Buccaneer draft overview

Well, the NFL draft has come and gone. I don't follow college football as I once did, so the NFL draft doesn't mean much until I see the players play in the NFL preseason.

But I'm not shy about offering a few opinions.

Round 1: Aqib Talib
I was hoping the Bucs would take a cornerback high in the draft because of the departure of the underrated Brian Kelly, who signed with the Detroit ex-Bucs. Talib reportedly has remarkable physical talent--perhaps the best athlete in the draft--but tends to gamble on the field. The Buccaneer secondary stresses responsibility. Talib may be great if he buys into the coaching. Secondary coach Raheem Morris is cut from the mold of former Bucs DB coach/former Vikings defensive coordinator/current Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. There is good reason for hope.

Round 2: Dexter Jackson
Jackson is a lightning-quick wide receiver from tiny Appalachian State. Yes, the Appalachian State that whipped Michigan in Ann Arbor last year. Jackson played a big part in that win. Jackson is obviously the understudy of Joey Galloway. Helping whip Michigan should help him win Galloway's assistance in becoming an accomplished NFL receiver. I see the pick as a bit of a reach, though rumor has it that the Bucs weren't the only team that viewed Jackson as a second-round talent.

Round 3: Jeremy Zuttah
Zuttah played all three line positions at Rutgers but was projected as an NFL guard. The Bucs have two high draft picks playing guard already (with 2005 4th round pick Dan Buenning as a backup). So I'm like, "Huh?" If the Bucs had not signed free agent Jeff Faine over from the Saints I had expected the Bucs to go after a center in the draft. It was no surprise to hear that Zuttah has played center during the rookie minicamp. He's being groomed as the key O line backup. The draft of Zuttah probably means that the Bucs are not satisfied with Buenning's play since his demotion from the starting left guard position and last year's experiment at center. It's possible that Buenning has not had a smooth recovery from his ACL injury in 2006.

I would add that having players whose last name starts with "Z" is a good thing, except that Alan Zemaitis never amounted to anything.

Round 4: Dre Moore
I'd have heard of this player if I still watched FSU football regularly. Moore is a big and fast interior lineman. If he was the next Warren Sapp he probably wouldn't have lasted until the 4th round, but on the other hand he is a prototypical Tampa-2 defensive tackle. He should have a good chance to make regular rotation in the defensive line.

Round 5: Josh Johnson
The drafting of Josh Johnson probably indicates that Bruce Gradkowski has proved to Bucs coaches that he isn't an NFL quarterback (I called him a potential steal way back when). Not overwhelmingly, because Gradkowski did some things very well--but he never developed an ability to hit the deep pass. Josh Johnson is similar to Gradkowski. Both went to small schools, both put up sick numbers. Both can run the ball. Johnson is a bit faster than Gradkowski, and comes out of college without Gradkowski's reputation for under-throwing the deep ball. Plus Bucs coaches have personal connections with Johnson's college coaches.

clipped from www.buccaneers.com

I might as well add that he could be the steal of the draft.

Round 6: Geno Hayes
Florida State LB Hayes reminded some of Derrick Brooks. I don't see Hayes making the team with the stable of linebackers the Bucs have lined up this offseason. Hayes is fast and undersized--like Brooks--and has the versatility to play inside or outside. Last year's picks at LB, Quincy Black and Adam Hayward, are both fast and both have a year of experience in the system. Hayes will have his work cut out for him making the club. Great instincts might make the difference.

Round 7: Cory Boyd
Boyd feels like a "What if we could draft another Earnest Graham?" pick. Boyd played for South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, who also coached Graham while at the University of Florida. Both Graham and Boyd performed as solid all-around backs while in college without providing eye-opening measurables.

I expect the first five picks to make the team. Johnson figures to stick because the Bucs would not have used a 5th round pick on him if they did not intend to spend some time developing his talent. Hayes and Boyd should end up on the practice squad.

*****

Buccaneer Draft

1. Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson
2. Arron Sears, G, Tennessee
2. Sabby Piscitelli, S, Oregon State
3. Quincy Black, LB, Utah State
4. Tanard Jackson, CB, Syracuse
5. Greg Peterson, DT, North Carolina Central
6. Adam Hayward, LB, Portland State
7. Chris Denman, T, Fresno State
7. Marcus Hamilton, CB, Virginia
7. Kenneth Darby, RB, Alabama

The last four are probably training camp fodder unless I misread the Bucs' depth. Denman might hang on to back up Jeremy Trueblood at right tackle.

Piscitelli has a good shot at intriguing Buccaneer fans. The guy resembles John Lynch at safety. No, I'm not saying he is John Lynch. He just has the same build and the same way of hitting, based on a few choice college highlights.
There are two instant differences from Lynch. Piscitelli has a rep for missing tackles, but he's also faster than Lynch. If Piscitelli can learn to tackle better, he could become immensely popular starting at safety for the Bucs.

Gaines Adams is a tough read. I see him as the best available option for the Bucs to boost their rush on the outside--but I'm not supremely confident that Adams will turn into a star or anything. That's what I'll hope for, of course. He's a step slower than Simeon Rice; other than that they're very similar athletically.

Arron Sears was an interesting choice in the second round. The Bucs have put plenty of bucks into offensive linemen, lately. The drafting of Sears makes it look like the Bucs are very serious about converting Dan Buenning into a center.
Should be interesting times on the offensive line this year.
On the downside, they need to settle on a starting lineup before the group is going to gel and get its teamwork down.

When the Bucs won the Superbowl, the offensive line avoided serious injuries.
The next time that happened, the Bucs won the division (losing in the playoffs to the Redskins).

Quincy Black is one of the best athletes in the draft, but he has a rep for lacking game instinct.
I'm not sure that's something that can be taught. If Black gets the knack for football, he may turn into a great cover-2 linebacker. He's got insane speed for the position, by all accounts. If he doesn't acquire some instincts, then maybe he's destined to become a special teams ace.

The Bucs hedged their bets on Piscitelli by drafting Tanard Jackson out of Syracuse. Jackson is listed as a corner, but the Bucs apparently project him as a safety with nickel corner flexibility (Dwight Smith type).

Perhaps the Bucs' biggest need heading into the offseason was a defensive tackle who can penetrate and disrupt. They picked up free agent defensive end Kevin Carter, who has the size to move inside in a 4-3 scheme. That's not the impact I was hoping for. Peterson in the 5th round was the attempt to address the need in the draft.
Peterson is one of those roll-the-dice projects. He's a bit on the smallish side for a defensive tackle, but he has the initial burst that can lead to Warren Sapp-style disruption. Peterson will probably be expected to add a few muscular pounds while maintaining his speed off the center snap. I wish him the best.
The Bucs drafted one of the best nose-tackles in team history with a late-round draft pick back when the draft went on for almost twice as many rounds as it does today. Yes, I'm talking about Dave Logan--12th round pick Dave Logan. Maybe Peterson will turn out to be the guy the defense needs in the front four.

Bucs pick Gaines Adams with No. 4 pick in NFL Draft

After QB Russell went to the Raiders, the next two picks were fairly predictable since the next two players were projected as immediately dominant at their positions.

The Bucs ended up drafting for need instead of for the best athlete. The Bucs' pass rush was awful last year, and Adams is the best pass rusher in the draft. The pick is a little bit of a reach in terms of value--but that's the same thing that would happen if another team traded up. Nobody was going to give the Bucs much to move to No. 4.

Adams supposedly doesn't work hard against the run. That remains to be seen.

Nobody knows how good a draft is, really, until several years down the line. If Adams produces on the field--good first round pick!

It's worth mentioning that anything might still happen today. It may be that that Lions have some interest in picking up Brian Kelly and Simeon Rice, and the could probably have both plus a draft pick in return for Calvin Johnson.

Maybe the Lions really do want another high-round WR in their stable--I don't pretend to know. It wouldn't surprise me if Rod Marinelli were interested in having two solid defenders from the team he once coached, however.