Kentucky - 5-11/240
Conner is among the only true fullbacks worthy of draft consideration. The former walk-on played in a school record 54 games for the Wildcats and is not only a devastating lead blocker, but an underrated runner and receiver.
Rd 7b - LaMarcus Coker - RB - Hampton - 5-10/205
This season Coker was the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's leading rusher, totaling 1,027 yards and six touchdowns for the Pirates, who finished with a 5-6 record. He is hoping NFL teams will recognize the changes in his personal life. "It's hard to just say something that will make everybody believe you," he said. "The only thing I can do is keep doing the right things." In a second-floor room at the Coker family residence, there are three photos of LaMarcus scoring touchdowns at UT. In one, the closest defender is 20 yards behind him. There are two huge trophies Coker won in high school. There is also a wall with goals, including three pictures of Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson, considered the NFL's fastest player. In 2008, Johnson set an NFL Combine record by running the 40-yard dash in 4.24 seconds. At the East Coast Bowl in Petersburg, Va., last month, Coker ran the 40 in 4.28. He looks at the pictures and smiles. "If I saw Johnson on Second Avenue, I'd ask him to race me from one streetlight to another," Coker said, laughing. And who would win? "It would be close," he said.
No Trades!
Rd #1 - Joe Haden - CB - Florida Gators - 5-11/190
This may not be the popular pick, so let me explain my choice.
The Bucs biggest need is without doubt, DT, however, with the big 2 off the board, and two pics in Rd2, they'll look to address the position later.
Eric Berry would be most peoples choice, but I can't imagine using the #3 overall pic on a Safety, especially in Raheem Morris's evolving Tampa 2. The draft is deep at the position and can be addressed (again) later.
That being said, it was 1997 when the last CB was drafted in the top 3, but with so many willing to select a S with the #3 overall pic, why not the best CB in the draft?
Some will argue that Berry can play CB as well, that may be true, but I've yet to see any real evidence of this, and IMO, his backpedal isn't good enough as a CB, he has a tendency to get too high.
He may be a great athlete, but he failed to impress me the two or three times I watched him this year, especially as a Safety in Monte Kiffins Tampa 2, (which he would be using (to a point) in Tampa) he takes poor angles against the run, and appears to lack upper body strength.
With Joe Haden, the Bucs are getting the best CB in the draft, a possible lock down corner, who would solidify the Bucs secondary for years, alongside former 1st rd pic Aquib Talib.
In effect, this may pro-long the career of Ronde Barber, by allowing him to move inside and play nickel, hopefully, this would allow Ronde to help coach up Haden in the process?
With the lack of real pressure from the front four, Morris elected to use Tampa's LB's to add pressure against the pass, with the addition of Haden, this would be less of a gamble.
He has a terrific closing burst, very fluid hips, and has long speed to play on island, in addition, he's a physical corner who gets a nice jam at LOS, he's not afraid to "mix it up", and he's terrific in run support, and to which, he's able to locate the football very well in air.
In 2009, he 45 solo tackles, and 12 asstd, 3 sacks, 1 FF, and 4 Int's.
Think of it like this, if 35 year old Ronde Barber gets injured, his replacement will be Elbert Mack.....
Rd 2a - Jared Odrick - DT - Penn State - 6-5/308
With McCoy off the board, the Bucs address the DT position, Odrick is a great penetrator, who knows how to get up the field and disrupt. Quick and agile with a great motor, has the frame to bulk up if req'd, though needs some work against the run.
Alternate: Tyson Alualu - Cal - 6-2/291
Rd 2b - Damian Williams - WR - USC - 6-1/190
I'm not sure why, but Williams seems to be slipping down charts into the 2nd rd? In all honesty I'd be stunned if he was still available at this point, but if he is, we grab him with both hands, something he's been doing with the passes thrown his way his entire career.
IMO, he's arguably the best WR/PR in the draft, "IF" he has a weakness, it may be his blocking and pure speed, outside of that, he ticks every box.
Alternate: Andre Roberts - The Citadel - 5-11/192
Rd 3 - Jared Veldheer - OT- Hillsdale - 6-8/315
Left tackle Jared Veldheer made it hard for scouts to take their eyes off him at the Texas vs. Nation Game, he is odds-on favorites to be the highest-drafted player from this game. Veldheer is this year's version of Sebastian Vollmer, the Houston offensive tackle who wowed scouts enough at the 2009 East-West practices to earn a late second-round pick by the Patriots (and a starting spot on the right side). His athleticism -- at 6-8, 315 pounds -- is astounding and he plays with real toughness and consistent arm extension in pass protection. After he runs a sub-5.0 40-yard dash at the Combine, he's almost assured of being a top-75 selection. Fingers crossed Trueblood will be allowed to leave in FA, should he get any offers?
Alternate: Jason Fox - OT - Miami (Fla.) 6-6/314
Rd 4 - Clifton Geathers - DE - South Carolina - 6-7/281
Junior defensive end who started opposite Cliff Matthews. He gained a significant amount of experience, seeing action in 24 of the 25 games over the past two seasons. Has excellent size and athletic ability, powerful athlete with long arms and good reach, he also comes from a tremendous family tree of football standouts.
IMO, he has tremendous upside, size and shape to make a very good NFL defensive end, and a great belief in himself, along with a great work ethic.
The only downside, only 1 year of starting experience in college, (like JPP) he's shown flashes of brilliance but nothing sustained, he'll be a project.
Rd 5 - Harry Coleman - SS - LSU - 6-2/206
Harry Coleman, SS, LSU: He led the Tigers with 71 tackles from the strong safety spot in 2008, but coaches moved Coleman to strong-side linebacker because of his speed and secure tackling. He has held up his end of the bargain as a senior, racking up 52 tackles (including five in their 42-0 win over Tulane), five for loss, two sacks, three pass breakups and three forced fumbles. Unless he can bulk up to 230 pounds or so, it's likely Coleman will slide back to safety as a rookie. But unlike many safeties who get moved to linebacker in college, Coleman's coverage skills are more than adequate to play as an in-the-box safety at the next level.
Rd 6 - Seyi Ajirotutu - WR - Fresno State - 6-3/211
West squad coach Marty Schottenheimer specifically mentioned Fresno State WR Seyi Ajirotutu as a prospect that stood out at East-West Shrine Game practices. Schottenheimer isn't the only one talking up Ajirotutu, who led the Bulldogs in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns in 2009. "He reminds me a lot of Vincent Jackson or Malcom Floyd in San Diego," Schottenheimer said. "He is a big kid and can run like the wind. I've been very impressed by him."
Rd 7a - John Conner - FB - Kentucky - 5-11/240
Conner is among the only true fullbacks worthy of draft consideration. The former walk-on played in a school record 54 games for the Wildcats and is not only a devastating lead blocker, but an underrated runner and receiver.
Rd 7b - LaMarcus Coker - RB - Hampton - 5-10/205
This season Coker was the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's leading rusher, totaling 1,027 yards and six touchdowns for the Pirates, who finished with a 5-6 record. He is hoping NFL teams will recognize the changes in his personal life. "It's hard to just say something that will make everybody believe you," he said. "The only thing I can do is keep doing the right things." In a second-floor room at the Coker family residence, there are three photos of LaMarcus scoring touchdowns at UT. In one, the closest defender is 20 yards behind him. There are two huge trophies Coker won in high school. There is also a wall with goals, including three pictures of Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson, considered the NFL's fastest player. In 2008, Johnson set an NFL Combine record by running the 40-yard dash in 4.24 seconds. At the East Coast Bowl in Petersburg, Va., last month, Coker ran the 40 in 4.28. He looks at the pictures and smiles. "If I saw Johnson on Second Avenue, I'd ask him to race me from one streetlight to another," Coker said, laughing. And who would win? "It would be close," he said.
