First Semester Is Over For Buccaneers Draft Picks. How Did They Grade?

by Douglas O'Connor
follow on Twitter @Ren_Daxt

     There was plenty of opinions on how the Buccaneers 2016 draft went. Claims that the Bucs had found 4 new starters, if you count a kicker as a starter. To cries calling for Jason Licht's head for drafting a Kicker in the 2nd round. I'm going to recap each pick and assign it a letter grade based on where the player was taken and how they have impacted the the team.

Vernon Hargreaves: Touted as the best cover corner in the draft, fell to the Bucs when they moved down 2 spots from 9 the the 11th pick. Hargreaves was inserted as the starting nickle back during training camp while playing the outside on the 2nd team. During the preseason Vernon was grading out as the best corner in the league, due mostly to a 2 interception game against the Jaguars. Only a few games into the season and VH3 has moved to a starting outside corner spot. Essentially benching Alterraun Verner and his $6.7 million contract. He's 4th on the team with 23 TOT and caused an interception on Monday night, deflecting a ball into the air that LB Daryl Smith circled under to complete the turnover.
My Grade: I'm giving Hargreaves an A. Besides all the reasons mentioned above there is no other position in the NFL that is a harder transition from college to the pro's, besides quarterback, than corner. Recently Head Coach gave Vernon high praise, when he mentioned that Hargreaves was low maintenance. Translation, you can treat  him like a veteran. He knows his assignment, he's where he's supposed to be in the defense, you don't have to hold his hand.

Noah Spence: Considered the best pure pass rushing defensive end in the draft and was linked to the Bucs with their 1st pick, early in mock drafts. Taken in the 2nd round as an answer to the Buccaneers decade drought of not having a 10+ sack man. Noah was praised for having great hands and an array of rush moves during training camp. His edge speed is undeniable, but fans quickly learned that he is to small to stand up against the run. Even with all the injuries along the defensive line Spence is still being used as a situational pass rusher.
My Grade: Noah earns a B. You may think this is a little generous but he does have one sack, one off the team lead. If that's still isn't enough to convince you checkout this clip. Spence is at the top of the screen.
  

Noah Spence here with a nice swim move getting pressure. If he holds it 1/2 a second longer he's on the gro... https://t.co/gZinztOiWO

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) October 16, 2016

He's going to be special.

Roberto Aguayo: Regarded as the best kicker, well ever. The Bucs gave up their 3rd round pick and the 4th rounder that the acquired in the Giants trade to move up and take this once in a generation kicker. The Bucs let loose of all his competition before training camp. Aguayo couldn't lose his job unless his leg fell off. That didn't keep him from trying though.
My Grade: D. The game winner against Carolina on Monday night saved Roberto from a failing grade. Actually I like the pick of Aguayo, but he has to kick for the Bucs for the next 10 years to ever grade out as an A draft pick.

Ryan Smith: Picked in the 4th round from North Carolina Central University. Brought into play safety even though he played corner back in college. A broken hand in the preseason has slowed Smith's progress. Mike Smith is bringing him along slowly in hopes that he's ready to go if the injury bug bites.
My Grade: C. Hard to give him a grade due to the lack of playing time. It is a bit concerning that he isn't getting any snaps at the position that is easily to worst on the team. On the plus side Ryan does return kickoffs for the Bucs and not a skill everyone possesses.

Caleb Benenoch: 5th round pick Benenoch came out his junior year when most draft experts thought he would improve his stock with another year at UCLA. There is some obscure NCAA rule about being in school and practicing with an NFL team. It's only a problem if your university grade on a trimester system. Guess which system UCLA uses? Due to this Caleb missed OTA's and fell behind.
My Grade: B. Caleb got a slow start but did make the team at the deepest position on the team. He also can play all 3 line positions and has been active for every game.

Devante Bond: Was all primed to have a breakout senior year at the University of Oklahoma. An ankle injury derailed most of his senior season but the Bucs found him and drafted Devante in the 6th round. Bond was drafted to take over for bridge free agent signee Daryl Smith once he learns the SAM LB position. Bond was put on IR with a hamstring injury and might return later this year.
My Grade: Incomplete. Bond could be the starting strong side linebacker next year or he could be on the street. Time will tell.
    I found this highlight reel of Devante back in his JuCo days, he was a man amongst boys.



Dan Vitale: Best fullback in the draft was the buzz. Jason Licht has used late round picks to try to find his team a lead blocker. Buc fans thought they had their man in the 6th round draft pick from Northwestern. Even though Vitale was an instant fan favorite his lack of blocking ability doomed him in the end.
My Grade: I'm giving Danny a C. Now hear me out. Late round draft picks aren't supposed to make good teams. Also, others must like his skill set because he's been picked from the Bucs practice squad twice. If Vitale was drafted in any earlier rounder his grade would be lower.

     You can follow us at our official Twitter feed @realbucstalk. As always thanks for reading and Go Bucs!

Offense Will Go As The O-line Does

A pleasant surprise from last year was how much the oline had improved. The line had 4 new starters as rookie 2nd round picks Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet were plug and play players to go along with additions Joe Hawley and Gosder Cherilus. The line was pretty much was patched together and still played well enough to clear paths for a 1400 yard season by Doug Martin and a 4000 yard season for rookie QB Jameis Winston.

This year the bucs will have returning starters in Smith, Marpet, Hawley and Dotson to go along with new prized free agent pick up J.R. Sweezy whom seems to be a classic mauler. The O-line is where it all starts for this Buccaneer offense as Winston needs time to throw and Martin needs holes to run through and it seems as if they will have that with this group. Smith and Marpet with a year under their belt will only continue to grow as players and build on their great rookie campaigns.

The O-line may be the strongest group on this team as not only do they have a strong starting 5, they have depth to go with it in Evan Smith, Kevin Pamphile, Gosder Cherlius and now 5th round pick Caleb Benenoch. O-line coach George Warhop had the line gelling last year and they were just slapped together. Lets see what the line can do with a year of continuity and added talent. Before you think about how Winston, Evans and Martin are doing, remember that it all starts up front and they benefit from the big uglies in the trenches.

Day 3 Recap

The theme of this 2016 draft for the Bucs was versatility, especially on day 3 as they added guys who can play multiple positions. Bucs added guys that will improve the overall team's depth and all of them will have an impact on special teams. Most importantly, they have the potential to be starters whether it's this year or in future seasons which is what you want from your draft classes. Here is a recap of each day 3 pick below.

4th Round 108th- Ryan Smith- S/CB North Carolina Central

Smith is 5'11 190lbs, is super athletic with 4.4 speed which allows him to cover ground quickly to make plays on the ball. Smith has outstanding work ethic and loves the game. He is smart and has good instincts as a player. Bucs will start him out at safety but can play corner as well, and can also return kicks. Smith should have an impact this season, more on him here (Click Here)

5th Round 148th- Caleb Benenoch- OT/OG UCLA

Benenoch is massive at 6'5 311lbs and was a very productive starter as he started 35 games at UCLA with 31 starts at Right Tackle. Bucs see Benenoch as someone who can provide depth across the offensive line and could be a starter for the 2017 season. He was projected as a third round pick, so to get him in the 5th is great value. 

6th Round 183th - Devonte Bond- LB Oklahoma

Bond is 6'1 235lbs, very instinctive player, high football IQ, and will have an impact on special teams. Bond will provide depth at the linebacker position and could be a future starter at the SAM linebacker position. Bond is solid in coverage and excels as a blitzing LB due to his ability to shred blocks with good hand technique.

6th Round 197th- Dan Vitale- FB Northwestern

Vitale is 6'0 239lbs, he is a jack of all trades as he can block, catch, and can run with the ball. Bucs look to use Vitale as a H-back where he will play FB and TE, giving the offense more flexibility. Vitale gives Jameis Winston another weapon in the passing game and can lead block for Doug Martin as well. Good value pick here by the Bucs.