Eli Cox & The Bucs
March 23rd, 2025
So Joe got excited, stressed and thoughtful when Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht talked about the Bucs having draft needs on offense last week on WDAE radio.
The easy target is center/guard.
Eljiah Klein was the Bucs’ sixth-round pick out of UTEP last season, but it’s unclear if he’s impressed coaches and the front office. He’s not the biggest/strongest guy and he has little experience at center. So Joe could see Licht drafting a center/guard to replace Robert Hainsey in Round 3 or later.
There are a lot of potential options.
One guy that might fit is University of Kentucky center Eli Cox. Not only has he started at center, he’s started at guard. But he also has been a Wildcats captain in Liam Coen’s offense, a system the Bucs are trying to keep intact. The former Bucs offensive coordinator called plays at Kentucky in 2023.
Thanks to The Sickness, Cox spent six years at Kentucky (four different playcallers and offensive line coaches) and made 47 starts. Per NFL Scouting Combine measurables, he appears to be bigger (6-4), stronger and faster than Elijah Klein.
While the Bucs have done a stunning job developing offensive linemen, Joe could see a little extra interest in an older, more mature rookie that’s been in the offensive system, a lower-learning-curve guy from the SEC.
The two-time Kentucky captain didn’t miss a game the past three seasons.
March 23rd, 2025 at 10:23 am
Nope….we need CB, LB, S in the first 3 rounds….
March 23rd, 2025 at 10:31 am
Klein is 6’4”. And listed at 319 on buccaneers dot com.
But we could pick another later round interior o-lineman depending on how the rest goes.
March 23rd, 2025 at 10:31 am
The next man up at interior OL is a super important position and a huge need for us right now. Based on the bucs previous lineman draft picks I put a lot of weight on the Senior Bowl. I like the Center from USC Monheim and the guard from Sac State Jackson Slater. They both did well at the Senior Bowl and had formal interviews with the bucs at the combine.
March 23rd, 2025 at 10:34 am
Licht should be drafting an offensive lineman in every draft. Our scouting department has those positions dialed in at a pretty high percentage.
March 23rd, 2025 at 11:14 am
Coen will be rattled! Stay away from his oline man. lol
March 23rd, 2025 at 11:14 am
I am with Joe on another offensive lineman but more an OT swing guy.
Now maybe Charlie Heck is that guy – but I am not so certain with San Fran always wanting a strong offensive line and them letting him go so cheaply?
So maybe he fits better on the Bucs.
But for me with the “Heck” quality concerns and the “Goedeke” injury concerns, I might consider a player with some OT capability.
Problem for the Bucs is typically you have to get a quality OT in the 1st or 2nd round and this year, the Bucs will be using those rounds on defense.
March 23rd, 2025 at 11:17 am
Licht picks obscure dudes from schools nobody ever heard of. I doubt he’s going to draft a guy from the SEC. But seriously, 100 percent the Bucs are drafting an O line guy and a WR. They do every year.
March 23rd, 2025 at 11:26 am
I consider Lance Zierlein to be a fair but not stellar draft analyst, say B- quality analysis. His workup on this guy out at the league site concludes “candidate for bottom of roster or practice squad” player. Not a glowing endorsement, kills him on production to date, and certainly doesn’t sound worthy of a 3rd round pick. Grain of salt…at least our staff is good at selecting O Line prospects at both value and developmental evaluation.
3rd round might be best suited for ILB or another RB in a deep class, or a WR with time expiring on our studs there.
March 23rd, 2025 at 11:52 am
Logically have to think he’s probably a target for Jax as well, and they’re likely to pull the trigger on him earlier than most other teams would.
March 23rd, 2025 at 12:03 pm
more big uglies please…
we never have enough frothy behemoths at the morning game day buffet
🙂
March 23rd, 2025 at 12:05 pm
Draft the beef on D and O.
March 23rd, 2025 at 12:21 pm
Good pick Joes. I’d just rather wait until the 5th or 6th. Im liking Ozzy Trapilo in maybe the 5th or Seth McLaughlin 5th or 6th.
March 23rd, 2025 at 12:50 pm
We need depth at o line. When someone goes down and they trot out the turnstiles it’s never good.
March 23rd, 2025 at 12:51 pm
My best mock sim so far with a few trade downs:
22. Emmanwori
53. Shwesinger
55. CB Azareh Thomas
121. DT Joshua Farmer
162. OC Seth McLaughlin
186. Edge Jack Sawyer
This would be beautiful…..
March 23rd, 2025 at 12:56 pm
The only center that played in a combo run scheme that might go in the third round is Drew Kendall from BC but that is a bad reach. He’d only be taken that early because he has the same combine measurements and haircut as Graham Barton which leads folks to believe he is the least awful of a terrible crop of true centers. He’ll realistically be there in the fifth. He has excellent movement skills, solid anchor, no pop in his pads, no ability to play guard, no chance of recovering if beaten, will never, ever be able to deliver push in the run game and is a penalty machine- this is one of the top rated gap and zone capable centers.
Cooper Mays from Tennessee is almost exactly the same player as Kendall but in a smaller package minus the penalties. He can recover from being beaten sometimes but he is only 6’3/295. He is UDFA talent who’ll probably go in the sixth.
Eli Cox isn’t rated as high as the above two but he has the size, speed and most importantly some unique scheme specific familiarity. I like how the Joes put their brains to this need. I never looked at him until I read about him here this morning but he seems like the right player for the Bucs. He flashes some brilliance as a run blocker but is mostly there looking busy but accomplishing very little when he climbs to the second level and has some potential to fill in at guard but only in dire circumstances. He is my new favorite for the Bucs as a UDFA. I’d be chagrined to burn this year’s seventh on him. There are a lot of potential impact players at other positions straight through to the end of this draft. I’d have no problem using a day 3 pick on a swing interior OL if there were any decent ones in this draft. The best bet may be finding someone more solid after rosters get cut down to 53 unless Licht and Co. have a small school gem in their sights.
March 23rd, 2025 at 1:13 pm
Licht has been very good at finding diamonds in the rough from small, D3 schools. Can’t do much better than Ali Marpet.
Only “problem” with him, however, was he was also smart—smart enough to retire with a good 4-6 years of production left in him before his brain turned into Swiss cheese.
Think of the difference it must be from playing for a Division III school and the NFL, especially when blocking. And think of the difficulty a scout must have accessing such a talent.
Kudos to Licht and Co. for the Marpet find.
Let’s hope they can do it again …
March 23rd, 2025 at 1:27 pm
I pushed for Marpet, was the only one talking about him at first (here, that is), but this guy Hopein1Hand, thats a real scout….you know your stuff man….im just a wannabe lol….i do this for a hobby and for fun when i have the time.
March 23rd, 2025 at 1:37 pm
Bredison can play center if needed. I think they would look to draft an athletic guard or tackle that can move to the inside. It would be someone that could compete for Bredisons spot. It would be a later round pick though similar to Klein
March 23rd, 2025 at 1:43 pm
Max, none of that is realistic after round 2. Thomas is going in round 2. Farmer will be a 3 and I will bet my house that Sawyer doesn’t go in the 6th. If Sawyer sat in the green room smoking a gas mask bong live on TV, he would go before round 6. I like Emanwori but drafting the least valuable position in round 1 is bad team building.
March 23rd, 2025 at 1:53 pm
Six years in school? Gaaaaa……
March 23rd, 2025 at 2:29 pm
^ Yeah, after further research, Aza is def a 2nd, and Farmer a 3….just playing with these simulators….its fun but not realistic at times.
March 23rd, 2025 at 4:06 pm
Bredeson would move to C. Licht still has to find a G, either a cheap FA or small school T in the draft late.
March 23rd, 2025 at 4:26 pm
Somewhere in later rounds Sawyer makes sense. Forget about metrics and draft analytics, Sawyer is a football player who would fit in nicely. Defense is such a priority that unless a Pennae Sewell or Jerry Rice clone falls Bucs way, have to concentrate on defenders who can contribute right away. That includes later round projects who can help the special teams.
March 23rd, 2025 at 5:50 pm
All D picks on days 1 and 2. I would be OK with OLine or WR on day 3 of the draft
March 23rd, 2025 at 5:55 pm
If I was JL and had the opportunity, I would trade back about 5 or 6 positions in the 1st rd and pick up an extra 3rd rd pick. Then you can get 4.picks in the top 100 or combine your 2nd and 3rd to move up to early in the 2nd rd if there is someone you really like. My order of preference is ILB (Campbell), Edge (there will be at least 1-2 that falls to early in 2nd rd), CB and DT.
March 23rd, 2025 at 6:26 pm
Joe keeps saying Klein is not the “biggest or strongest olineman”. Where is he getting this from? When Klein in the preseason last year he was solid, albeit against back ups.
March 23rd, 2025 at 6:39 pm
Maybe someone falls to us,,, Wirfs wasn’t exactly supposed to fall our way but the draft Gods seem to like our JL!!
March 23rd, 2025 at 7:33 pm
Drew Kendall, Boston College, day 3. Or Connor Colby, Iowa (if you think he or Klein could reasonably cover centre).
Wouldn’t want to pick an interior lineman backup/development guy before day 3.
March 23rd, 2025 at 9:17 pm
We’re seriously thin on the O-Line.
Even though defense needs to be our priority in the draft.
Jason Licht and the scouting team have a darn good track record when it comes to drafting/recruiting for the O-Line.
But they’ll be earning their paychecks on that one this year, what with all the help we need on our D.
March 23rd, 2025 at 9:47 pm
I like it but why did Jack Sawyer fall? He usually goes in the 80-130 range.
“MadMax Says:
March 23rd, 2025 at 12:51 pm
My best mock sim so far with a few trade downs:
22. Emmanwori
53. Shwesinger
55. CB Azareh Thomas
121. DT Joshua Farmer
162. OC Seth McLaughlin
186. Edge Jack Sawyer”
March 23rd, 2025 at 11:02 pm
I agree with the guys. We don’t need luxury picks early in this draft. We have some glaring needs where best available meets need and isn’t a reach.
March 24th, 2025 at 12:34 am
For those saying no because they need ILB and CB… This guy is a day 3 pick.
March 24th, 2025 at 2:20 am
@Todd, agreed. I just discovered him, he’s a beast, i love his tape. Its these sims i guess. They generate a pick, and the first couple rounds seem good, but after that its just fodder i guess. Im liking this Sawyer….Emman, Schwes, Sawyer then next best DT…..hello
March 24th, 2025 at 7:43 am
Great catch there Joe!
I see no reason not to go after this dude in the later rounds. That sounds like a lot of stars aligning. Hainsey was a better player than most here think. We shall see if Klien has beefed up like his fellow linemen did BTW. My bet is yes. He and Luke have been after it at One Buc.
Go Bucs!
March 24th, 2025 at 7:55 am
I would not hate this move.
March 24th, 2025 at 8:55 am
Like adding a C/G, just not that early – too many needs on D.
March 24th, 2025 at 10:39 am
Bigger 6’4 compared to 6’4, 306 lbs compared to 306 lbs…. how do you figure, Joe? Klein also has 34.5″ arms while Cox has teeny 31″ arms… and yes, Cox is a little faster, probably more athletic (5.33 vs 5.00 40) but Cox didn’t bench… and Klein did (25 reps of 225) which suggests that Cox is either hurt or weak.
Back to Cox’s 31″ arms…. that’s frighteningly short while Klein has ideal arm length for even an offensive tackle. And considering Cox was a 6th year senior, he’s overaged and didn’t have the benefit from an NFL training camp and offseason like Klein. Klein did play, by the way, late in the season, and he did well.