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Bucs' draft wish list: Players coming at you like a wrecking ball

 
Michigan Wolverines defensive end Taco Charlton (33) prays before the start of the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl between the Florida Gators and Michigan Wolverines at Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Fla., on Friday, Jan. 1, 2016.
Michigan Wolverines defensive end Taco Charlton (33) prays before the start of the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl between the Florida Gators and Michigan Wolverines at Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Fla., on Friday, Jan. 1, 2016.
Published April 23, 2017

TAMPA — There is a running back for every occasion in the NFL draft this year. You have power backs (Leonard Fournette), slashing/three-down backs (Dalvin Cook) and even Swiss Army knife backs (Christian McCaffrey).

Bucs coach Dirk Koetter has watched them all, and there is a chance his team will be lucky enough to grab one when Tampa Bay picks 19th overall Thursday.

But regardless of the position, what Koetter says is more important in the first round is finding a player who can single-handedly change the outcome of games.

"There's guys at every position, we call them game-wreckers," Koetter said. "There's guys who are game-wreckers, and there's other guys that you say, 'Yeah, that's a nice player, he's going to make your team,' based on what our needs are and who's available. But every team is looking for a game-wrecker with that first pick at whatever position he plays."

Let's put aside the running back position for a moment. What the Bucs are searching for is a player who can cut the opponent's game plan into little paper dolls.

A shutdown corner who is on receivers like shingles. A pass rusher who makes the quarterback forget the snap count. A tight end who could grab 10 rebounds a game in the NBA and leap over linebackers in a single bound. A receiver with the kind of speed to turn a check down into a touchdown.

"I'd like to think that we have quite a few players that we think could be game-wreckers," general manager Jason Licht said. "I don't want to get into the number. Like I said, you never know what can happen. One domino can fall and people move up for a certain position. This is a good draft, this is a deep draft, we're excited about what we think might be there at 19 if we stay there."

So let's consider a handful at several positions other than running back that might still be on the board for the Bucs' first-round pick.

John Ross, WR, Washington

You may recall Ross ran a 4.22 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine, breaking Chris Johnson's record of 4.24 in 2008. Coming off ACL surgery that forced him to miss 2015, Ross' production was crazy last season: 81 catches for 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns (tied for second in the nation). Bucs WR DeSean Jackson is 30. Ross could be the long-term sidekick for Mike Evans. In the meantime, it would be fun working him in the slot and watching him return kicks.

David Njoku, TE, Miami

It wouldn't be insane to take this 'Cane. Sure, the Bucs have Cameron Brate, who led all tight ends with eight touchdown catches last season. But imagine trying to design coverage for Brate, Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson and Njoku. At 6 feet 4, 246 pounds, he is one of the most athletic players in the draft. He runs a 4.64 40-yard dash and can play outside or be an inline blocker. Njoku was a national high jump champion at 220 pounds in high school. Alabama's O.J. Howard is considered the best tight end in the draft and is likely to be gone before the Bucs pick. Njoku is a young football player who leaves Miami as a redshirt sophomore and started only nine games in two seasons. He's only going to get bigger — and better.

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Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan

Who doesn't love Taco night? Charlton has a rare combination of size (6-6, 277) and athleticism to become an elite edge rusher in a 4-3 defense. He started only one season at Michigan, but things clicked and he finished with 91/2 sacks and 13 tackles for loss last season. "The thing about me, too, is look at my pass-rush moves," Charlton said. "I've done a little of everything. My arsenal is wide, I can stab, I can bull, I can spin. I can speed rush. So, the arsenal I have and the combination of all the positions I've played."

Adoree' Jackson, CB, USC

One of the best athletes in the draft, Jackson also played some receiver and returned kicks for the Trojans. But he was the Jim Thorpe Award winner as the nation's best defensive back after posting five INTs and 11 pass breakups. He scored four times on returns, two on kickoffs and two on punts. At 5-11, 186 pounds, he might struggle in run support or against the bigger wideouts. But you can't ignore his play-making ability to, well, wreck games.

Obi Melifonwu, S, UConn

At 6-4, 224 pounds, Melifonwu has elite size for an NFL safety. He started four years at UConn, and that experience should allow him to have an immediate impact. Melifonwu was the Huskies' top tackler in 2016, making 118 hits, 21/2 for loss, while leading the team with four interceptions and breaking up three other passes. The Bucs re-signed Chris Conte and signed Cowboys free agent J.J. Wilcox to go with Keith Tandy, but Melifonwu has the complete game and range to button up the back end of Mike Smith's defense.