Drafting Sheldon Rankins at number 9?

Every Bucs fan realizes that the pass rush needs to be upgraded this offseason and that process has already begun with the signing of Robert Ayers, but what about the draft? The top local source to all Bucs news Pewterreport.com has the Bucs taking defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins with the ninth overall pick. Per Scott Reynolds of Pewterreport.com

ROUND 1 – Louisville DT Sheldon Rankins – 6-1, 299 – Junior Why a defensive tackle with the ninth overall selection when defensive end is the more pressing need? This pick probably comes as a surprise to most Bucs fans, but drafting for need rarely leads to success in the NFL. Defensive tackle is the strongest position in this draft and the Bucs are poised to grab the best prospect. Great three-technique defensive tackles like Rankins, who compares favorably to Pro Bowler Geno Atkins, who was coached by new defensive line coach Jay Hayes in Cincinnati, are hard to find, and typically go in the first round. 

I stand to agree with Pewterreport on this one as he has done nothing but produce at the college level with 18 sacks and 31.5 tackles for loss in 4 years. What makes Rankins special is his quickness and strength. The way Rankins can move for a man 300 lbs is very rare. Although only 6'1, Rankins rarely gets pushed back away from the play. He has a natural nose for the ball and a consistent motor that can be seen as he frequently runs the play down from behind. Louisville didn't utilize Rankins to his fullest abilities as he was often split out wide to take on longer left tackles in space which isn't his game.

The comparison to Geno Atkins fits the bill in my opinion. Both stand 6'1 but Rankins arms are longer (33 5/8 inches) which will only help with leverage. Rankins is best at using his quickness inside where he abuses slower guards and centers. He would be an upgrade to the pass rush but wouldn't solve the lack of edge rush the Bucs need. Drafting Rankins would be a prime example of drafting talent over need as the Bucs have Clint McDonald and Akeem Spence who are both better than average defensive tackles.

The Bucs are sitting in a good position at number 9 as they will have a tough yet welcomed decision to choose between Rankins and most likely the best defensive end that will be on the board in Shaq Lawson.

Jay Hayes Will Bring Production!

What is there to say when it pertains to the Bucs defensive line other than it has been pretty pathetic for a while now. Haven't had a defensive lineman with double digit sacks since Simeon Rice in 2005 which was a decade ago. The Bucs have a star in defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who has averaged over 8 sacks the past three years, but have yet been able to find someone to pair with him. I could list the names but it just brings disappointment to my face, however the constant change with defensive line coaches is interesting. 

From 2010 to the present, the Bucs have had 5 different dline coaches with Todd Walsh, Keith Millard, Randy Melvin, Joe Cullen, and now Jay Hayes. The past coaches have failed to produce any consistency with the pass rush, however one could argue the talent has been subpar except for McCoy during this time. But let’s not dwell on the past, the present is what matters and new defensive line coach Jay Hayes is going to bring production to this unit.

Jay Hayes comes from Cincinnati where he was the dline coach for the past 13 years, and has developed that unit into one of the league’s best. The Bengals dline accounted for 37.5 of their 42 sacks on the season, with Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins leading the way with both over 10 sacks on the year. Jay Hayes will make this Bucs dline tough and physical, and relentless which every dline should process.

 I can see Hayes making guys like Jack Smith, Howard Jones, William Gholston, and even McCoy all better players which hopefully leads to an more consistent attack for the dline. Jay Hayes will be a fan favorite if he can bring the production that he had with Cincinnati, and it will lead to more wins which is what really matters.