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Prospect Watch: DE Derek Barnett

Last season, the Bucs pass rush was decent as they were 9th in the league with 38 sacks on the season. The Bucs had a decent edge rush with Noah Spence, Robert Ayers, and Will Gholston whom all had their moments during the season. The Bucs were without one of their better edge guys in Jack Smith who missed the entire season with an knee injury and has had trouble staying healthy recently. Point is the Bucs could use another edge rusher that can impact the game and help the Bucs get after the QB more consistently especially in the tough NFC South. This years draft is loaded with edge rushers and wanted to talk about one of the more productive edge guys in this class which is Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett.

Derek Barnett- DE 6'3 259lbs 56 tackles, 19 TFL, 13 sacks

Strengths: Barnett was outstanding during his 3 years with the Tennessee Volunteers in which he produced 198 tackles, 52 for loss, and 33 sacks. Barnett provides a physical presence on the edge and is very good against the run. Opponents would usually run away from his side making him chase the play. Barnett uses his hands well to disengage blocks and make plays behind the line of scrimmage. As a pass rusher he can really bend the edge as he does a great job of using his strength and getting low in his lean around the corner. Barnett has excellent balance and displays good pad level consistently.

Weaknesses:  Barnett needs to focus on adding a second pass rush move as he heavily relied on winning from the outside. He can get away with that in college but it is much harder to do against legit NFL offensive tackles. He uses a decent inside step rip move which allowed him to have some success when rushing inside but it wasn't very consistent. He would be wise to add a inside spin move which could help him set up his outside rush, making him a more efficient pass rusher. If Barnett had great speed and was more athletic he could be just fine with the outside rush but he doesn't process that quick twitch off the edge. Tendency to jumping off-sides due to trying to time the snap count. Struggles to redirect movements, and can at times get pushed out too wide.

Overall: Barnett is one of the solid players in this draft and could go as high as 8th overall to the Panthers. Barnett has tremendous production, has high character, great work ethic, and already has good fundamentals to work with. His game reminds me of Robert Ayers who doesn't win with speed but has good balance and technique to win the edge and is excellent in the run game. If Barnett can hone in on adding more to his pass rush arsenal, he could be something special in this league. I think he would be excellent fit for the Bucs defense, and can line up at right or left end depending on matchups. Teams can never have enough edge rushers, and the Bucs could certainly use one like Barnett. Personally, I like other edge rushers that can bring more speed like Carl Lawson and Charles Harris that would be better fits with the Bucs personnel in place already. With that being said, if Barnett is available at 19, Im sure the Bucs will consider him with the pick.

Prospect Watch: WR Chris Godwin

Even with the signing of Desean Jackson, the Bucs are still expected to draft a WR in the upcoming draft. The Bucs know they still need depth at the position and don't want to find themselves in the situation they were in last year again. This years draft has plenty of intriguing prospects at the receiver position and has pretty good overall depth. The Bucs have spoken with most of them including John Ross, Juju Smith Schuster, Carlos Henderson, Taywan Taylor, Curtis Samuel, and Chris Godwin. Speaking of Godwin, he has gotten a lot of buzz recently so I decided to take a deeper look into what he could bring to this Buccaneers team.

Chris Godwin-WR 6'1 209lbs 59 recs 982 yds 16.6 ypc 72 long 11 tds

Strengths: Godwin plays hard and is all out on every play. He brings a physical attitude to the run game as he is a very capable blocker. He knows how to use his body to create separation and has very good body control. Smooth route runner and can run the full route tree as well as attack all areas of the field. Versatile player as he can play inside or outside and does a good job of beating press or zone coverage. Good release off the line. Best strength is making contested catches as he had the highest contested catch percentage out of all the WR's that tested. He just has a way of winning the 50/50 catches.

Weaknesses: Biggest area of concern is consistency as he would at times have focus drops. Needs to be more aggressive as a blocker. Speed doesn't always show up especially against man coverage which hurts him to create separation consistently. Not a explosive player in the open field as his yac stats have been very subpar so far, only 4.5 yac and 9 broken tackles in 2016.

Overall: I feel Godwin is an intriguing prospect and would be a solid fit for this Buccaneers offense. He has a chance to be a very solid number two receiver in this league with his ability to run routes and make contested catches. So far the Bucs have shown interest in Godwin as they have met with him several times and have him scheduled for a private visit sometime in April. With the Bucs picking at 50th overall in round 2, it's possible Godwin could be their guy with that selection. Personally I'm not a big supporter of Godwin as I would go with someone who can make things happen after the catch like Carlos Henderson or Taywan Taylor. However, Godwin is a good player and the Bucs could definitely use more of those.

Look For Immediate Impact in The Draft

Bucs Gm Jason Licht is about to do his 4th NFL draft with the team and so far with his previous drafts he has done a great job of adding starters. The Bucs have added 8 starters via the draft the last three years, including key core players like Jameis Winston, Mike Evans, Ali Marpet, and Kwon Alexander. The Bucs have gotten back to building their team through the draft as Licht and his staff have done a great job so far. This upcoming draft is no different as the Bucs will look to add more rookies that can come in and have an immediate impact in year 1.

The Bucs have acquired players that are ready to play right away and make impact on day 1. For example, last years draft the Bucs got Vernon Hargreaves and Noah Spence whom both were ready to step onto the field on day 1 of training camp. Same goes for Mike Evans and Jameis Winston, as they were guys who just were pro ready. This is why in my opinion players like Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook, Budda Baker, and Jabrill Peppers make tons of sense at 19. Players like John Ross, David Njoku, and Obi Melifonwu could be in play as well as they could provide day 1 impact.

I feel this team is ready to win now especially with the free agent signings of Desean Jackson and Chris Baker. Assuming Cook, Howard, and Davis are gone, a player like Christian McCaffrey or Budda Baker just makes so much sense to me. Both have the mental makeup to be great in this league plus the physical traits that are needed, and they can make an impact on day 1 for this team. One thing is for certain, Licht will stay true to his board and so far that has produce a pretty good track record. Again the draft is still 28 days away which means things can change, but as of now look for the Bucs to add someone who can make an impact on day 1.

Bucs Drafting a Safety Early?

When looking at the safety position, it is obvious to me that the Bucs will add one through the draft. This draft is loaded with talent at the safety position, and the Bucs could use a future cornerstone at that position. Looking at the current group on the Bucs roster, none are considered the future for this team, plus none of them are signed past 2017. Keith Tandy, Chris Conte, and JJ Wilcox all do different things well, but none would be considered impact type safeties.

Again, the Bucs could probably be ok with those three due to Mike Smith being able to put them in the right spots to succeed. However, I think Licht and Koetter are looking to add a difference maker back there to help their corner group and ultimately force more turnovers. So far during the draft process, it looks like the Bucs could be picking a safety early in rounds 1 or 2.

The Bucs have spoke or workout with the following safeties: Budda Baker, Jabrill Peppers, Obi Melifonwu, Delano Hill, and Tedric Thompson. The first three names mention all have a shot of going round 1 but could also be there in round 2 at pick 50 for the Bucs. Baker is probably the only one I would consider at 19th overall, while the other two just have too many holes in their game for a first round consideration. The Bucs are doing their homework on the safety group and it looks likely that they will take one this year with one of their premium selections in this years draft.

Options Will be There For The Bucs

Everyone is trying to find out what the Bucs are going to do in the NFL Draft as each have their own opinions. One thing is for certain, the Bucs will have plenty of options to choose from as far as a direction goes. They will likely get a very good player at 19 which makes staying pat favorable. They could also look at trading up perhaps for a OJ Howard or Corey Davis if they are within reasonable reach. Another option would be to trade down and acquire more picks like the Bucs did last year with the selection of Vernon Hargreaves.

The Bucs are in a great position to add a impact player at 19th overall. They can go offense by adding a RB, WR, or TE or if they decide to go defense a S or DE makes sense. In my opinion, the Bucs will be looking to add the best offensive option available as they need to add more weapons to help Jameis and company. Offensive players that could be available include RB Dalvin Cook, RB Christian McCaffrey, WR John Ross, and TE David Njoku. As for defensive options that make sense include DE Charles Harris, DE Carl Lawson, S Budda Baker, S Obi Melifonwu, and S Jabrill Peppers.

Any of those players would be solid picks for the Bucs in round 1, and could make a impact right away. Now let's say a OJ Howard or Corey Davis makes it to pick 15, and the Bucs feel they can move up to get one of those guys. I would say make it happen as either one of those players would be instant impact playmakers for this offense. I would say a 3rd or 4th round pick would be fair compensation to move up four spots. With that being said, I don't see either one sliding past pick 13 and I don't see the Bucs moving up that far. Now let's look at another option that the Bucs could explore and that is trading down.

Trading down and getting more picks is usually a very popular move by fans and it is something the Bucs have done a few times. The Bucs did this in last year's draft in which they traded down from 9th overall to 11th overall in exchange for extra 4th round pick. For this year's draft, it is a possible option as the depth in this class is very good. If the Bucs do decide to trade down, they could still get one of the options mentioned above, or they could look at some risers that are flirting with late first/early second projection. Guys that fit that bill could be RB Alvin Kamara, WR Zay Jones, TE Evan Engram, DE Jordan Willis, CB Teez Tabor, or S Marcus Williams.

Plenty of options to choose from, and I think we can all agree that the Bucs are in good hands with Gm Jason Licht who will likely make the right choice. As I have been saying all off-season, I still think they will end up with Christian McCaffrey if he is available. McCaffrey just makes too much sense as he is every down back and can line up as receiver as well. The guy is the ultimate playmaker and would be an instant impact player that could take the offense to the next level. Bucs fans, what option should the Bucs choose?

Prospect Watch: RB James Conner

All off-season one of the hot topics has been will the Bucs draft a running back early or will they wait till later due to the great depth of this running back class. I will say that the Bucs can go either way as they could take Christian McCaffery in round 1 or wait til day 2 to take Marlon Mack or Kareem Hunt. Any of those three would help the Bucs running game, but what about day 3 options? Well there is one guy that is catching my attention and that is former Pittsburgh RB James Conner, who is a legit power back and can catch it out of the backfield as well.

James Conner-RB 6'1 233lbs 2016 Stats: 216 car, 1092 yds 5.1 ypc 16tds

Strengths: Conner is a bruiser, runs hard and is very physical at the point of contact. Would rather run his opponent over then around them. Arm tackles won't bring him down and usually it takes more than one guy to get him on the ground. Team captain, has outstanding intangibles and mental toughness as he overcame a torn mcl and cancer which just shows what kind of kid he is. He plays with a never give up attitude and he has it off the field as well. He carries a big chip on his shoulder and plays angry. Conner isn't the fastest or flashiest but he has heart, good quickness, excellent feet, and is always gaining positive yards. Red zone weapon, Conner scored 52 touchdowns at Pittsburgh, so expect the same in the NFL as he will get his number called inside the 10 more often than not.

Weaknesses: He is not a homerun hitter, doesn't process break away speed. Struggles to make defenders miss when there is quick penetration. Health is a concern due to past, and will always be in the mind of teams. Main issue is all power and no finesse so needs to find that balance in his game. Needs to be coached up on pass protection. Might just be a two down back as he needs more work in the passing game.

Overall: Conner is guy that you want to cheer for as he has already been through so much during his football career. He has all the intangibles and the physical tools to be a good player in this league for a long time. I feel Conner can be a featured back in this league with proper coaching and hard work and would be a great pick on day 3 of the NFL Draft. If the Bucs don't take a back early, Conner would be a great fit as he would be a nice 1-2 combo with Jacquizz Rodgers. Plus the Bucs would have someone who can get the tough yards and make plays in the redzone which this team needs.

#Pittsburgh RB @JamesConner_: I'm an old school traditional running back running inside the tackles and downhill football.

— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) March 23, 2017