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2017 NFL draft, Day 2: Buccaneers add a safety, a receiver and a horseman

 
Justin Evans was the seventh safety taken in the NFL draft. [Icon Sportswire]
Justin Evans was the seventh safety taken in the NFL draft. [Icon Sportswire]
Published April 30, 2017

Day 2 in a word? Toughness.

With their first selection Friday night at the NFL draft, the Buccaneers added an aggressive safety in Justin Evans (50th overall), a competitive receiver and capable run blocker in Chris Godwin (84th), and a hard-hitting linebacker in Kendell Beckwith (107th). This team is going to be physical.

Here are some things you should know about the incoming rookies:

Justin Evans

1. Safety second: Tampa Bay's offseason plans so far have centered on adding big-play potential to the pass offense. After selecting tight end O.J. Howard in the first round of the draft Thursday night, the Bucs turned their attention to the pass defense, which allowed a league-high 96 plays of at least 16 yards last season. They're hoping Evans, a rangy thumper at Texas A&M, will develop into a reliable coverage safety. He did not allow a catch longer than 14 yards after September, according to Pro Football Focus.

2. He can return kicks, too: Evans averaged 28.5 yards per return on 15 kickoffs last season. Tampa Bay didn't return a single kick longer than his average. The team's 14.6 yards per return weren't just a league low; they were a historic low.

3. Tackling is a concern: A consequence of being too aggressive at times, Evans missed 38 tackles over his past two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus. No safety taken before him missed more than 17.

2016 highlights:

• Texas A&M vs. Alabama, Oct. 22

• Texas A&M vs. LSU, Nov. 24

• • •

Chris Godwin

1. Bucs resume search for #WeaponsforWinston: As Tampa Bay waited for its turn in Round 3, four receivers came off the board. At No. 84, the Bucs secured a potential deep threat in Godwin. At Penn State, he caught 14 of 16 catchable deep targets (passes at least 20 yards downfield) for 504 yards and seven touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus.

2. Godwin doesn't give up: No game showcases his knack for making contested catches and his ability to adjust to off-target passes more than his Rose Bowl performance against USC in January (highlights below). He caught one of his two touchdown passes against Adoree' Jackson, the Titans' No. 18 overall selection.

3. Block party: Even though Tampa Bay hasn't added an offensive lineman in the draft, it has upgraded its run blocking. Like Howard, Godwin is a willing and effective blocker.

2016 highlights:

• Penn State vs. Michigan State, Nov. 26

• Penn State vs. USC, Jan. 2

• • •

Kendell Beckwith

1. For a linebacker, Beckwith's big: At 6-foot-3, 247 pounds, he's the largest linebacker on the Bucs roster. Kwon Alexander, his teammate at LSU in 2013 and 2014, is 6-foot-1, 227 pounds.

2. Beckwith might not have sideline-to-sideline range, but he's fearless in the middle of the field: NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock calls him a "downhill, square-you-up, knock-you-on-your-butt type of player." Once his torn ACL heals, it sounds as though he'll fit right in with Tampa Bay's linebacking corps.

3. Beckwith's first love? Horses: He has owned eight horses and cares for three now. "I pretty much grew up loving horses more than football," Beckwith told nola.com in 2015. "I've grown to love the game. Being a horseman would be my first (choice). Horses will always be No. 1 in my life."

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2016 highlights:

• LSU vs. Wisconsin, Sept. 3

• LSU vs. Mississippi State, Sept. 17

Contact Thomas Bassinger at tbassinger@tampabay.com. Follow @tometrics.