A Safety In Round 1?
April 19th, 2022
University of Michigan safety Dax Hill.
This mock draft disturbs Joe on a few levels, primarily because of who wrote it.
NFL Network personality Peter Schrager is a journalist and an author at his core, and he takes his annual mock drafts seriously. Schrager is a closet Bucs fan and talks with many NFL movers and shakers, including at One Buc Palace. Today, he made it clear in his NFL.com mock that his picks are based on “what I’m hearing from my sources around the league,” not his own desires.
Schrager pegged Michigan safety Dax Hill for Tampa Bay. Joe had to read it twice. A safety? Really?
And that’s with beastly Georgia defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt still on the board, along with edge rusher George Karlaftis out of Purdue.
If the Bucs draft Hill, it would scream “Todd Bowles.” Hill has elite speed, as well as versatility in the defensive backfield. Joe could see Bowles thinking bigger, stronger, faster Antoine Winfield, Jr.
Interior offensive line studs Zion Johnson, Tyler Linderbaum and Kenyon Green are picked in Schrager’s mock at No. 23, No. 24 and No. 26, respectively. So it seems Schrager is hearing there will be an early run on O-linemen before the Bucs’ pick. If accurate, that would knock Tampa Bay out of pursuing Johnson, Joe believes.
Joe can’t see the Bucs giving up much to trade up for anyone in Round 1 of the draft.
April 19th, 2022 at 4:52 pm
CAN’T MISS PROSPECT
Dax Hill can also play CB. In fact, I’ve read several reports stating he might be the best slot corners in the draft. Freshman defensive player of the year. All-American first team. Total stud. Loves football and a freakish athlete. He fits the Bucs defense perfectly.
April 19th, 2022 at 4:57 pm
I’m all For Dax Hill Have 2 Pro Bowl Safety’s for Years dude is a Stud Pair Him with AWJ An If they go Safety In 1st I can see them Going Corner in 2nd Edwards Ryan Dean An SMB are all Free Agents after this year then I see them going DT 3rd an RB in 4th but it’s Just My Opinion
April 19th, 2022 at 4:58 pm
If they want him they should trade several spots back because he mostly could be had mid to late 2nd round.
April 19th, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Honestly if Zion, wyatt, or J Davis are gone then i would definitely trade back and get more picks..there are several elite athletes BUT only a few good o linemen and DT that sets theirselves apart from the rest! I’m secretly wanting to take one off those super fast WR first round lol I’m hoping bucs are thinking the same thing..Olave for president
April 19th, 2022 at 5:12 pm
If Hill was 15 pounds heavier he would be a top 10 pick. Cause of his size he gonna be injury prone at the next level IMO. When on the field he’ll be great but he just too thin.
April 19th, 2022 at 5:25 pm
For Christ sake, don’t draft a wide out. The likelihood of Brady connecting with a rookie reciever, is slim to none. The bucs need to trade back, and hope guys slide. Expecting much more than two contributing players from this draft, is unrealistic. I’d much rather have a couple extra second and third round picks, as opposed to a very late first rounder.
The Patriots got Christian barmore in round two, because he slid. He was a first round talent. The bucs need to target guys like that, whatever the position. In my opinion, giving licht more kicks at the can is the way to go. He’s a very good GM.
April 19th, 2022 at 5:32 pm
I like Cine also. I think he’s a chess piece like Hill but I don’t believe we have a chance to get Hill. I don’t think Wyatt is on the Bucs board due to domestic violence charges. I wouldn’t mind George Karlaftis but I’m not holding my breath he’ll be there either.
My favorite draft picks that could be available at #27 in order:
Devin Lloyd, LB
Big Board Rank #15. My top ranked linebacker. Can cover, play the run and blitz equally. Could very likely be there.
Treylon Burks, WR
Plays the deep ball like shades of Randy Moss. Big, powerful, fast enough, YAK potential. Can work in a Debo Samuels role. Embarrassment of riches.
Andrew Booth Jr, CB
Can play man or zone. Has experience playing inside and out. Has the physical and mental make up to contribute early.
George Karlaftis, Edge
Another Ryan Kerrigan. I remember when the Bucs passed on Kerrigan. Not holding out hope he’ll be there but some mocks have him slipping.
Kenyon Green, G
Mean has the temperament of Ryan Jensen.
Lewis Cine, S
Most versatile, best tackler. I have him as my #2 safety for the Bucs style of defense (chess piece). Have him behind Hamilton and on par with Hill.
Kaiir Elam, CB
Has the size, length and athleticism to excel in our defense. Elam is proficient in press, just as he is in zone and off-man coverage.
Devonte Wyatt, DT
A lot of character concerns. Probably a better replacement at the hybrid 5 technique that Gohlston plays than a pure 3 technique in a 3-4 or a Suh replacement. Wyatt has some character concerns with arrests for domestic assault against family members.
I’d be happy if anyone of these were our first round pick. There not the top picks of the draft (except Lloyd) but one of them should reach #27. Some are borderline round #2 picks but we pick at #27 which is real close. I don’t have any QBs, RBs or TEs with first round grades.
April 19th, 2022 at 5:34 pm
The Cowboys in the Tex Shramm days were the first team to develope the concept of drafting the best athlete, regardless. Something to be said for it
April 19th, 2022 at 5:35 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised if they draft a safety just not with Wyatt on the board. There is all kinds of speed at receiver in the nfl now and the Bucs secondary can’t keep up
April 19th, 2022 at 5:53 pm
This would be a great pick. I don’t see him dropping out of the first round so if they like him trading back would be risky.
April 19th, 2022 at 5:58 pm
I really wish people would take a better look at Devonte Wyatt. He is practically a clone of Khalil Davis, who isn’t with the team anymore because he wasn’t a good fit. Btw, Davis is actually quicker and stronger. Wyatt would be a wasted pick (for this team) in any round.
April 19th, 2022 at 6:30 pm
Horrible pick with Wyatt still on the board this would be a waste of a 1st and I hope it’s a smoke screen situation I don’t know when teams will realize you draft best available not on need when you draft on need you end up trying to replace the need over and over plus I think we are already deep at safety we need a dt and extra wr’s because ours maybe great but wr is the one position you need in the league now and had we had extra last year we would of been able to move the ball easier against the rams because our wr room has some great players but staying healthy has always been a problem
April 19th, 2022 at 6:41 pm
Did take a good looked at Wyatt and read alot of evaluators take on him he is not a clone of Khalil Davis that’s silly. Wyatt is exactly the 3 tech that the bucs should be looking at to have abetter pass rush while not sacrificing too much in the run if he is there it’s a no brainer if not I could see them draft a safety with the influence of Todd I like cine more than hill.
April 19th, 2022 at 6:56 pm
@Buchead
Considering Mock Draft Database shows Dax goes in the 1st round of 36.6% mocks, I doubt he will drop to our pick in the second round.
April 19th, 2022 at 6:56 pm
Ash,
I like Cine as much as Hill. But Wyatt has serious character concerns. He’s been arrested for domestic violence, destruction of property and two other incidents he wasn’t charged with. After reading about his character concerns I’m not sure he’s on the Bucs draft board.
April 19th, 2022 at 7:07 pm
Nope
April 19th, 2022 at 7:11 pm
‘And that’s with beastly Georgia defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt still on the board, along with edge rusher George Karlaftis out of Purdue’.
Just tells me Schrager doesn’t have the big picture when it comes to the Bucs. I’d contend that Bucs have no choice but to draft a DT AND a DE/OLB in the Top-3 Rnds.
We’ve got gaping holes in our DLine and our OLBs are suspect when it comes to both pass rush & run defense. We NEED to re-sign Suh AND draft a top DT prospect to rotate in with him & replace him next year. We also NEED to draft a top DE/OLB prospect to replace JPP.
Right now our salary CAP (Top-51) sits at $4.8 mil (we rank #24 BTW). It’ll cost $7.0 mil to sign our draft picks (ASSUMING that we sign all 6 of them), BUT that’ll be offset by eliminating the lowest paid 6 players in our Top-51. That savings equates to $5.3 mil, so it’ll effectively cost us an additional $1.7 mil to sign our draft picks, leaving us with roughly $3.0 mil. That’s roughly enough for a reserve I’d think.
There are really only 3 more players worth restructuring: Tom Brady, Donovan Smith & Lavonte David (nobody else has a high enough CAP Hit this year). Restructuring means extending their contracts. Brady won’t want to do that. Given LVDs leg/ankle issues, Bucs may not want to restructure him. That leaves Donovan, currently with a $18.4 mil CAP Hit. Restructuring him MIGHT free up enough to re-sign either Suh OR Gronk, but more than likely not both. You never know though.
I suspect the primary reason neither Suh nor Gronk has been re-signed yet is that we’re waiting for the draft results, THEN we can figure out how to free up enough $$$ to re-sign who we still need based on our draft selections. Of course, if folks think this year dickering with the salary CAP has been fun, wait until next year,
April 19th, 2022 at 7:22 pm
I’m on team Draft Todd Bowles A Weapon.
April 19th, 2022 at 7:46 pm
N O
April 19th, 2022 at 7:58 pm
I have no problem with that. You should draft players for NEXT year, not for this year. Also drafting a defensive lineman and expecting them to start this year would be a disaster. If you have the idea that if you draft Devonte Wyatt, you’re starting him and don’t need Suh, then you’re a dope that doesn’t understand the position. Sure, there’s a less than 5% chance that Wyatt could be an effective day 1 starter, and there’s a 95% chance he won’t and will be a huge liability.
BUT if you’re drafting Wyatt for next year, then obviously, per above, no issues with that and it would be wise to get some youth on the line. But if you have a top notch safety you can pair with Winfield Jr for the next decade, that’s a great way to go as well.
Also Devonte Wyatt is apparently being taken off a bunch of boards over ‘character’ concerns. I don’t know why, I haven’t kept up on the gossip, but just refreshing my memory on the guy I saw that story a bunch of times.
April 19th, 2022 at 8:13 pm
Joe also screamed for us to draft Josh Allen instead of Devin White for years… until we won the Super Bowl
April 19th, 2022 at 8:48 pm
I’m not really looking for the bucs to draft a safety but I’m good with Hill. He truly is a Honey Badger clone. Maybe a little bigger.
April 19th, 2022 at 8:54 pm
Ash, Suh plays a 5 tech. A 3 tech DT is used on a 4-3 defensive front, not a 3-4 (which is what the Bucs run). It’s a big reason why McCoy (who was an excellent 3 tech DL) was let go when Bowles took over the Defense.
April 19th, 2022 at 8:55 pm
I can see Karlaftis dropping to the second round. I think he’s a 1 move pass rusher. I watched every defensive snap against Ohio State. He was non-existent. Petit-Frier is a decent tackle prospect for Ohio State but he looked like the second coming of Joe Thomas in that game. Unless Karlaftis was injured, he just doesn’t look like he has what it takes despite what PFF says.
April 19th, 2022 at 10:05 pm
I’m just hearing of the character concerns on Wyatt… If true, take him off the board. Look another direction. Get Travis Jones or Logan Hall in round 2. Dax Hill in R1 and then Jones or Hall in R2… now we’re cookin’.
April 19th, 2022 at 10:18 pm
A hottie in round one.
Kay Adams.
April 19th, 2022 at 10:23 pm
DR
Thanks for all the numbers……Two other considerations.
We could try to restructure Shaq Mason
It is possible we are considering cutting Pinion or Succop or both……that would save some.
April 19th, 2022 at 10:23 pm
I’m ok with safety or corner, as long as the draft is all D, especially at the top. There are better pass rushers than Karlaftis, and DL with fewer character issues than Wyatt.
As for waiting until after the draft to address Gronk, how does that work? It’s 50/50 that he plays at all. There are no ideal TEs in free agency. They need a TE regardless, for depth, so do they waste a draft pick (that should go D) on best TE available? Not a good situation, unless Gronk commits, and soon.
April 19th, 2022 at 10:40 pm
If we draft Daxton Hill then he’s playing slot corner.
April 19th, 2022 at 10:42 pm
DB coach Logan Ryan.
April 19th, 2022 at 10:54 pm
His versitility would certainly fit Todd Bowles’ approach!
April 19th, 2022 at 10:58 pm
Some folks don’t care about pretend GM’s with nothing better to do them play GM all day. The real GM and his staff will do what they feel needs to be done for the team . At the same time work everything out the best way they can.
April 19th, 2022 at 11:03 pm
No way. They have 4 good safeties right now and only one is over 30
April 19th, 2022 at 11:51 pm
Wyatt would be my pick but to be honest I don’t know much about Hill.
April 20th, 2022 at 1:31 am
Whoever is drafted or signed have to be instant impact starting caliber. Can’t afford long term development if the goal is SB with Brady.
Bowles also must focus the defensive personnel and schemes to beat up the Rams, put Stafford on his back, and shut down Kupp. In other words, what Bowles FAILED TO DO the last time. It’s only a matter of when for the rematch.
April 20th, 2022 at 8:38 am
im sorry but you cant draft a slot corner in the first round. draft a cb late and coach the guy up.
April 20th, 2022 at 9:27 am
Best way to shut down a receiver is to put heat on the QB. No rookie DB, or safety will make a difference if the QB has all day to throw. We lost to the Rams because we couldn’t get to their QB, but they could get to ours with just their front four. You can have a secondary full of hall of famers, but if you can’t pressure the QB it won’t make a difference. Whether the draft, or trade forget about another receiver, DB, or safety, we need players who get to the opposing QB.
April 20th, 2022 at 1:39 pm
I saw that the bucs met with Hill.
He would be a good pick in my opinion. Mostly played nickel but college defences are a little bit different. A lot of those teams play their best safety in the nickel and some of these guys have translated well to free safety.
April 20th, 2022 at 10:02 pm
Lol, how many safeties do we need? Wide receiver, dt, or pass rusher are the only positions that make any sense to me.