Buccaneers Select Cornerback Josh Hayes In Round 6
April 29th, 2023
The Bucs certainly got a seasoned college football player in sixth-round pick Josh Hayes, the Lakeland native and cornerback out of Kansas State University.
Hayes played a whopping 68 college games — sixty-eight! – through six seasons of college ball at North Dakota State, Virginia and one year at Kansas State. You can thank COVID for the extra year. Hayes is 24 years old.
No interceptions last year or the year before for Hayes, and he was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.
He screams special teams as a prospect. Various draft analysts say he’s an instinctive and smart player lacking in speed and certainly not talented enough to play outside corner.
Perhaps Todd Bowles will coach him up into a serviceable backup nickel.
April 29th, 2023 at 3:57 pm
It’s hard to even find info on Josh Hayes, and the little I see says he’s most likely an UDFA. But at this point, drafted and undrafted isn’t that big of a difference.
Also he’s from Lakeland, so someone inside the building obviously sold the team on him after seeing him locally.
He ran a 4.47 – which is good enough, and he’s 5′ 11″ 197lb, so he likely will be a corner but could maybe be a deep safety.
Hopefully it works out.
April 29th, 2023 at 3:57 pm
Probably safety
April 29th, 2023 at 3:59 pm
Hayes played a whopping 68 college games
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Keeps with the theme of this draft, getting guys who played a lot of football and have a chance to play early. Obviously at this point in the draft, it’s not so much about playing early as making the team, but with that many games under him, and his age, he shouldn’t have as big of a learning curve as other guys you’d draft in this spot.
April 29th, 2023 at 3:59 pm
Now take a QB with the last pick.
April 29th, 2023 at 4:00 pm
One of the reasons I stopped watching the draft closely after the first few rounds. Taking a deep dive into a guy who was mediocre at NDSU and had one ok season at K State with a total of 2 INTs in 6 seasons of play. You might think “well he must be a great athlete and this is a tools pick” well you’d be wrong.
24 yr old with marginal production, marginal size and marginal athleticism. Great job Licht, you actually had me wishing you took a Kicker this time.
April 29th, 2023 at 4:02 pm
Watch his highlight video on YouTube. Good tackler. Went to ND State then, Virginia and finally Kansas State. Finished third nationally in games played. Not a Tryon for sure.
April 29th, 2023 at 4:02 pm
@ Rod
Ya – I can’t find a single thing on this guy…
It seems like we have reached a bit on every pick except maybe C. Klancey.
Oh well – it’s a late 6th round pick.
Let’s hope for the best.
April 29th, 2023 at 4:05 pm
Odd
Love to know what they think about this college football rolling stone, probably could have signed him to a UFA contract tonight
April 29th, 2023 at 4:08 pm
think we could have got this guy in the 7th round and got a pick back..seems like obvious reach
April 29th, 2023 at 4:10 pm
limited video shows a box safety that is undersized ..maybe has nickel ability?? not sure what to make of it with little tape i saw
April 29th, 2023 at 4:12 pm
Buc Fan South Tampa Says:
Watch his highlight video on YouTube
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I was just doing that – and I will say, I like what I see quite a bit, and clearly he looks like a safety and not a corner.
Also, he looks the part, just watching the highlights, there’s guy you see that you know will never play in the NFL, and guys who look like NFL players, and he just looks like an NFL player.
That doesn’t mean in the least that he’ll even make the team, but for a pick this late, with that limited tape I saw, and his workout numbers, he has a chance.
I like this pick a lot more than I did at first. But again, at this point in the draft, it’s very unlikely guys ever even make the active roster.
April 29th, 2023 at 4:13 pm
@ Rod
LOL
The NFL doesn’t even have a head shot for this guy… He isn’t even in the top 400 players rated.
This seems like a Todd Bowles pick to me… He was at Kansas States pro day and must have seen something he really likes.
April 29th, 2023 at 4:14 pm
Grab Duggan, at least he can run pretty well.
April 29th, 2023 at 4:14 pm
Sounds like Bowles is going to use him as a nickel corner.
April 29th, 2023 at 4:16 pm
chark Says:
April 29th, 2023 at 4:10 pm
limited video shows a box safety that is undersized
————
At his pro-day he was 197 and still ran a 4.47, so it sounds like he bulked up. I agree, on video he looks too small to be a box safety, but his college weight was listed at 185, so its likely he put on some weight already. To be a box safety, if he can get up to like 205, he’d still be small for that, but not too small, and if he can keep his speed, who knows.
I like what I saw though.
Again, it’s a 6th rounder, and what, like 10% of them ever play a down. So getting a guy who is ready to go, a hometown kid, I’m good with it now.
April 29th, 2023 at 4:18 pm
He played safety when he went to Kansas State because they were already set at starters at corner.
April 29th, 2023 at 4:18 pm
Geno Hayes’ nephew
April 29th, 2023 at 4:23 pm
we got 2 more picks traded philly next year 5th for a 6th..one of these picks a rb?
April 29th, 2023 at 4:25 pm
well the good news is 68 college games..so our scouts defintely had a lot of film to chew on!
April 29th, 2023 at 4:33 pm
I like the pick. It’s rare to find high quality players at this point in the draft so you are mostly looking for depth. If one player from the 5th-7th rounds becomes a starter then you hit the lottery.
April 29th, 2023 at 4:36 pm
WR & edge to close…meh. I really want Tyson Bagent. I don’t think he’s likely to reach udfa.
April 29th, 2023 at 4:37 pm
I feel like Licht and Bowles have done a good job overall on picking safeties. None this late, but I will give them a 20% chance that this guy can be a player to help this team.
I generally agree with Munch that you are lucky to get 10% chance that a 6th rounder gets to play any meaningful time.
April 29th, 2023 at 4:40 pm
@ Geno
At this point we still have several gaps in this roster.
I would bet that there is a very high probability that all of these draft picks will make the final 53 man roster.
There will also be a few UDFA who will probably make this roster…
April 29th, 2023 at 4:41 pm
He is on nobody’s radar screen and we take him in the 6th rather than sign him as a free agent. If we were super successful making these “we know better than everybody else” decisions, I would give the team the benefit of the doubt. It seems like another wasted draft pick.
April 29th, 2023 at 4:41 pm
Much needed NCB with size and speed.
April 29th, 2023 at 4:48 pm
Not a fan.
April 29th, 2023 at 4:56 pm
Chip – I thought that at first, but watching some highlights, and looking at his workout numbers, for a 6th rounder, I’m good with it.
With that said, based on the limited tape and his workout numbers, I’m not sure why he wasn’t on anyone’s radar. I’m thinking its because he was too small, but 5′ 11″ 197lb isn’t too small – which, like I said above, means he likely bulked up, but still ran a 4.47, which at safety is pretty good and means he might be able to bulk up some more.
Again, very very very few 6th rounders every play a down in the NFL, so its extremely unlikely he’ll do so either, but I have zero issues with the pick. He’s play a ton, he’s ready to go and compete for a spot early, so we’ll see what happens.
April 29th, 2023 at 5:11 pm
On paper looks like the Bucs has a pretty good draft and translation we’re going to rely on defense because I have no earthly idea what the offense will do
April 29th, 2023 at 5:21 pm
And Duncan was available who had great reviews for his potential as a LT, big, powerful and good in the run game. Raw and is a project but what guy isnt in the later rounds. Head scratcher.
April 29th, 2023 at 5:26 pm
Looking at his highlights, what stands out is he’s very physical. Putting some of his numbers aside, he definitely has the aggressive play style to make up for some other deficiencies. Fast enough. I can see what they liked about him.
April 29th, 2023 at 5:41 pm
Most draft profiles are listing Hayes as a Safety or simply DB…
Here’s a few things said about him:
“phenomenal special teams player”
“aggressive and physical”
“good tackler”
“not afraid to play his part against the run game”
“good chance Hayes is asked to kick into the Nickle position in the NFL”
6 foot – 197 lbs and ran a 4.47 – 40.
Sounds like a very good 6th rd pick to me….
April 29th, 2023 at 5:42 pm
Geno Hayes nephew?
RIP Geno Hayes.
Geno Hayes was a solid Buc.
He played hard for some shitty teams.
Bowles wants SMART DB’s.
We need a nickle.
I want short, quick, tough, smart nickles.
Slot receivers are normally shifty and short, you need a nickle who is 5-10 or 5-9 to match up with slot recievers.
Murphy Bunting couldn’t play nickle because he was too tall. He played too high.
Nickles need a low center of gravity.
Like Ronde!
April 29th, 2023 at 5:51 pm
Looking at his highlights on YouTube and I’m very good with this pick as Safety (not CB)
Just from the highs..
*Baller
*Takes really good angles
*Very physical
*Flows thru traffic
*Good awareness
*Tackles enthusiastically but under control
April 30th, 2023 at 3:52 pm
I think that he’ll get snaps at nickel, he played some there. We need somebody there that’s for sure. He’s good at man coverage too!