By:
Jeremy Kenady
5/19/08
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers skipped trying
to gamble their picks, and instead drafted the people they felt
could make the roster immediately. They made a reach in the second,
but found that some players fell into their laps in the later
rounds. Here is my assessment of the Bucs' draft for 2008.
2008 NFL DRAFT ANALYSIS: TAMPA BAY
BUCCANEERS
Round 1 Pick 20 (20th
Overall)
CB Aqib Talib (Kansas) 6'1" 202 lbs.
The loss of Brian Kelly to the Lions
proved to be weighing heavily on the Buccaneers' minds. And with
Ronde Barber's retirement just over the horizon, the Bucs felt they
needed to make a move now, as they drafted Talib. Talib is a
terrific corner with tremendous potential, and should only improve
while playing for a defense that has produced many great players.
He is physical, has a nose for the ball, and was arguably one of the
best shut-down corners while playing at the collegiate level. Look
for him to compete for the starting job, although, Tampa may use him
as a nickel back early and place veteran Phillip Buchanon opposite
Barber in the starting line-up.
Round 2 Pick 27 (58th
Overall) (from Jaguars)
WR/KR Dexter Jackson (Appalachian
State) 5'10" 182 lbs.
The team knew, going into the draft,
they needed a young wide receiver to complement Joey Galloway to
help take some pressure off of him. Well, they drafted a player
listed as a wide receiver, but is primarily a kick returner.
Jackson has the ability to play wide receiver, but was not very
active in the offense at Appalachian State, but they are not known
for using an air-it-out system. When he was playing on the field,
he was able to make the big play, averaging 16.8 yards on 110
receptions. This, due to his speed (4.33 40) which has allowed him
to overcome his short-comings in size, to produce in college, and
possibly continue to do the same in the NFL. Look for him to
primarily return kicks for the Bucs, although he may come into the
offense to play a "Devin Hester" type role as a third or fourth
receiver.
Round 3 Pick 20 (83rd
Overall)
OL Jeremy Zuttah (Rutgers) 6'4" 303
lbs.
An offensive tackle while in college,
Zuttah's size, technique, power, and burst off the line of scrimmage
have many people predicting a move inside to guard or center, rather
than being "on an island" at offensive tackle. Zuttah was the
offensive line leader in college and has received great acclaim and
awards since his senior year in high school. He provides great
depth on the line for Tampa and may, with time, become a starter.
He definitely has the tools and mindset to excel at the professional
level. Look for Zuttah to be of quality depth for Tampa Bay this
season. If he does have a chance to play, he may surprise some
people.
Round 4 Pick 16 (115th
Overall) (from Dolphins through Bears)
DT Dre Moore (Maryland) 6'4" 305
lbs.
A versatile player who can slide into a
3-4 or 4-3 defensive scheme, Moore is a great value in the fourth
round. Very impressive strength and possessing a large frame are
some of the things that attracted scouts to him. He is yet another
player who can provide quality depth while having the potential to
step in at some point in his career and make plays happen.
Round 5 Pick 25 (160th
Overall) (from Chargers through Patriots)
QB Josh Johnson (San Diego State)
6'3" 198 lbs.
Another name to a long list of
quarterbacks to be stationed in Tampa Bay for the beginning of the
2008 NFL season. Johnson, on the other hand, is different from the
likes of a Chris Simms or a Brian Griese. Johnson has the skills to
make plays on the move; producing numbers with his feet (a la Mike
Vick). Johnson is the wild-card going into training camp as he
makes number 6 in the Tampa Bay quarterback lottery. Johnson has
potential but is raw coming out of a small division school and must
compete with Luke McCown and Bruce Gradkowski to even gain a spot on
the roster, but he has an upside that the others don't in his feet
that should make this quarterback competition interesting. If he
makes the roster, don't expect to see him play with Jeff Garcia and
five other veterans still on board.
Round 6 Pick 9 (175th
Overall) (from Bears)
LB Geno Hayes (Florida State) 6'1"
230 lbs.
For anybody who follows Florida State
football, this selection may come with some surprise. A 2007 1st
Team All-ACC selection, Hayes slipped further than most people
expected, giving the Buccaneers a terrific steal late in the draft.
Possesses great speed and quickness and has the versatility to play
either inside or outside linebacker. Has faced off-the-field
problems earlier in his collegiate career but has stated the
problems are behind him and is eager to begin playing for the
Buccaneers. He shouldn't have too many problems with Derrick
Brooks, a former Seminole, on the same team. Look for Hayes to
premier mainly on special teams in 2008.
Round 7 Pick 31 (238th
Overall) (from Patriots)
HB Cory Byrd (South Carolina) 6'1"
213
A diamond in the rough of sorts, Byrd
was a quiet offensive leader for the Gamecocks of South Carolina.
He lead mostly by example, with his bruising runs up the middle, yet
was quick enough to go outside to showcase his skilled, reliable
hands. It is rare to find a running back who can effectively pound
the ball up the middle who can also have the ability to be a
receiving threat out of the back field in the first round, let alone
in the seventh. Byrd is in a similar position to Josh Johnson: a
talented kid stuck behind numerous, capable veterans. Byrd has the
talent to make the roster, but the question is, "Will the Bucs have
enough room on the roster to house seven running backs by the start
of the season?" Look for Byrd to beat out a running back to secure
a spot on the roster by the time September 7th comes
around and the team ships out to New Orleans.
Final Analysis:
The Buccaneers made some smart choices
when drafting players to help them win now. Each player has
some potential, no picks are very questionable other than wide
receiver; so the Bucs must know they want to go with Antonio Bryant,
a free agency addition this off-season. Every pick from then allows
Bucs fans to know that the team feels confident that they have the
skills suited up to take them into the playoffs. My Grade: B
4
/22/08
Top Needs Entering the Draft:
1.) Play-Making Wide Receiver
The Bucs need a player who possesses
speed and physical toughness who also has a knack for making plays.
Joey Galloway, arguably their best offensive player, will be turning
37 in November; posing a threat to the security of the offense. Ike
Hilliard is a valuable piece to the puzzle in Tampa as he is a great
possession receiver, but he is 32. The team signed Antonio Bryant,
a player who has faced off-the-field problems and did not play last
year, and signed Ben Troupe from the Titans, who should upgrade the
passing game in the middle of the field. The Bucs may select a
receiver in the first round, and the players with a first round
grade are: Devin Thomas of Michigan State, Limas Sweed of Texas, and
DeSean Jackson of Cal. Second round possibilities are: James Hardy
of Indiana, Malcolm Kelly of Oklahoma, Mario Manningham of Michigan,
Early Doucet of LSU, and Donnie Avery of Houston.
2.) Starting Cornerback
Brian Kelly, a main-stay in the Tampa
Bay defensive secondary for many years, has departed, leaving an
empty spot opposite Ronde Barber. The current candidates for this
spot haven't proven themselves as starter material. Phillip
Buchanan, Sammy Davis and Torrie Cox are the top contenders. The
defense finished 1st in the league in pass defense in
2007 allowing only 170.5 yards per game; meaning their secondary may
not suffer too much, but will be better having this spot filled. If
the team decides to draft a corner in the first round, they may take
Michael Jenkins of South Florida, or Antoine Cason of Arizona. The
second round may harbor a corner if the Bucs take a receiver in the
first. The Buccaneers may be satisfied with Phillip Buchanon as the
starter and may focus on drafting a nickel back in the second
round. Second round corners are Aqib Talib of Kansas (if he
continues to slip as he has recently), Justin King of Penn State,
Brandon Flowers of Virginia Tech, Terrell Thomas of USC, and Charles
Godfrey of Iowa.
3.) Defensive Line
Look for the Bucs to possibly select a
defensive lineman in the third round. They need a young defensive
tackle who can help clog up the line-of-scrimmage to help force the
pass. They have Chris Hovan, who is a quality starter, and Ryan
Sims, who is a former first round pick who has not lived up to his
potential. Third round DT's are Ahtyba Rubin of Iowa State, DeMario
Pressley of NC State, Frank Okam of Texas, and Andre Fluellen of
Florida State. Trade talks with the Kansas City Chiefs have been
reported that could possibly land DE Jared Allen in Tampa Bay.
Whether this comes through or not, the Bucs may be in search of a
defensive end. Third round candidates here are Darrell Robertson of
Georgia Tech, Kendall Langford of Hampton, Lawrence Jackson of USC
and Cliff Avril of Purdue.
Off-Season Transactions:
DE Kevin Carter
Re-Signed
S Eugene Wilson Signed to a
1-year contract
TE Ben Troupe
Signed
WR Antonio Bryant Signed
RB Warrick Dunn
Signed to a 2-year contract
CB Sammy Davis
Re-Signed
LB Teddy Lehman Signed
LB Matt McCoy
Signed
LB Leon Joe
Signed to a 1-year contract
C Jeff Faine
Signed to a 6-year deal
QB Brian Griese
Traded For From Bears for 2009 Draft Choice
CB Brian Kelly
Cut
FB Mike Alstott
Retired
LB Jeremiah Trotter Cut
TE Anthony Becht Cut
TE Jerramy Stevens Cut
C John Wade
Cut
DE Greg Spires
Cut
2008 Draft Picks:
Round 1, Pick 20 (20)
Round 2, Pick 21 (52)
Round 3, Pick 20 (83)
Round 4, Pick 21 (120)
Round 5, Pick 18 (153)
The Bucs are a team that needs to make moves now. They were able to
reach the playoffs last year, and will accept nothing short of the
same this year. As the team ages in many key positions, the team
will be looking to make moves to keep them playing in the hopes of
participating in Super Bowl XLIII in their home town of Tampa,
Florida.