Advertisement

NFL draft photo gallery: Bucs picks, round by round

The Buccaneers use six of their eight picks to shore up their defense.
 
Published April 26, 2019|Updated April 28, 2019

First round (No. 5 overall pick)

[AP Photo/Mark Humphrey]

Who: Devin White

School: LSU

Position: Linebacker

How he fits: As the Bucs transition to a 3-4 defense, they like the idea of teaming a rare talent like White with veteran Lavonte David in the middle of the field. Inside linebacker is the most important position in the scheme because those players must know all of the assignments. And while it’s rare to see off-the-ball linebackers drafted so high, White is a freakish athlete with an elite football IQ and leadership qualities that stand out. You won’t find 4.4 speed from a 240-pound linebacker often. All in all, White is arguably the best all-around linebacker in the draft, as he showed the ability to be successful both as a pass rusher and in coverage.

Second round (No. 39 overall)

[Adam Ruff/Icon SMI via ZUMA Press]

Who: Sean Bunting

School: Central Michigan

Position: Cornerback

How he fits: In terms of available cornerbacks, there were bigger names on the board when the Bucs took Bunting, including LSU’s Greedy Williams. But Bunting possesses rare size and athleticism at the position. He’s a former three-sport athlete. He likes to be physical at the line of scrimmage, he’s aggressive with the ball in the air and has shown some strong determination over the course of his career. Bunting didn’t have any Division-I offers on National Signing Day and was gray-shirted coming into Central Michigan. As a redshirt junior, he logged 37 tackles, including three for a loss, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.

Third round (94th overall)

[AP Photo/Vasha Hunt]

Who: Jamel Dean

School: Auburn

Position: Cornerback

How he fits: The 6-foot-1, 206-point Dean has good size and rare speed. He clocked a 4.3 40 time at the combine. After being medically disqualified to play at Ohio State due to recurring knee injuries, he transferred to Auburn. He started two seasons with the Tigers, recording 30 tackles and 11 pass breakups in 2018 as a redshirt junior. While there, he played alongside Bucs cornerback Carlton Davis, with whom he will now compete for playing time.

Third round (99th overall)

[AP Photo/Bryan Woolston]

Spend your days with Hayes

Subscribe to our free Stephinitely newsletter

Columnist Stephanie Hayes will share thoughts, feelings and funny business with you every Monday.

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

Who: Mike Edwards

School: Kentucky

Position: Safety

How he fits: Edwards played safety at Kentucky but could be better fitted as a nickel corner at the NFL level. He played all 51 games in his college career, including 44 consecutive starts. He ranked second on the team in tackles (76), tackles for loss (nine), pass breakups (six) and interceptions (two). While Jamel Bunting and Sean Dean are more suited to line up on the outside, where they can use their size and athleticism to press opposing receivers and interrupt passes thrown their way, Edwards is more of a hard-nosed tackler who is better equipped to provide run support in the Bucs’ new 3-4 scheme.

Fourth round (107th overall)

[AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall]

Who: Anthony Nelson

School: Iowa

Position: Defensive end

How he fits: The Bucs entered the draft wanting to upgrade the defensive front, but most of the big-impact players there came off the board early. In the 6-foot-7, 271-pound Nelson, the Bucs took a defensive end who has shown the ability to get to the quarterback and offer run support. He logged 9-1/2 sacks and 13-1/2 tackles for loss. He played in a 4-3 defensive front in college, so there will be an adjustment to playing in the Bucs’ new 3-4 scheme. Tampa Bay could try to see how he handles playing inside, but Nelson would have to show strength to play in the trenches. He was a second-team All-Big Ten selection by the media and third-team pick by the coaches. He was also a second-team Academic All-American.

Fifth round (145th overall)

[AP Photo/Rick Scuteri]

Who: Matt Gay

School: Utah

Position: Kicker

How he fits: It’s an interesting question given the fact that they re-signed incumbent Cairo Santos and added Danish kicker Phillip Anderson as a project from the German Football League. Oh, and the last time the Bucs felt the need to draft a kicker, taking FSU’s Robert Aguayo in the second round three years ago, it was a disaster. That has little to do with Gay, because he’s an accomplished kicker with a big leg. He grew up as a soccer player and dreamed of playing professionally in Europe as a kid and even played the sport collegiately at Utah Valley before football became his future. He’s a two-time All-American and two-time first-team All-Pac-12 selection. He made 86.15 percent of his field goal attempts (56-for-65), the second-best success rate at Utah, and was a perfect 85-for-85 in extra points. Last year, he started just 3-for-6, including a pair of blocked kicks, but then went on to convert 17 straight attempts over his next six games, and 23 of 25 to end the season. Could also handle kickoff duties.

Sixth round (208th overall)

[Rich Von Biberstein/Icon SMI via ZUMA Press]

Who: Scotty Miller

School: Bowling Green

Position: Wide receiver

How he fits: We know the Bucs can move the ball down the field with their vertical passing game, and the team had the opportunity to add another weapon with a late-round selection. They appeared to do their homework on Miller, who received one D-I scholarship and didn’t receive an invite to the combine. That didn’t give him the opportunity to show his blazing 4.3 speed and kept Miller under the radar. The Bucs did a good scouting job by targeting him when other teams didn’t. Few teams knew of Miller’s speed, and it was worth a sixth-round pick to see if he can be a key piece to a Bucs offense that could use a deep threat after trading away DeSean Jackson in the offseason. He could end up being the hidden gem of their draft.

Seventh round (215th overall)

[AP Photo/L.G. Patterson]

Who: Terry Beckner Jr.

School: Missouri

Position: Defensive tackle

How he fits: Coming out of high school, Beckner was rated the No. 2 ranked recruit in the nation by ESPN, but he showed a lot of resilience to overcome serious injuries to regain promise as a draft prospect. His freshman and sophomore seasons were ended by knee injuries — one in each leg — but he returned to show some of the natural talent that made him so hyped coming out of high school. His key attribute is his strength, shown by his 28-rep bench press showing at the combine. And if he’s able to stay healthy, he offers the Bucs a lot of intrigue at interior defensive line spot where you know he’ll have the opportunity to prove he belongs.


Advertisement