Can’t Wait Long On Hernandez
April 12th, 2018
Don’t be tardy.
When Joe is asked what the Bucs will do at No. 7 in this month’s draft, Joe always has to clarify the question.
Is the person asking what Joe would do at No. 7 or what the Bucs likely will do? Joe is of the mind — based on reading tea leaves — the Bucs will draft Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson.
Now that’s not what Joe would do. Joe would — if Saquon Barkley and/or Bradley Chubb are off the board — trade down and maybe get UTEP guard Will Hernandez late in the first round and Georgia running back Sony Michel in the second round.
If Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht goes that route, he better not trade back down too far.
In a conference call with NFL media earlier this week, NFL Network draft analyst and former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah was asked what players the Detroit Lions may target at No. 20. Jeremiah believes that’s where Hernandez could go.
“One I would keep an eye on, I would say Will Hernandez would be an interesting one,” Jeremiah said. “I think he kind of fits the physical nature that they want to have there with that team, the guard from UTEP, I think he’s outstanding. He would definitely be one I would put in the mix there.”
So if the Bucs were going to do what Joe suggests, Licht may not want to trade back too far to ensure Hernandez is still there.
And if Hernandez happens to be gone, Joe wouldn’t cry if the Bucs drafted Derrius Guice and crossed their fingers Georgia guard Isaiah Wynn is there at No. 38.
April 12th, 2018 at 8:12 am
Really like this kid Hernandez a lot I think he’s a beast would really love him on our O Line gets me really excited just thinking about it
April 12th, 2018 at 8:12 am
Good strategy, Joe, imo. Trade down just a few picks. Get that guard in round 1 and a top RB in round 2. Plus, hopefully, get back a round 3 pick in the trade down.
April 12th, 2018 at 8:15 am
He does not appear as dominant as other OGs and it’s against lesser talent. As a plan ‘B’, sure!
April 12th, 2018 at 8:19 am
I will put it like this. There is a MUCH better chance that Barkley falls to #7 than Will Hernandez falling to #38.
A lot of teams picking late in the 1st round need an OG.
April 12th, 2018 at 8:25 am
Just to clarify, how many picks do we get at #7 Joe?
April 12th, 2018 at 8:26 am
Speaking for Pablo
“Pablo urges Hason to stay away from Will Hernandez (Pablo is using reverse psychology)”
April 12th, 2018 at 8:29 am
This is truly an exciting draft for the Bucs……the possibility of drafting one of the big three at 7…..and the distinct possibility that we will have trading partners for the 7th pick make it more exciting than usual.
And, if we trade the 7th….it will become even more exciting because it will open up the field to many potential players…..and we have several areas of need that should be filled by them.
April 12th, 2018 at 8:30 am
Hernandez is the next best behind Nelson……however he is arguably no better than many guards ranked behind him….don’t get caught in the Hernandez hype….hopefully he’ll be gone before our 2nd round pick…where we should draft RB Chubb
April 12th, 2018 at 8:36 am
Honestly I want Nelson at 7 and Chubb at 38.
Bucs this offseason have established they want to be physical in the trenches. And have a power run game.
Adding Nelson completes the process of improving the interior OL.
Then you add Chubb who is getting back some of that speed and burst prior to the 2015 acl tear. He’s a mean runner with great vision and underrated as a receiver.
April 12th, 2018 at 8:41 am
Depends where the team the Bucs are dancing with is trading up from. Would hope a first and a second.
April 12th, 2018 at 8:44 am
I could see the Bucs drafting 2 offensive linemen in the first 3 picks if we trade back. Dotson is on his last leg….Sweezy is damaged goods….we need a LG. It wont be the sexiest draft but if its effective in getting the ball moving down the field, so be it.
April 12th, 2018 at 8:46 am
The trade scenario is why they had McGlinchy in the other day. I don’t see Hernandez before rnd 2 despite the hype. Guards are only first rounders if they are guys like Nelson and blue chip, can’t miss, kind of guys. Licht seems to prefer guys that can do swing duty at Guard. Guys like Billy Price, Frank Ragnow are more likely Licht targets. Price is a 2nd rounder while Ragnow might fall to 3rd (which we’ll only have if we trade back) or 4th.
April 12th, 2018 at 9:03 am
If Nelson and Barkley are gone, go defense. Trade back if you can but stick with the defense. You remember them. They were the unit that stopped offenses like a screen door preventing leaks during a rainstorm.
Time to cover that screen with something solid.
April 12th, 2018 at 9:09 am
Dude is a statue and will be a bust in the NFL
April 12th, 2018 at 9:09 am
On another subject, I think now is the time to sign Johhy Manziel to a contract. We do not know where JW will be at the start of the season and I have been following the progress of Manziel for some time. It is cheap money to see if he could fit.
April 12th, 2018 at 9:11 am
Very sound logic Joe.
However I would posit that the same logic applies if Barkley is still on the board.
top RB AND top G > than just Nelson or Barkley.
Remember fans, Bucs need a top CB/DB in the top 3 rounds too. Bucs need at LEAST 3 picks, maybe 4 in the first 3 rounds.
April 12th, 2018 at 9:12 am
Hernandez and Wynn will be mid to bottom 3rd if the 1st round. Will not be there at our pick in Rd 2. Neither will Guice. Hoping we move back a bit get an additional 1st and a additional 2nd. We can package the 2 2’s and get back in the bottom of the 1st if we wanted to or to the top of 2nd for Day 2.
April 12th, 2018 at 9:14 am
Hernandez will go somewhere in the 20s. Same with Sony Michell. Neither is very likely to be available at #38 – >5% chance i’d say.
I like both but we ain’t getting both unless we trade down for two 1st rd picks.
April 12th, 2018 at 9:22 am
Chris’ strategy looks good too. l like the idea of getting a top guard (Nelson or Hernandez) in round 1 and RB Chubb in round 2.
April 12th, 2018 at 9:25 am
I’m a big fan of Hernandez.
If the Bucs could trade with the Bills and end up with Both of their 1st round picks and came away with Derwin James and Will Hernandez. That would be a home run in my opinion for the franchise.
April 12th, 2018 at 9:30 am
Wausa Says:
“Derwin James and Will Hernandez”
I could live with that. 2 very good football prospects right there. Best CB at #38 (Jaire Alexander please) and that would fill 3 current holes with authority!
April 12th, 2018 at 9:34 am
^^^^^^
Plus BPA RB at #102.
Getting a top back this year would seem less important IMO if we were to plug either Nelson or Hernandez into the middle of the Oline along with Marpet and Jensen.
April 12th, 2018 at 9:35 am
@Joe … “Depends where the team the Bucs are dancing with is trading up from. Would hope a first and a second.” If the Rnd 1 pick we trade for isn’t too far down the totem pole, then I hope so too Joe. With a mid-Rnd 1 pick and 2 x Rnd 2 picks we should be able to get a key rotational DT or DE, a starting RB AND a starting G/T. Bundle a couple more to move up into the 3rd Rnd (possibly even the 2nd Rnd) & we should be able to pick up a decent CB. That’d be an awesome haul for this draft.
April 12th, 2018 at 10:01 am
Draft Nelson. Get any RB in 2nd
April 12th, 2018 at 10:43 am
I realize we still need DL…JPP takes some of the desperation out of that need but not the need.
DE’s are hard to come by so Chubb is the big choice here and I can’t argue with that. He could help. But I haven’t read much about him being generational or the greatest DE in the past 30 years.
The only two players I’m reading that kind of hype about are Nelson and Barkley. I’d be happy with either but the more I read and the more I hear respected people like Gil Brandt say Barkley is the best RB prospect since Barry Sanders the more I lean to Barkley. I realize I’m just talking about hope anyway because the odds of either Barkley or Nelson being available at 7 are a bit long.
Barkley is the only player in the draft IMHO who “COULD” come in and make an instant difference. He can be a game changer. Again…imagine all the times Turtle Hamster got pulled down from behind…that’s six points if the ball had been in Barkley’s hands!!!
Win now! Barkley clearly has the ability…(for all the naysayers yeah ANY player in this draft…in fact 40% will fail) to change games and even our 2018 season.
Barkley has the entire package…he catches…he’s 233 and runs 4.4. 40 and his athleticism is more explosive than any RB who has come out in the past decade.
April 12th, 2018 at 11:00 am
Guice, Chubb, Michel will all be gone by pick 38. Guaranteed….
April 12th, 2018 at 11:04 am
R.O. 4 RB’s will not be taken in the 1st 37 picks
April 12th, 2018 at 11:13 am
Really do not like the hype of these monster olinemen. Give me technique guys like Wynn or the tackle from Texas any day. Also, there’s a real live chance of Barkley dropping to 7, hype apart, could we trade this chance away? if he is there we got to pick him.
April 12th, 2018 at 11:16 am
The secondary will have to be addressed with one of the first two picks. If it were me I would go Fitzpatrick 1, and best available RB in the 2nd. Hopefully a decent OG will slip to the 4th if we are unable to trade back in the first round.
April 12th, 2018 at 11:39 am
People keep talking as if there’ll be a choice between Barkley and Nelson or at the other extreme, the big three are gone, but no one wants to trade up with us. Clearly, we’re not going to catch the Japanese in math this semester.
If the big three are gone, then the laws of math dictate that one of the four QBs is still there and several combinations of Miami, Buffalo, Washington, Arizona, San Diego, Jacksonville and New England will covet that guy more than the guy in the Bible coveted his neighbor’s ass. Unless one of the four falls way off—or gets hit by the proverbial train—we’re looking good to get a huge premium.
If all four QBs are gone, those same immutable laws of math dictate that one of the big three are there, thus rendering mute debates over Guice or James or Vea or whoever at 7.
April 12th, 2018 at 11:42 am
I think the lions would target guice before hernandez…..either way I would be pissed…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
April 12th, 2018 at 12:52 pm
mog2010 Says:
“Really do not like the hype of these monster olinemen”
Um – go watch some Nelson and Hernandez tape….
The later is a GREAT OG prospect and the former is one of the best OLine prospects to come out in years – SMH
If we wind up with either of these guys alongside Jensen and Marpet – the Bucs will have the most dominating interior Oline in the league! The run game will dramatically improve – the entire offense will “click” – and your “inaccurate/turnover prone” QB will start drawing legit comparisons to Peyton Manning in his prime.
April 12th, 2018 at 1:55 pm
I can’t wait to see how this draft shapes up…..
April 12th, 2018 at 2:08 pm
Pickgrin Yes i have watched both guys, the league is full of nasty dt’s just waiting to beat some hyped rook. Gimme tech over brawl anyday
April 12th, 2018 at 2:11 pm
How can we be advocating offensive players with our first 2 picks when defense is what this team needs. If we had extra picks (through trade down) I’d be thrilled if we came away with RB, OG, S, and CB through 2 rounds.
April 12th, 2018 at 2:23 pm
Hey Gambelero, no need to trade with the Bucs if they need a QB. Tampa is set at QB, Chicago just drafted, San Fran thinks they have solved thier QB issue, and Oakland is set. Without a bunch of other trades, a QB needy team will be able to get their guy by only moving up to the 10th spot at most. Nobody is going to pay a big premium to move up to 7 when they could pay less to get to the 9th or 10th spot and still get their guy.
April 12th, 2018 at 2:24 pm
mog – Pretty much all the “experts” agree that Nelson is easily the best Oline player at any position in this draft – and that he is one of the better OLine prospects to come out in a # of years. This from a guy who plays Guard – not Tackle.
A “generational talent” if you will.
I’ll believe the eyes of the guys who get paid to evaluate NFL prospects over some poster I’ve never seen before’s claim that the 2 best OG prospects in this draft are over-“hyped”…
April 12th, 2018 at 3:33 pm
Get another DE, RB, O lineman and a couple of DB’s. in this draft. Be smart Bucs.
April 12th, 2018 at 3:55 pm
Corner, corner, safety, corner, RB, o-line depth, d-line depth.
If the Bucs want any chance to be a playoff team they can not have Ryan Smith playing anything but special teams and they can’t have Chris Conte starting.
April 13th, 2018 at 4:17 am
Pickgrin, i am not debating Nelson’s talent, if he falls to 7, we may be able to work a trade with the Bears who employ his ND oline coach. Bpa at a position of need all day