Look For The Bucs to Address D-Line Today

Today should be the day the Bucs address the defensive line as there are plenty of D-line talent still available. Top targets will likely be one of the following in Noah Spence, Shilique Calhoun, Kevin Dodd, and Emmanuel Ogbah for their pick at 39th overall. The Bucs gambled on pass rushers falling into the second round and they won as there are plenty of good ones left. If somehow Noah Spence makes it to pick 39, expect the Bucs to turn in the card quickly. Personally if Spence is gone, I would go with Shilique Calhoun who has an explosive first step and is fast off the edge.

If for some reason pass rushers go early before the Bucs pick, I could see the Bucs go in many different directions. They could stay on defense and take either LB Myles Jack or safety Vonn Bell whom both would be great value picks. Or the Bucs could go offense and take one of the following in OT Jason Spriggs, WR Tyler Boyd, or Wr Baxton Miller to make the offense stronger.

Then possibilities for the third round for me would be defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, OT Shon Coleman, or possibly DE Alex Mccalister. The Bucs could very well trade up into the late second round to get one of these three or if they get their edge rusher early, they could target a Baxton Miller whom I know the Bucs have tons of interest in. The good news is Bucs Gm Jason Licht will stay true to his board so look for him to add two impact players tonight. However, I expect the Bucs to add at least one defensive lineman tonight so keep an eye out for that.

Who Are Best Available?

The bucs addressed the secondary with Vernon Hargreaves in the first round as well as picking up an additional 4th rounder in the process yet still haven't addressed the lack of pass rush they so badly need. So who else is left to help cure this problem?

A couple names to keep yours eyes on are Noah Spence, Kevin Dodd, Emmanuel Ogbah, Jonathan Bullard and Shillique Calhoun. All could be options for the bucs at the top of the 2nd round and are answers to help fix the pass rush woes. Not only should the bucs look at D-line help as there are highly rated Myles Jack has fallen into the 2nd round due to injury concerns. Jack could have easily been rated the best defensive player in this draft if it weren't for his injured knee and I wouldn't be shocked to see Licht look deeper into his medical check up to see if he is worth the risk at 39.

Don't be surprised to see the bucs address the safety and wide receiver positions as well if the talent warrants the pick as there are still viable options still left on the board.

Prospect Watch: Shilique Calhoun

With the need for pass rush being a big priority for the Bucs, lets take a look at a potential second round target for the team.  That would be defensive end Shilique Calhoun out of Michgan State, who had his best season with 10.5 sacks, 49 tackles, and 15 tackles for loss. Calhoun has really developed as a pass rusher, and has become better with his hand usage and counter moves. Calhoun has a good straight speed rush and usually beats his man initially to get to the Qb. He shows good strength against the run, holding the point of attack well, making him a good run defender.

At 6'4 251, Calhoun has good size and length which allows him to cover more ground against the run and the pass. However, his weakness is his strength where he does lose leverage at times, and is inconsistent with his ball awareness. He needs more development in his snap anticipation and technique which can be fixed with good coaching. Calhoun has crazy non-stop motor which is good, but sometimes plays out of control, leaving production on the field.

I think Calhoun would be a solid second round pick for the Bucs because he brings what they need and that is the ability to rush the passer. If Calhoun is developed properly, he could become a quality starter and be a consistent 8 to 10 sacks kind of guy. Watch the video below, the kid has the right mindset for sure.