Extra 4th Allows Bucs to be Aggressive

The Bucs added a playmaker in Hargreaves at 11th overall, but also added an extra 4th round selection which allows them to be aggressive. Could the Bucs trade back into the first round and get a falling talent like Nkemdiche or perhaps Myles Jack, or maybe Vernon Butler, that extra 4th makes it possible for the Bucs. If Jason Licht can strike a deal with the Broncos or the Cardinals whom would likely trade back, Bucs could add a top talent like Nkemdiche whom would make the Bucs defensive line insane, allowing McCoy to dominate.

Nkemdiche is just an animal, has great athleticism, brute strength, and is just a absolute freak of nature. With an inside presence of McCoy and Nkemdiche, the Bucs edge rushers in Jack Smith, Howard Jones and Robert Ayers would have an easy time getting to the Qb. This is shaping up very similar to the 2012 draft, and Licht is playing it perfectly so far.

Bucs Want to Trade Down

Finally the NFL draft is here as Bucs Gm Jason Licht and his staff are ready to get another impact player tonight for his up and coming team. The Bucs have the 9th pick and even though there is a possibility that Ramsey or Bosa could be available, the team is very open to trading down.

Interesting dynamic at bottom of top 10, with the Browns and Bucs very open to drop. Teams could move up for Elliott/Rankins/Floyd there

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) April 28, 2016

This makes sense as the Bucs would like to add more picks to their arsenal to take advantage of the day 2 value in this draft. Potential trade down partners could be the Dolphins or the Titans if Elliot, Floyd, Conklin, or Rankins are on the board when the Bucs are up. According to Gil Arcia of The Baycave.com, the Bucs have interest in these players with either the 9th pick or in a trade down scenario.

TBC has some names for you to tie in with the Bucs as their pick approaches and trade-up opportunities fade away from what we have gathered: Noah Spence, Joey Bosa, Vernon Butler, Vernon Hargreaves III, DeForest Buckner, Jack Conklin and Robert Nkemdiche. All these are “realistic” options for the team. Notice how there is no Leonard Floyd or Shaq Lawson on this list.

I completely agree with this and it shows that the Bucs are trying hard to move down because outside of Bosa and Buckner, none of the other names are really deserved to be taken in the top ten. Now if the Bucs can't trade down and Bosa is not there, then I wouldn't hesitate to take Robert Nkemdiche. Nkemdiche has top 5 talent and would be a wrecking ball next to Gerald McCoy.

Bucs Could Get Nkemdiche And Spence

As Dirk Koetter likes to say "We hit the Jackpot", referring to last year's draft class which landed four starters in Jameis Winston, Donovan Smith, Ali Marpet, and Kwon Alexander. Here at realbucstalk, we have been saying consistently the Bucs biggest need is defensive line. The good news is the Bucs can get a top lineman in the first two days of the draft. We are really high on Ole Miss defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche who should be in consideration at 9th overall due to his talent. Depending on who is available at 9, the Bucs might want to trade down to gain more picks in rounds 2 and 3 which have great value this year. If there is no Joey Bosa or Myles Jack on the board at 9, and can't trade back then the Bucs should take Nkemdiche and not look back. Wait, what about an edge rusher? Well the good news is Eastern Kentucky's DE Noah Spence looks likely to fall to the second round according to Jason Cole of BleacherReport.

Insider Buzz: DE Noah Spence Unlikely to Get Drafted in 1st Round https://t.co/xrQfqHXQjG via @bleacherreport

— Jason Cole (@JasonColeBR) April 19, 2016

Wouldn't that be something Bucs fans, if they could get both Nkemdiche and Spence look out as this defense would be scary. Noah Spence has made mistakes, but that doesn't mean he is a bad person, and if for some reason he falls to the second round the Bucs shouldn't hesitate to turn the card in. If the Bucs were to pull this off Jason Licht deserves a statue or a raise at least. These two lineman are probably the most talented in the draft but will fall due to immaturity and bad decisions which all people do when they are in college. Just imagine a front four of Smith, Nkemdiche, McCoy, and Ayers with Spence, Howard Jones, Akem Spence, and William Gholston rotating in, that's what a true eight d-lineman rotation looks like. Next Thursday might be one of the most exciting drafts in recent history, lets hope the Bucs selections add to the excitement.

Character Concerns?

Jason Licht took to the podium earlier this week for his pre draft presser and he gave a little insight to how he views some of the players that have come in for their private workouts. He was asked if it was disappointing to bring in a guy and find out you don't like them because of character or personality, most likely referring to troubled past prospects Noah Spence and Robert Nkemdiche, who both have come in for visits. Lichts response was was straight forward and telling about what he is looking for.

Yeah its disappointing, its disappointing for any general manager. It hasn't happened this year, but its happened. You want to make sure you have the right fit in the locker room, the right guys. It's ok to have an edgy guy, as long as he's a good teammate.

Licht made a point to say it hasn't happened this year and thats with two guys that have big red flags on their resume. This may reveal that Licht has no issues with taking a chance with either one of the talented defensive linemen. Licht later was asked about drafting a "Bust" and how he views them.

90% of busts in my opinion are because of something above the neck. Wether that be work ethic, passion for football, interests that aren't good for a football player or a bad teammate. Need to make sure you are hitting on the player but you're also hitting on the person.

Spence and Nkemdiche both fit into those categories according to outside media sources yet Licht and company have seen them both and it seems they have gotten his stamp of approval. The Bucs are hard pressed to find any upgrade along the defensive line to improve their pass rush but they won't push need over talent. Nkemdiche and Spence have a world of talent and both fit a need, where Licht views them on his board is another thing. Draft is getting closer and closer and these questions will soon be answered.

Is Robert Nkemdiche The Bucs Sleeper Pick At 9th Overall?

There are some really interesting prospects in this upcoming draft, but by far the most interesting one has to be defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche out of Ole Miss. Realbucstalk has mention Nkemdiche before, as he has immense talent and can really disrupt things in the backfield. The big question with Nkemdiche is his off field troubles and whether that is going to be a trend or will he be a professional on and off the field. One AFC personnel director wouldn't touch Nkemdiche with the first 15 picks according to NFL.com.

"I know he gets a ton of attention, but I'm leery ... actually, I would stand on a table and tell my franchise to not take him in the top 15 picks." Why? The personnel director says Nkemdiche is a great talent who can overpower college players with his bull rushes and speed, but he doesn't think Nkemdiche is a natural pass rusher and said he flagged the Rebels' star numerous times for not finishing plays.

Nkemdiche who is only 21, has made mistakes and needs to continue to mature and put all of his focus on being the best football player he can be. Nkemdiche has tons of raw talent, great size and athleticism to take over games at times, watch last year's Alabama game. Nkemdiche is strong at point of attack, has great get off, and has a few pass rush moves but needs work. His football awareness is his biggest weakness as he gets lost at times and misses out on making more plays.

If the Bucs feel Nkemdiche will be focused on football and wants to be great, then I would have no issue if the team took him at 9th overall or even in a trade down scenario. Nkemdiche is versatile enough to play in either defensive scheme and would learn so much from coach Jay Hayes and pro bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. McCoy would probably take him under his wing, along with Clinton Mcdonald whom both could be big brothers for Nkemdiche and they would keep him in line and focused. Nkemdiche paired with McCoy could cause havoc in the backfield and put tons of pressure on the Qb. Nkemdiche did better with his pass rush this year as he had 26 pressures versus 13 last year, including this nice spin move here.

Nkemdiche has massive potential, uses a great spin move here...#Bucs #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/d4x3njtGJD

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) April 6, 2016

Nkemdiche could be an impact player for the Bucs and they could definitely use more of those. Jason Licht does his homework, so if he feels Nkemdiche is the right guy at 9th overall he wont hesitate to take him. Nkemdiche is a top ten talent, will he go top ten? We will find out in three weeks.

Defensive Draft

Jason Licht shed a little light yesterday on what he's thinking about for this draft. He noticed the lack of talent on the defensive side and seems like he's going to attack that area this time, per Roy Cummings.

#Bucs GM Jason Licht says he will concentrate mostly on defense in draft but that won't keep him from ... https://t.co/Gu91D2WsKY

— Roy Cummings (@RCummingsTBO) February 24, 2016

With that said Licht went on to express that even though he really wants to improve the defense, he won't overlook a better player if he's on the board. Per Rick Stroud

Licht said it is a strong group of players at positions that matches their needs. "but we're not going to sacrifice a good football player..

— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) February 24, 2016

Licht has made it a point to always state that he stays true to his board and doesn't like forcing draft picks . With that said this draft has been labeled a draft filled with deep defensive line talent. Now is that talent top heavy where Licht falls in love with a Noah Spence or Robert Nkemdiche? Or does he value more picks to fill more positions, relying on the depth of the draft? One thing is certain, Jason Licht is a smart man and has made it known he can analyze talent.

Can Robert Nkemdiche Pass Interviews?

Nkemdiche has always been a top rated player with his on the field play, but his off the field troubles will drop him in the draft. Its no secret the Bucs could use a highly talented player of his caliber on the defensive line but is it worth bringing in a head case? Nkemdiche has a long list of incidences courtesy of Saturdaydownsouth.com

Feb. 18 — Denzel and Robert Nkemdiche sued regarding alleged fightOct. 13 — Photo leaked depicting Robert Nkemdiche lighting a bong 

Not to mention his most publicized event which have most NFL teams debating picking him in the top 15 or even at all, per ESPN.

According to the incident report that was released Monday, Nkemdiche went through his hotel room window and fell onto a ledge that encircles the building. He then fell from that ledge to the ground.Police estimated Sunday that both falls were about 15 feet. Police also reported to ESPN.com on Sunday that the hotel room window was broken. The investigation into how Nkemdiche fell is ongoing, according to the Atlanta PD.

Talent can only take you so far, there are times you need to step up for your mistakes. Nkemdiche will have to answer for all of his incidences this week at the combine and lets see how he handles it.

On the field Nkemdiche is a mismatch with whomever is in front of him as he can play both defensive end and defensive tackle. He stands 6'4 296 with elite quickness and power. Pairing him next to Gerald McCoy would be a dream if he can keep his head on straight and I'm sure Jason Licht along with every other teams front office will try and figure that out this week.

Should The Bucs Trade Down?

The Bucs have the 9th pick in the upcoming NFL draft which should land them a pretty good player. However, could the Bucs possibly be looking at trading down to acquire more picks in a draft that has good day 2 and 3 value. I think Jason Licht and his staff will consider it as the players they covet could be off the board by the time pick 9 rolls around. Guys like Bosa, Ramsey, Jack, Tunsil, Stanley, and perhaps Noah Spence will likely be picked before the Bucs are up, which makes the move to trade down seem more logical.

Unfortunately it takes two to tango in a trade scenario, and there would need to be a coveted player still left on the board. I could see a team willing to trade up for Deforest Buckner, Jaylon Smith, or Vernon Hargreaves, as they might be higher on other teams boards. If the Bucs do look to trade down, I would try to move down anywhere in the 13-15 range where you would be able to get potentially a good value guy in Clemson DE Shaq Lawson or Ole Miss DT/DE Robert Nkemdiche whom both would bolster the Dline. Then with the extra picks, the Bucs could be aggressive and target certain players. For instance, perhaps a cornerback like William Jackson out of Houston or a playmaker like Will Fuller out of Notre Dame. Still long way to go till the Draft, these are just a couple of possible scenarios that could happen. The good news for the Bucs is that Jason Licht is smart and will take the best route for the team. Here are some highlights of Houston cornerback, William Jackson III.