A Receiver???
April 27th, 2023
Huh?
If this actually happens, there has to be more to the story than what we are seeing on the surface.
NFL Network draft guru Daniel Jeremiah — and Joe knows who he talks to with the Bucs, so Joe doesn’t think this guy is pulling something out of his arse — just threw the curveball of all curveballs last night in his final (finally!) mock draft.
At No. 19, Jeremiah believes the Bucs will draft Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. That’s right. A receiver!
Smith-Njigba could be a top-10 pick or he could slide to this spot. The Bucs need to get younger and add more weapons offensively. He’d be a great addition.
Joe has a couple of issues with this Smith-Njigba. First, he seems brittle. He played all of three games last year. Second, he’s a slot receiver. The Bucs have one of the best who has a multiyear contract, Chris Godwin!
Sure, Smith-Njigba is fast but physical defensive backs throw him off. Just a hunch, but Joe thinks NFL defenders are a tad more physical than B1G defenders.
Here is what Dane Brugler of The Athletic typed about Smith-Njigba in his draft guide “The Beast.”
A two-year starter at Ohio State, Smith-Njigba was the slot receiver in head coach Ryan Day’s multiple spread offense and made a living inside (88.3 percent of his snaps the last two seasons came in the slot). Although 2022 was basically a lost year for him because of his hamstring injury, he had a prolific 2021 season with the Big Ten single-season record for receiving yards (1,606) and a memorable Rose Bowl performance with an NCAA bowl-record 347 receiving yards. Although he played in a favorable offensive situation in Columbus, including alongside first-round receivers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, Smith-Njigba is a crisp, controlled route runner with the hand strength to focus and snatch the football. Although he doesn’t have the speed to run away from coverage, he skillfully throttles his speeds and uses different sink/body techniques to leverage defensive backs out of position and create pockets of separation. Overall, Smith-Njigba isn’t an elite size/speed athlete and won’t be an ideal fit for every role, but he is a crafty route runner with smooth short-area quickness and tracking talent to be a surehanded target. He projects as an early NFL starter who is at his best in the slot.
Nah, man. Pass!
Don’t tell Joe if the Bucs are picking at No. 19, they can’t find a player at a position of need better than this guy.
If the Bucs do draft Smith-Njigba, that tells Joe something is up with Mike Evans or Godwin.
Joe understands the Bucs need speed, but dang, how about running back Jahmyr Gibbs?
Interestingly, Brugler has Smith-Njigba as the 18th-best prospect in the draft.
Is it ever really draft day 'til you hear @Jets fans booing? 🤣
1 more week until the 2023 #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/0S6mV776T3
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) April 20, 2023
April 27th, 2023 at 1:06 am
It’s a passing league, you need as many WR’s as you can get. I’d have no problems with taking a top tier WR as they generally take a year or two to develop, and at some point you need to start planning for life after Evans. Also it would be better than wasting a top pick on a RB, which would be a 100% luxury pick.
With that said I don’t know much about this years WR class, but the little I do know says this class isn’t all that impressive. But I could certainly be off on that.
April 27th, 2023 at 1:17 am
Luxury??? What stud running back is on the roster that is Joe missing who led the Bucs to the worst rushing attack in the league?
April 27th, 2023 at 1:25 am
Short of Barry Sanders, there wasn’t any running back that was going to be successful in Leftwich’s offense, where even kids in the stands were yelling out ‘it’s a run up the middle’ before each 1st down.
That’s not to say I don’t think Bijon will be good – I just think White is also going to be very good. If I’m wrong, no big deal, just get another RB next year as they’re a dime a dozen.
April 27th, 2023 at 2:09 am
Jeremiah is getting played by someone in the Bucs’ front office. Perhaps they’re hoping to scare someone into a trade up. I don’t see any way this happens. Not that we need WR, but Zay Flowers is a more plausible target due to his explosiveness.
April 27th, 2023 at 2:33 am
As much as Joe stresses the preferences of a defensive minded head coach, I’m surprised one of them gives this mock any credibility regardless of who published the guesses.
April 27th, 2023 at 2:53 am
I have a hard time picturing WR being a top 8 need on this team. ¿Am I missing something or is WR not the strength of our offense currently? Unless we are trading one of the big 3 this doesn’t happen and ME13 better be a Buccaneer next year, if not for life. Unless of course ME13 has other plans.
April 27th, 2023 at 3:09 am
The BUCS better not go Near another guy with Hamstring issues!!!
April 27th, 2023 at 3:13 am
Is Dj on drugs? Ever heard of evans, godwin and gage. evans still has some years in him and godwin and gage have plenty career left..Cmon dj?
April 27th, 2023 at 3:40 am
WTF!
what a joke, WR
If Bucs do this my head will explode!
Hope the front office was just throwing DJ bad info.
April 27th, 2023 at 4:03 am
All I know is the WR coach for Ohio State has said of all receivers he coached said Njigba was his second best/favorite wr not far behind Marvin Harrison Jr. That’s above all those 1st rounders from previous years who look like studs in the NFL now.
That said hell no to drafting a wr in the first. Same with rb you can get a solid wr 2nd – 4th. Oline,Dline, Safety, nickel cb, and rb. Those are all I am looking at tbh. TE like Mayer would be nice and this crap about Dalton being better I say sure if you want a WR for a TE. Mayer can catch, run, block, is tough, and loves the game and tbh ND only offensive weapon. Problem is after drafting a TE high once gave me a sour taste so idk about that either.
April 27th, 2023 at 5:14 am
It’s nice to see an original opinion. Probably more accurate to what will actually happen. If they take a player on offense in rd 1 it will be a rb or receiver
April 27th, 2023 at 5:31 am
Njigba gets open all the time.
April 27th, 2023 at 6:08 am
JSN is a player like Olave. ME13 has played a lot and is slowing down. Gage could be gone next year. You have to look at your roster years down the road, not just this year. WR could be a need sooner than later. Always draft BPA, not need.
April 27th, 2023 at 6:34 am
At least, we’re not the Jets!
April 27th, 2023 at 7:10 am
A top RB like Robinson or Gibbs would be the only truly impact players you could draft……but I think we’ll go OT or TE.
Drafting a WR would be ridiculous…..he would be our #3 or #4 receiver and would struggle to get targets.
We need a plug and play OT, TE, RB, S……
April 27th, 2023 at 7:42 am
J-E-T-S SUCK!! SUCK!! SUCK!!
April 27th, 2023 at 7:53 am
And the guys in that video that suggested that, ‘why don’t they become Giants fans?’ or ‘what do they get out of it?’, these guys obviously don’t truly understand what it means to be a “fan”. Guys that say stuff like that are bandwagon fans, not real fans. As a Buc fan I can relate to cheering for a crap product a lot of the time. But choice doesn’t even enter into it. I don’t really have a choice, per se. It’s the Bucs or no one.
April 27th, 2023 at 7:55 am
Ohhh Noooo, Mr Bowles
April 27th, 2023 at 7:57 am
That would be a dumb pick.
WR in round 1? This team doesn’t even have a starting OT and uncertaint at edge.
April 27th, 2023 at 8:13 am
LOL
Did you see who “well informed” Jeremiah’s colleagues have us drafting at 19?
Guard, RB, And of course QB.
Just gets sillier and sillier
April 27th, 2023 at 8:27 am
Another receiver with hamstring issues, he will feel right at home here. LT PLEASE!!
April 27th, 2023 at 8:42 am
WRs I like for us:
Trey Plamer- Nebraska
Andre Iosivas-Princeton
Jayden Reed – Michigan St
Rakim Jarrett – Maryland
Charlie Jones – Perdue
Parker Washington – Penn State
Marvin Mims
None of these guys come with a day 1 grade, but the majority of them are projected to be Z-WRs some with legit speed.
April 27th, 2023 at 8:49 am
Pre draft is a lot of liars poker.
April 27th, 2023 at 9:06 am
OT is our biggest need but we do need to draft at least one WR. We will probably carry 6 or 7 WRs (we kept 7 WRs last season) and we only have 4 at the moment if you are counted Thompkins.
Evans is one the last year of his contract. Godwin has 2 years left and a rebuilt knee. Gage took a pay cut is is basically playing on a one year deal…
If all the quality OTs are already gone than I would be fine with picking a WR at #19…
April 27th, 2023 at 9:59 am
If you draft this guy then you are trading Evans or Godwin
April 27th, 2023 at 10:13 am
Not this guy, but I wouldn’t be opposed to a WR if Gibbs or Robinson are gone. We have always had injuries at WR in key stretches of the season.
April 27th, 2023 at 10:18 am
This would indeed be a head scratcher
April 27th, 2023 at 10:30 am
Very unlikely for sure. However, if he’s BPA, he’s BPA. I don’t think it will happen though.
April 27th, 2023 at 10:55 am
Get Jordan Addyson if you go wr and then next year get his qb Williams.l next season l! 🙂 Seem to work for several other teams in the NFL.
April 27th, 2023 at 11:15 am
No receiver at 19 please.
April 27th, 2023 at 12:02 pm
Maybe not WR, but don’t be surprised if B Robinson is gone they take Gibbs even at 19.
Or Mayer/Washington
You guys are talking about needing better RT but we have one right.
What we we’re missing is Gronk.
A beast of a TE that can block solves 2 problems.
I really think BPA will be a breath of fresh air for this city.
We need it.
Is Darnell Wright gonna give you tinkles?
April 27th, 2023 at 12:22 pm
Daniel Jeremiah joins the Maroon Village. O’squeeler can welcome him to the village with a giftpack embroidered with “y’all”.
April 27th, 2023 at 12:41 pm
Lots of Mind Games going on the closer we get to the draft
No way I see us taking a receiver, especially with our first pick
April 27th, 2023 at 1:47 pm
I have said it before. This team has so many positions to fill. All Licht has to do is pick the BPA for any of the 5 or 6 immediate need positions. LT, S, Nickel Corner, TE, RB, DE, LB, QB. Soooo many needs. Licht should be able to draft a #1 or #2 rated prospect at 19. Take the BPA that fills one of our 5 or 6 positions of need. It really is that simple. I don’t think WR is even on any of our radars this year as fans. I’m not sure what to think about this WR idea. By the 19th pick the top two WR’s are probably going to be gone already. But a top prospect fitting one our needs will be available at 19.
April 27th, 2023 at 3:12 pm
Loved the video! LOL Maybe Aaron can pull them up. That is sad, but we’ve been there. I just hope our 2023 is greater than last year’s. I am looking forward to winning a couple of preseason games, too.
April 27th, 2023 at 4:25 pm
Sounds like a perfect fit for the Bucs, can’t get on the field because of hamstring issues.
April 27th, 2023 at 4:26 pm
Say Flowers looks like AB with a great attitude.