Ben Solak: Go Get A Safety
April 17th, 2025
Target middle of defense.
A BSPNer has quality, well-thought-out takes on how the Bucs should attack the draft, which begins a week from tonight — a week!
How refreshing, someone using their noggin to type about the Bucs!
Forget about offense in the draft, says Ben Solak. Everyone is back from one of the best units in the game. Move on and focus on what dragged the team down last year: defense-only.
Solak noted that if the horrid play of inside linebackers last year (not named “Lavonte David”) doesn’t tip off the Bucs to attack that area in the draft, then there’s a bigger problem at One Buc Palace than just inside linebacker.
However, Solak noted, a combination of a thin pool at the top of the draft for an inside linebacker, especially if Jihaad Campbell’s shoulder is worse than believed, should drive the Bucs to load up on safety.
And not just in the first round.
If the Buccaneers cannot get off of 19 and don’t trust Campbell’s shoulder, they should fill their defensive backfield. Cornerback Jahdae Barron (Texas) is an ideal Todd Bowles defensive back: inside and out versatility, highly instinctive and productive in zone coverage, successful tackling in space. He’s a bit redundant with 2024 third-rounder Tykee Smith, who had a lovely rookie season, but that’s the thing about blitz-heavy defenses like Bowles’ — you want redundant players to make it harder for opposing offenses to diagnose who is doing what.
Sound reasoning. There is no question that in the second and third levels the Bucs got torn up badly. Why not repair those areas?
And if you can’t get a decent inside linebacker, at least draft hybrid safeties who can play corner when Jamel Dean gets hurt — and he will get hurt.
Solak threw out the names of Kansas corner Jacob Parrish, a versatile guy and Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts, a true ballhawk, as second-round targets.
“This Joe” is only slightly leaning to defensive tackle. When a defense can bully people up front, that solves a bunch of issues.
But Joe cannot dismiss what Solak typed. Pretty good gameplan for next week’s draft.
April 17th, 2025 at 10:51 am
I strongly endorse Solak’s thinking re the draft!
April 17th, 2025 at 10:55 am
At least two DBs in draft, just not at #19. Big guy in trenches in first round.
April 17th, 2025 at 11:00 am
The last “safety” I remember picking in the first was Mark Barron, I think. Played a few years at LB for the Rams.
April 17th, 2025 at 11:07 am
It seems like our draft plan is set. Draft up the middle for defense (DT, ILB, S). Add a CB and WR for depth. Then JL can draft an IOL player from East Podunk State, because that’s how he rolls.
April 17th, 2025 at 11:09 am
Depending on who is available a big DT like Grant or an Edge like Stewart in the first round. Hopefully not Jihad or a safety.
April 17th, 2025 at 11:10 am
BucsfaninOregon… Yes
DT/ edge – day 1… dependent on BPA and who falls.
CB/S/hybrid – day 2-3
ILB/WR somewhere in there… once again, dependent on BPA and who falls where.
I like our diamond finding ability in rounds 3 – 6.
Probably more like a pig hunting truffles. LOL
Bucky Irving… ultimate truffle!!
April 17th, 2025 at 11:14 am
Yeah but what about LB3 @19
😉
Remember how bad the offense was when ME & Godwin were out?
Same weakness as LB’s
Yes WR is not as pressing a NEED as ILB and the back half of the defense in general.
April 17th, 2025 at 11:18 am
“This Joe” is only slightly leaning to defensive tackle. When a defense can bully people up front, that solves a bunch of issues.
Thank you, thank you, thank you ‘this Joe’. It’s the difference between being proactive versus reactive. Bully your opponents in the trenches and that leaves the rest of your team to steal their lunch money.
April 17th, 2025 at 11:30 am
Joe … ‘And if you can’t get a decent inside linebacker, at least draft hybrid safeties who can play corner when Jamel Dean gets hurt — and he will get hurt.’
That doesn’t compute Joe. Bucs NEED an ILB to play in the middle. So if we miss out on drafting one of those (which we shouldn’t), WHY should we settle for drafting a ‘hybrid safety’ who can play outside corner? Why not just draft a CB who can start outside, then draft potential starting safety?
I’m not even sure that a safety who can start as an outside CB even exists. That wasn’t Mike Edwards. Nor is it Antoine Winfield. Both could play at nickel, but not outside (lack of speed).
April 17th, 2025 at 11:31 am
Ah, so you’re saying the Bucs should reach for an inside linebacker? That’s a good way of drafting a bust.
Like Bill Parcells always said, you can only pick what the colleges give you. If they don’t provide an inside linebacker this year (Jihaad Campbell may very well be damaged goods), but do provide versatile, safeties/corners, might be smart to go with the versatile safties/corners since you need them too.
April 17th, 2025 at 11:37 am
Ive been saying it, Starks/Emman…and if both are gone, get Harmon….if he’s gone, trade down (if that option is there) and get Ezeiruaku. Theres other safeties, they know.
Later round Edge/DT if we didnt address it already, Elijah Roberts/Ty Robinson….Later round CB 6th or 7th (love his forcing of fumbles), Isas Waxter. And yes we’ll have to find a 6th somehow more than likely to get him…BJ Adams might be there too. Nohl Williams with our 4th and one of those guys with our 7th will hit CB twice.
Just remember Higgins and Knight also…2nd/3rd…so many guys I want but only so many picks….it sux lol
April 17th, 2025 at 12:10 pm
Walter Nolen then DBs in 2nd and 3rd. can get serviceable LB in fourth, edge prospect fifth
April 17th, 2025 at 12:33 pm
“When a defense can bully people up front, that solves a bunch of issues” – Amen
April 17th, 2025 at 12:37 pm
I think we still gotta keep using our premium pics on the trenches. I say we go pass rusher we have to keep swinging.
April 17th, 2025 at 12:50 pm
Drafting an ILB in rnd 1 seems to be rare. Kind of like centers don’t go often in rnd 1. Just an NFL tradition?
Our top CB’s now are Zyon, Dean, Hall, and ? Dean started 12 games and maybe finished 10. Hall never finished a game. Maybe, maybe, Dean and Hall together could start 17 games? I’m not counting on it. The Bucs need a rnd1 or 2 starting CB.
Safety we have AW3, Izien, Tykee, and Merriweather. Sure Merriweather isn’t very good, but Tykee and Izzy are solid. To me, much less need at S than CB.
I favor CB at 19, ILB at 51. However, Derrick Harmon (DL3T, great rusher) would be a great pick at 19 and he’s not a head case like Walter Nolen.
April 17th, 2025 at 1:58 pm
I’m pretty sure that Brugler has Parrish going to the Bucs, but I forget the round.
April 17th, 2025 at 2:27 pm
Bucs are not drafting a safety in the 1st round when Tykee is getting moved to safety smh
April 17th, 2025 at 3:28 pm
My player in the first round if he’s there would be Matthew Golden. Rarely do I guess right on who the Bucs pick in the first round, so I don’t see Golden being the pick. I did guess right last year with Barton though, but that was easy to see coming.
April 17th, 2025 at 3:29 pm
I’ve been thinking similar thoughts to Solak! Shore up ILB and the secondary!
April 17th, 2025 at 3:48 pm
Winfield was a 2nd Rounder. Whitehead was a 4th Rounder. Heck even John Lynch, our HOFer, was a 3rd Rounder. Probably wrong, but the only Safety I can remember the Bucs drafting in the 1st Round was Mark Barron, and that was a mistake given who else was still on the board when we picked him.
You don’t take a Safety in Round 1; it’s not necessary. Go with the QBs, and WRs, and DE/Edge and beastly linemen. Sure grab someone else if they’re a once-in-a-generation player, but that doesn’t happen very often.
April 17th, 2025 at 4:23 pm
Let’s do shots everytime an expert comes up with their genius plan. Jason has it. Drink up me Buccos.
April 17th, 2025 at 4:33 pm
Starks, Emanwori (if he’s still around), Barron, or even Hairston in the first, Watts, Amos, or Thomas in the 2nd – all sensible picks. lVD isn’t getting younger, and Dennis can’t get on the field for more than 2 games… so it’s going to be interesting.
April 18th, 2025 at 2:20 am
The more I think about it, the more I lean toward safety as a possibilty early in the draft. Todd keeps mentioning moving Tykee to safety and with Whithead not working out and…
It makes more sense to me to just draft one of the top safeties. As always it depends on how the draft falls.
Go Bucs!
April 18th, 2025 at 4:26 am
On board with this and really like Jahdae at 19, if we can get him. Still on the fence about Campbell.