Checking Boxes
April 23rd, 2021
Cornerback Elijah Molden
Plug-and-play rookies never go out of style — even when you’re Super Bowl champions.
In last year’s draft, the Bucs were looking for hit-the-ground-sprinting prospects in a season with no offseason, on a roster with significant holes.
It’s a different ballgame in 2021. The Bucs are loaded and experienced. But “best player available” is always sprinkled with a little draft fairy dust known as “need.”
The Bucs could use a workhorse on special teams, particularly a guy who also can spike the competition among the Bucs young cornerbacks. Elijah Molden out of the University of Washington certainly fits that mold — and last year’s yearning for mature, fast-impact players.
Widely considered a second-round prospect in the draft, Molden played 479 career snaps on special teams in college and did not miss a game in his four seasons. That’s a ton of experience. And Molden comes with the pedigree; dad Alex Molden was a former first-round-pick cornerback who had an eight-year career and can boast he had a strong game for the Chargers in a 2002 victory against Tom Brady.
Elijah Molden is versatile, consistent, physical and can tackle, a can’t-miss kind of prospect as long as you don’t overpay. He measured 5-9 1/2 at his Pro Day and 192 pounds, a smart and explosive player who looks like a nickel corner and a special teams warrior.
The Bucs could do a lot worse.
April 23rd, 2021 at 11:49 am
Charles Davis on NFL Radio compared him to Winfield Jr.. said 1st rd talent, zone , slot or safety
April 23rd, 2021 at 11:54 am
We need to draft a QB…every year until we get the right guy to be heir to Tom.
April 23rd, 2021 at 11:54 am
Not a bad consideration. A bit like Winfield. A really good resume – and helps fill a weak spot.
April 23rd, 2021 at 11:55 am
Not in the first, simply by the height.
Discipline …resist Bobby Bethard ,Al Davis channeling you Jason
Better to make a mistake by not taking him than taking him
.2 sense đ˘
April 23rd, 2021 at 12:18 pm
From messing around with various draft simulators, it seems that PFF loves this dude. They list him as a safety, I believe.
April 23rd, 2021 at 12:20 pm
In today’s game I don’t know if you can ever have enough good defensive backs on your roster. He looks like a strong 2nd round pick.
I would have no problem this year if they traded back out of the first round and picked up an extra 2nd and 3rd or 4th. If nothing good falls in the first, move back for value picks and save on cap space.
April 23rd, 2021 at 12:29 pm
Does not fit in the mold of BA’s and Bowles’ philosophy, tall and speedy CB but short and fast Safeties.
April 23rd, 2021 at 1:06 pm
They need to trade up in 2nd, 3rd n 4th rounds, the 5,6, and 2 7s are useless to us this year, highly unlikely those 4 picks make our roster
April 23rd, 2021 at 1:39 pm
Guzzie you are correct IF we can find the trade partners.GO BUCS!
April 23rd, 2021 at 1:41 pm
3rd or 4th round a little slow for the NFL 4.59 49.
April 23rd, 2021 at 1:41 pm
4.59 40 time
April 23rd, 2021 at 1:51 pm
Since our team is fairly deep without many needs, swap each of our 2021 picks for the same picks in 2022. Since we are drafting last in each round this year, the accumulated 2022 picks will be as good but most likely way better. We could go into next years draft with 2 picks in each round. We can use the 2021 rookie pool money to round out this years roster with free agents for depth such as AB etc.
April 23rd, 2021 at 1:57 pm
5-9 1/2 … Hell to the no.
April 23rd, 2021 at 2:00 pm
Like him! Him, an Edge, or WR at our spot in the Draft. That’s where the value will be when we draft. For once we don’t have to approach the Draft like every pick is make or break because we don’t have enough talent. We do! It’s awesome! I get to stay up late on Draft Night to wait for MY team to pick, instead of tossing the towel before pick 7.
April 23rd, 2021 at 2:39 pm
Joe
âBut âbest player availableâ is always sprinkled with a little draft fairy dust known as âneed.â
Exactly Joe. Now weâre kinda on the same page. Why Iâve had so many problems with RB and QB in the first round, BPA or not. You want to invest in a RB, but itâs far from the most important BPA position for the future. People say weâll be bankrupt the team will plummet. I donât want that and the franchise doesnât want that. We have a lot of very short term contracts of a lot of older players (I donât believe youâre over 30 and youâre done BS) that unlike this year, will not be resigned to short term deals next year.
I still am sticking with C Creed Humphrey at 32. Ryan Jensen is getting older and he is someone we likely wonât be able to obtain next year. Wonât be able to afford a decent vet (even though Licht can pull no names out of his arse). Rather put a rookie under Brady next year? No. I donât even know who our backup is? Marpet? Center is deep in the draft but I want this pick because with a year under Brady and Jensen, he could be another young all star OLineman. And itâs always said C and S (unless your dads a pro bowler) are two positions that usually need time to adjust. Have to focus on protecting future RB and QB right now.
April 23rd, 2021 at 4:04 pm
Allbuccedup Says:
April 23rd, 2021 at 1:41 pm
Yeah, and 5-9 1/2 … Shrimpy corner with marginal speed? Hmmmm, who does that remind me of? Vernon Hargreaves… HELL NO.
April 23rd, 2021 at 4:24 pm
Jaymiss signs off on this pick.
April 23rd, 2021 at 6:17 pm
Arians said the Bucs will draft “speed on defense”, and I think he wants an edge rusher to run a 4.6, not a corner. That said, I think this kid has a chance at being a good slot corner if he goes to the right team. I’d want a corner with the size/speed to play outside, if the Bucs needed him to, on the 1st and 2nd days, anyway. A smaller slot corner has a day 3 draft value to me.
April 23rd, 2021 at 6:55 pm
If you look at all the corners they’ve drafted since VH3, they’ve leaned towards the lengthier guys. I don’t see them breaking that pattern.
April 23rd, 2021 at 8:19 pm
andre cisco watch the tape
April 23rd, 2021 at 8:34 pm
windbaggery: They did draft MJ Stewart in 2018, who was a shade under 5′-11″ with 4.54 speed. I agree with your sentiment though, both VH3 and MJ were terrible draft misses.
April 24th, 2021 at 12:45 pm
later round maybe
seems like a major reach in the first