This Week’s McShay Mock
April 3rd, 2020
New mock.
Todd McShay changed his socks again. And this time they stink like an offensive lineman.
The BSPN draft-guesser had his latest throw-crap-against-the-wall guessing game and he sees the Bucs drafting an offensive tackle at No. 14.
And the man falling into Bucs AC/DC-loving Jason Licht’s lap just might break him in half. That would be Louisville offensive tackle Mekhi Becton.
Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville
I had Georgia running back D’Andre Swift going to Tampa Bay in my last mock, and it’s still a possibility. But after going all-in on Tom Brady, the Bucs really need to focus on protecting him. And right tackle is a priority with Demar Dotson not likely to return. The 6-foot-7, 364-pound Becton carries his frame incredibly well and would help reduce Tampa Bay’s 2019 tally of 47 sacks allowed.
Joe would be good with an offensive tackle being drafted. In a perfect world, Joe would draft a quarterback or a defensive lineman/edge rusher at No. 14. But as we well know, we don’t live in a perfect world. Especially these days.
To get a balanced view of Becton, a true manbeast at 6-7⅜, 364, Joe offers Bob McGinn’s takeaway from scouts as seen on The Athletic.
He made a dramatic improvement in 2019 and interviewed well in Indianapolis, too. “He came out of his shell,” said one scout. “Just being able to talk ball, being a kid you liked. I’m shocked if he doesn’t go top 10. He’s probably gained the most steam of the group.” Becton a sensational 5.11-second 40-yard dash at 364 pounds. His arms measured 35 5/8 inches and his hands were 10 3/4 inches. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” said another scout. “For years, other scouts used the term ‘dancing bear’ that I never liked. That’s what this guy is. He plays like he’s 200. He knows how to use his hands and he knocks people on the ground.” Said a third scout: “He tries to maul you right from the start with his punch. After that, if the play extends a little bit, he does a lot of watching and not a lot of effort moving his feet to stay on people. In pass pro, he’s so big and so long it takes so long to get around him.”
Former Bucs guard and popular local sports radio personality Ian Beckles mentioned Becton’s size as well, saying so what if he can’t move. By the time dudes get around him the ball should be out of the quarterback’s hands.
McGinn has Becton as his No. 2 offensive tackle as does the Czar of the Playbook, Emory Hunt of FootballGameplan.com in his Football Gameplan 2020 Draft Guide (only $10!).
Strengths:
– Excellent athleticism for a 6’7 369lb offensive lineman.
– He does a great job moving laterally in the zone blocking game; while also standing out in the downhill, power run game as well.
– A+ hand usage and technique, showing the ability to reach defenders on outside zone; staying in a great boxing stance in pass pro; and resetting his hands once engaged.
– Brute strength, which allows him the ability to toss defenders out of the way.Areas of Improvement:
– No major areas of concern. No reason to overthink his evaluation.
– Only thing you can point to, that should be a point of emphasis is his weight control over the course of his career. 369 pounds is a lot, and he does carry it and move well, but you want that number to continue to creep lower, not higher.
As Joe stated, Joe would be good if the Bucs drafted a right tackle so long as this team finally has an epiphany and realizes it cannot be as one-dimensional on offense as it was last year.
April 3rd, 2020 at 6:18 am
Can’t envision him dropping to 14.
Even if there is a silly run on QB’s, he is just to good a prospect to not be taken by a team before 14.
Now it could be one of the “big 4” could slip to 14.
April 3rd, 2020 at 6:21 am
Becton and any of the four tackles would be great. I just don”t see it happening. You have 3QB’s, 2DL, 1DE, 1Safety/LB and 4OL that are desirable. That’s 11. Bucs pick 14. With the WR and RB class being so deep I don’t think you’ll see them taken early. That’s going to leave the Bucs on the outside looking in. If I were GM I would explore the possibility of trading OJ Howard to the Panthers for a 3rd round pick plus a position swap in first and second rounds. I would then pull the trigger on Simmons (safety short term and David replacement long term) and grab best available tackle in second (Jones, Jackson, Naing). If Bucs don’t move up from 14, and one of the desired players doesn’t drop to them, they should trade down.
April 3rd, 2020 at 6:36 am
Exactly the correct pick , and that is why LICHT BRAIN will not go after him.
April 3rd, 2020 at 6:48 am
That guy literally blocks the sun…he would provide more shade then Rayjay itself
April 3rd, 2020 at 7:12 am
Bucs NEED a starting RT & a starting RB in this draft … as a minimum … primarily because we can’t afford to buy quality veterans in those positions right now (too costly). Yes we can use more quality DEPTH in areas like DLine, OLine, WR, etc, but the greater PRIORITY has to be RT & RB right now. That’s Rnd 1 & Rnd 2, because counting on a Rnd 3 or later guy to START is iffy in the best of times. And if teams can’t start getting together until say early July (very likely according to many experts), then rookies will be at a REAL DISADVANTAGE. Don’t over-think it Jason. Do what you need to do to make it happen.
April 3rd, 2020 at 7:16 am
Joe, that’s 2 very vanilla comments into the cooler on 2 morning articles. Not sure your new moderation algorithms are all that cool. Could give some the impression that it’s targeting.
April 3rd, 2020 at 7:33 am
Probably won’t be there…..but you never know in the draft…….we could use a pick from next year to move up…..or….actually move down for an extra 2nd round pick.
With all the OTs going early, there will probably be a DT/DE there for us.
April 3rd, 2020 at 7:38 am
The PFF crowd has Becton falling to the Buccs as well as the 5th tackle taken.
Swift will probably be there at #45.
Ira likes that RB out of LSU but he is way slow. 4.6 40’s. He gets caught from behind a lot even in college.
There will be many quality 4.3 and 4.4 RB’s available in the 2nd and 3rd rounds.
April 3rd, 2020 at 7:51 am
I agree that this should be the pick, if available. We should have been planning Demar Dotson’s departure long ago.
April 3rd, 2020 at 8:47 am
Any of the top 4 O-linemen should be our first pick, provided any of them drop to #14. We’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed.
April 3rd, 2020 at 8:51 am
Joe – so you are saying in a perfect world the Bucs would use their number on pick on Jordan Love at 14? We just brought in Brady to try and make a serious playoff run in 2020 (if there is a season). Why on earth would it be ideal to use a first round pick on a player that will have zero benefit to the team for a minimum of two years. I will be absolutely furious if they waste anything less than a 4th rounder this year on a QB. Personally, I think they need to wait until 2021 before they waste any pick on a QB. We have a gaping hole at right tackle and running back. The first two picks should be addressed to meet these needs.
April 3rd, 2020 at 9:06 am
I just don’t understand why in the world Arians and Licht would consider a QB at #14. Why would they make a pick like that when they clearly need to win now? Arians is likely retiring when Brady does, and Licht won’t ever have a GM job if these next two years don’t work out. Having a QB sit on bench for at least 2 years doesn’t make much sense to me. I know Joe thinks it would be great for that said QB to sit and learn from Brady and all the QB gurus on staff, but dammit I don’t care about 2 years from now. I want to watch meaningful games in December and January. Get somebody at #14 that can impact the team this year and then next year revisit drafting a QB.
April 3rd, 2020 at 9:07 am
Question:
Why did the Packers draft Aaron Rodgers in the first round when they had Brett Favre on the team?
Didn’t they need an OT, OG, RB, or defensive player more?
LONG-TERM success needs LONG-TERM thinking. Just my “clueless” opinion.
tickrdr
April 3rd, 2020 at 9:09 am
Why did the Patriots draft Jimmy G in the 2nd round when they had TB12 in his prime? Inquiring minds want to know.
tickrdr
April 3rd, 2020 at 9:11 am
Of course they did.
April 3rd, 2020 at 9:22 am
Maybe they were hoping for LONG-TERM success for their franchise.
I have been blessed with four grandsons. It is absolutely FASCINATING to me to watch the younger siblings and cousins WATCH and totally MIMIC what their older brothers or cousins are doing.
When I have watched training camp, and they have the other QBs standing behind the starter only watching, I have sometimes thought it would have been better to have them on separate fields getting their own reps, but finally figured out it is probably better to have them learn to see what the veteran QB sees, and where he goes with the ball rather than the physical rep of actually throwing the ball.
tickrdr
BTW: In medical school and residency training, the mantra is ” watch one, do one, teach one”.
April 3rd, 2020 at 9:25 am
Did the Packers have a two year window to win it all with an aging QB and aging coach? Drafting Brady was a huge win now statement and that window is very tight. This team is trying to win superbowls now and too many glaring needs to waste on a project QB that is very high risk. Also, name all the pro bowl QBs that Brady mentored during his time at New England. I can wait. You can also be sure that Brady didn’t come here so that he could coach up some scrub rookie QB.
April 3rd, 2020 at 9:31 am
If someone on these boards continually misspells a word, but repeatedly reads someone else’s post correctly spelling that word, is it possible that poster would learn to correctly spell the word, even if the poster using the correct usage did not intend to TEACH? Could they LEARN, just by watching?
tickrdr
April 3rd, 2020 at 9:42 am
I have the top 4 listed as Wirfs, Becton, and Wills/Thomas tied. Becton would be a massive addition. And i really hope we dont go QB until the 4th or later….still liking Anthony Gordon as my sleeper pick. We need starters right away…RT/RB/Safety and a WR to replace Perriman (Claypool/Van Jefferson).
April 3rd, 2020 at 11:08 am
“If someone on these boards continually misspells a word, but repeatedly reads someone else’s post correctly spelling that word, is it possible that poster would learn to correctly spell the word,”
Ticker doctor, Ticker doctor, Ticker doctor
BTW: In medical school and residency training, the mantra is ”read one, spell one, be one.”
April 3rd, 2020 at 11:11 am
With the4 size of linemen today, when do we start drafting Sumo wrestlers
April 3rd, 2020 at 11:15 am
tickrdr – again I ask, please name all the previous New England QBs that went on to greatness after having been tutored by Brady. All of you guys seem to think we have to have that rookie QB ASAP so that he can learn from Brady, yet none of the rookies that came into the league have done jack. No, Jimmy G is not a franchise QB. He is a game manager at best.
April 3rd, 2020 at 11:20 am
tickrdr- “Long-term success” planning has been largely lost on this organization. It’s abundantly clear to me that they should look towards who the next QB will be post-Brady.
One thing that seems to have gotten lost with last year as opposed to other years is that we saw actual DEVELOPMENT of players. There’s no question that there are positions that need improvement. However, is it possible that that player is already on the roster “developing”? RT, for instance?
Just something to think about. I feel a lot better about this coaching staff’s ability to develop players than in previous regimes.
April 3rd, 2020 at 11:32 am
Bucs could’ve made things incredibly easy on themselves by acquiring Jack Conklin in free agency. Not only did Cleveland land him for a steal of a contract but the signing would’ve simultaneously transformed our O-line into one of the undisputed best in the league and freed us up to take a gamebreaker at RB, DE, DT, or Safety.
April 3rd, 2020 at 11:41 am
We may have to trade up, simply because our first pick is so predictable and others will try to jump ahead of us.
April 3rd, 2020 at 11:51 am
@Brady Bunch:
I don’t think ANY were tutored by Brady, but there have been some who were good enough to win when Brady was out of the lineup due to injury or suspension. Did our backups learn ANYTHING from Winston?
I certainly agree that finding a “franchise QB” is always a crapshoot, and luck must play a role. Does that mean we shouldn’t even try? Should we ONLY look at 6th rounders, praying to find the next GOAT? What is the likelihood of that?
@Bucsfanman:
Agree completely with your premise as well. Perhaps Alex Cappa is the RT of the future, and there is a RG “in development”. Maybe Dotson can give us one more year as a backup, playing fewer snaps? With this “word that cannot be printed on a website”, should we ONLY be looking at treatments in the NOW, or should we be trying to develop a vaccine to help in the future?
tickrdr
BTW: To all who disparage “game manager” QBs:
KC Chiefs 2014 went 2 – 14 and had 37 turnovers (20 INTs/17FL) which ended drives 18.8% of the time.
KC Chiefs 2015 with Alex Smith [game manager, 23 TDs(4.5%), 7 INTs (1.4%)] went 11 – 5, and had only 18 turnovers (8 INTs/10 FL) which ended drives only 9.1% of the time.
BTW2#: Jamaal Charles had 1509 yards rushing in 2014.
Jamaal Charles had 1287 yards rushing in 2015.
April 3rd, 2020 at 11:55 am
Brady Bunch,
You really don’t have a great or good argument, yet you demand Doc provide you with names you damn well know don’t exist. What’s wrong with your head?
If you don’t believe in spending a draft pick on a QB , just say it. There’s no reason to attack the opposite side. But here’s a tip if you do, get the basic facts correct. There’s only a couple, so for Allah’s sake, get those 2 right.
Or maybe attempt to demonstrate a comprehensive view of the issue. But calling someone out to deliver the answer you want , is just weak especially if you begin by f-ing up the framework of the argument. Your argument!
April 3rd, 2020 at 12:45 pm
Until we get a line that can impose its will on another team Brady will be sacked 47 times. The line is what the line game relies on to be effective not just having a great running back. Yo best believe Brady won’t be throwing it 40-50 times a game like we did last year. Play action doesn’t work as effectively thus less opportunity for short routes opening up. We now have a quarterback who lacks the uncanny ability to escape sacks so if play action doesn’t work well what short routes will he have to throw to????
April 3rd, 2020 at 12:49 pm
D1 – I have said it multiple times I don’t want to draft a QB. Everyone arguing we have to get him in to be mentored by Brady yet when you look at his history in the league he hasn’t mentored any QBs to greatness. I don’t know why that logic doesn’t make sense to you. If he had a demonstrated history of helping QBs achieve greatness I would be on board with using an early pick to draft a QB. In addition to that, even if we used the 14th pick this year, we would be getting the fourth best QB in the draft. Love, IMO, compares well with Josh Freeman. Big strong arm and unpolished. Brady can show a QB what he does to prepare, but QBs with low ceilings simply don’t have the wherewithal to be successful QBs.
April 3rd, 2020 at 1:16 pm
@BradyBunch:
Your argument seems quite logical to me, except for the part about the 4th best QB in this draft. NO ONE knows who the best or 4th best QB is in this or ANY draft.
Wasn’t Mahomes drafted AFTER Trubisky and Watson? Didn’t multiple teams pass on Aaron Rodgers? Wasn’t Drew Brees drafted in the 2nd round and Russell Wilson in the third? Hell, even YOUR namesake lasted till the 6th round.
Just because no one knows which of the QBs may be any good, does that mean we shouldn’t even try to find one? As SPBF points out repeatedly and correctly, the whole drafting process is a CRAPSHOOT, for all positions, not just QB. There is no guarantee that one of the top four OTs according to draft gurus will be a starter, let alone a ProBowler. The Bucs had THE #1 overall pick of the litter in 2015. How has that worked out so far?
tickrdr
April 3rd, 2020 at 1:17 pm
BTW: Which QBs in the upcoming draft have low ceilings? Does anyone know?
tickrdr
April 3rd, 2020 at 1:32 pm
I agree, but scouts get paid money for a reason. Typically the later a QB is taken the question marks they have. Of course it isn’t full proof and there have been some major misses in QB evaluations with Brady being the biggest. However, typically there is a bigger risk the lower the QB is ranked coming into the league.
I wholeheartedly agree on addressing the QB position in the draft. I was so happy when we lost to the Saints at the end of the season so that we had the #1 pick overall. I wanted Winston and knew he had the potential to take this team to the promised land. Ultimately it didn’t work out, but I was all in on getting a franchise QB. I think next year is the time to look for Brady’s eventual replacement. I just think there a too many important issues that need to be addressed before we mess with a QB. If we have a good draft this year I also think we may have the luxury on using a pick for the future.
April 3rd, 2020 at 1:52 pm
I think most in the national media and even here have the draft priorities wrong. While the Bucs do need to add talent at tackle, it’s not the first priority and Bucs management have been quite clear they are satisfied with line right now. The real number one priority is DL/edge. We only have two drafted lineman/OLB in our starting 4/5. 2 key starters not even under contract for 2021. We won’t be able to compete all season and into the post season without another talent on the DL that can eat up a significant amount of snaps effectively. As a priority, not draft order, this is what it should look like:
1.DL/Edge
2. RB
3. OT
4. S
April 3rd, 2020 at 1:55 pm
If one of the 4 best OTs are available at #14 we have to pull the trigger on that… If all the top 4 are gone we could trade back and gather picks and draft Cleveland, Niang or Josh Jones. Then use the extra picks for WRs, RBs and Safety…
April 3rd, 2020 at 1:57 pm
I would LOVE to get Becton.
BEAST.
April 3rd, 2020 at 2:28 pm
I would love Becton and Dillon I’m not holding my breath on getting either.
I’m not sure I follow this argument about Brady NOT mentoring successful QB’s.
Have I missed something. Did Brady’s most famous backup just reach the freaking SB. BTW in that same Locker room with Brady and Garappolo you’d find Jacoby Brisset for awhile. Didn’t he reach starter status?
There’s two right there. What am I missing?
I misposted a rumor yesterday about Brady’s relationship with his backups only to have to come back later and correct MY MISTAKE…oh noes I admitted a mistake in today’s trumpworld does that make me a sissy?
Garapollo and Brisset both have vouched for TB12 as a mentor.
April 3rd, 2020 at 4:42 pm
It’s Kinlaw or trade down in the first people!!! This draft is packed with oline and easily pick up talented players especially round 2-4. A lot of people have no clue how much the coaching staff has on the draft. Always “Bad pick. I hate Licht boo-hoo.” Assuming a guy named QB whisperer can scout a good OT outside the first round.
R1. RB
R2. RT
R2. DT
R3. OLB
R4. S
R4. OG/C
April 3rd, 2020 at 5:15 pm
I wonder, if the Bucs fall in love with a certain prospect, might we trade up to get him? Maybe trading 14 and next years 1st Rounder? Or draft at 14, trade our 2nd this year and 1st next year to move back up in the late 1st? We’ll see.
April 3rd, 2020 at 5:34 pm
@SPBF:
Agree completely with your post, and again I am absolutely certain that every one of us has numerous examples of things we have learned, NOT by someone specifically teaching us, but by simply watching someone who is good at his craft.
@BradyBunch:
Agree there is no foolproof method of picking in the draft.
tickrdr