Back-To-Back Defensive Backs In The Draft?
April 7th, 2025
Doubling down?
So what is ESPN saying about the Buccaneers’ upcoming draft after their NFL reporters spent days buzzing through the NFL owners meetings and attending Pro Days?
Hey, Joe throws plenty of darts at BSPN/ESPN, but one of their insiders had the Buccaneers intel of last April. BSPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Bucs were shopping Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean before the draft, content with dealing only one.
A few days later, after nobody else had the story, Davis was sent to the Lions. The deal netted the draft pick that turned into receiver Jalen McMillan.
Yes, the draft kicks off in 17 short days, so Joe is locked in.
Field Yates of ESPN rolled out a first-round and a second-round mock draft over the past five days, with the latter popping this afternoon. Joe was intrigued to see Yates claiming the Bucs will take stud Georgia safety Malaki Starks in Round 1 followed by Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison in Round 2.
Morrison, a renowned ballhawk at outside cornerback, missed 10 games last season with a hip injury after 9 interceptions in his first two seasons.
The 21-year-old had hip surgery but has been cleared to play. A Fighting Irish captain, Morrison skipped working out at the Combine and his Pro Day. Reports say he planned a private workout for teams.
Joe wouldn’t attempt cartwheels and pop champagne if the Bucs drafted Starks, but Joe totally would understand it. Aside from a need at safety, the Bucs snagged Georgia safety/cornerback Tykee Smith last year and Todd Bowles’ son used to play defense alongside both of them with the Bulldogs.
Heck, Starks was an All-American two seasons ago and Bowles and the Bucs might see him as a can’t-miss guy.
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April 7th, 2025 at 2:34 pm
I have initially been weary of a safety in the 1st round, ala Mark Barron.
Hopefully if we take Starks it’s because he can absolutely cover and smother WR/TE/RBs and has a nose for the ball. I’m warming up to the idea of he’s a no doubter, just not a guy that’s too slow out there and gets love to WIL for the Rams.
April 7th, 2025 at 2:51 pm
Starks has been a helluva player at Georgia with great tape. Lot’s say he’s the best safety in the draft.
April 7th, 2025 at 2:52 pm
I will be able to stomach picking Starks better if we are able to trade back from #19.
I have a strong feeling that if Barron and Johnson are gone, Ezeriraku or Starks is the pick. Those 4 are gonna be near the top of our board.
April 7th, 2025 at 3:10 pm
Safety in rd 1 is not ideal just because of positional value. Same with ILB.
Edge, CB or DT would be better ‘value’ at #19 – IF you can get the right player…
Other teams tend to follow these guidelines somewhat as well – its obvious every year. Because at #19 – often times the 2nd (or even 1st) highest Safety is still available but if you select an OLB pass rusher its usually the 4th or 5th highest rated player at that position.
Jason Licht has a lot of experience now at ranking players and I believe he does a better job than most GMs in “sticking to his board” when appropriate to bring in ‘good players’ and ‘Buccaneer men’ first and foremost – with positional value and perceived ‘need’ as secondary criteria.
If Bowles signs off on Starks in the first and he’s at the top of Jason’s board at #19 – then take the player you love and be happy.
I doubt it will go down that way but maybe….
Would be curious to know how Tykee Smith would feel about that selection. On one hand – its his former teammate and buddy. On the other hand – Starks would likely take Smith’s starting job at SS…..
April 7th, 2025 at 3:12 pm
Starks would be a great pick but will end up playing nickel if Smith gets the nod at safety
April 7th, 2025 at 3:16 pm
Have you noticed all the deals over the last few days the Bucs have done to free up cap space – and quite a lot of it… and now Tyreek Hill is again whipping up drama about leaving Miami.
Hummm….
You know in 2020 people said we didn’t need AB – I mean we had Evans, Godwin, Gronk … there’s not even enough balls to go around, you can’t add yet another high profile drama queen like AB, and he’d be such a distraction you couldn’t win with someone like him…
April 7th, 2025 at 3:26 pm
Emmanwori or Starks seem like the only two worthy of a 19 pic but Emmanwori It’s faster in a little taller. It would be intriguing to see a guy with his size and speed play next to Winfield. If they did that they could leave Smith at nickel. I’d love to get an edge or D lineman in the first round and a safety or CB in the second, but those two guys would not be available. And of course we need an ILB somewhere in the top five as well. With Walker in the mix, I find this a lower priority then other people on this site. It’s just a lower value pick. Wouldn’t pick an inside linebacker higher unless it was somebody like Campbell but healthy. I feel like he could pick play some edge as well. Just super versatile.
April 7th, 2025 at 3:41 pm
Not going to be Starks
April 7th, 2025 at 3:42 pm
Starks is also supposedly is a real Buccaneer man type of character.
April 7th, 2025 at 3:48 pm
I wouldn’t be sad if Tampa drafted 2 DBs in round 1 and 2… def need to get more dominant at that position…
April 7th, 2025 at 4:08 pm
I thought Tykee was moving to safety and we will need a new nickel CB
April 7th, 2025 at 4:11 pm
Smoke…
April 7th, 2025 at 4:14 pm
Another safety?
We have the highest paid safety in the league.
Tykes Smith wants to be a full time safety. Izien and Merriweather are good backups.
We can’t draft a safety in the first 3 rounds.
I think we trust Izien at nickle. And Hall and Hayes as his backup.
But I think we NEED two hard hitting gangster corners. Hungry, tough corners.
Two guys to push Dean and Zion.
Rounds 1-4: 2 IDL, 2 CB
Oh yea baby.
5th round ILB.
Todd Bowles ain’t never starting a rookie at ILB.
We got Walker, Dennis and Deion Jones. We good baby.
April 7th, 2025 at 4:15 pm
Trade 7th and 6th.
Grab a WR you love in round 5.
April 7th, 2025 at 4:18 pm
Haha, quite a thought there Rod Munch.
I doubt the opening of more space is for anything other than breathing room for the rest of the offseason, signing draft picks and then having some in season flexibility if an injury occurs and we look at the trade market.
Adding Tyreek would obviously make us the clear cut #1 offense in the league. Playcalling and execution would be the only thing stopping it, be little the other team could do.
If that space was being used for someone, Hendrickson makes more sense to me despite what I said above, even after adding Reddick. 1st round doesn’t fall how they like, #19 goes to Cincy for Trey and rounds 2-3-4 are spent on DBs and ILB.
Both pipe dreams.
April 7th, 2025 at 4:18 pm
We got 2 IDL to rotate with Vea, Kancey and Hall.
Two corners to learn from Dean and Zion and challenge them. We got Funkmeister and Bryce Hall also.
But I want more competition at CB.
Josh Hayes is a gunner, nickel and safety. Not an outside CB.
Out of Hayes, Funkmaster Flex, and Izien at outside CB?
I honestly think Izien played the best.
Anyway. We need 8 corners in camp.
I’m tired of cornerback problems in Tampa Bay.
April 7th, 2025 at 4:22 pm
Scott Says:
April 7th, 2025 at 4:08 pm
Nobody ever said it was for sure. I think they’d probably prefer to draft a bigger, taller safety and keep Tykee at nickel. Winfield and Tykee are both a little short, which is not necessarily ideal. They need a safety, regardless. We don’t really have depth. Izien is good swing player, but not starter material. Merriwether hasn’t proven himself to be capable of starting if one of our top guys went down, but who knows, maybe he could develop. Bowles had good things to say about him.
April 7th, 2025 at 4:39 pm
Licht is a dumpster fire at drafting DEs. Stay away from that at all costs.
WR, RB, TE, OT on offense are his strengths in the draft.
S, LB, DT, CB are his strengths in drafting on defense.
We got our free agent DE which Licht has been historically great at.
Some could argue his best work has been in free agency.
His coaching hires have been putrid, save for BA, but TB12 was the magic sauce that year. Gronk also played a huge part. Again, a free agent.
I say just stick to what you’re good at and get the best player possible.
And if it still goes south at the end of the season, fire Bowles.
28-27
April 7th, 2025 at 5:15 pm
@ bucdawg: If Bowles is as bad as you say, he should have finished last all three years, he didn’t, he finished first and played three first place schedules. Learn to HATE an opposing team.
April 7th, 2025 at 5:27 pm
I would be disappointed if safety in Rd1. We have one of the best and highest paid safeties, decent fall backs with izien/smith and I dont think we need a 1st rounder to complement. Later rounds sure, but LB/CB/DL in rd 1 please.
April 7th, 2025 at 6:18 pm
Draft that big fast safety and move him to cornerback.
April 7th, 2025 at 6:24 pm
Might not be a bad idea. I think I’d take Revel over Morrison if it came down to it because I think I’d rather take my chances on an ACL injury than hip injuries because both should be there.
April 7th, 2025 at 6:38 pm
Rod Munch Says
“Have you noticed all the deals over the last few days the Bucs have done to free up cap space – and quite a lot of it… and now Tyreek Hill is again whipping up drama about leaving Miami.
Hummm….
You know in 2020 people said we didn’t need AB…”
Making AB a Buccaneer was a pretty big mistake.
I don’t see Hill being made one at all. If they are freeing up cap room, I’m sure there is a reason…but I don’t that is it. I could not hazard a guess as to the reason though.
April 7th, 2025 at 6:38 pm
DL, CB, DL, CB, ILB, WR and a couple of trade downs wouldn’t hurt to grab a safety or another ILB. Edge will either have to wait or be some genius move by Licht in a trade with all that money he stocked up.
April 7th, 2025 at 6:39 pm
We got Tykee Smith in the 3rd round. Do we really need to spend number 19 on a similar player? Let’s hope either Mike Green or Ezeiruaku is there for us, they both are productive and athletic studs at the Edge.
April 7th, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Our needs at cb, edge, and ILB are glaring but I still think safety play was a MAJOR contributed to our pass defense woes. How many impact plays from safeties last year ? Corners only excel if safeties can take away deep shots and close on underneath routes or in run support…
Hopefully Winfield is back to playing 1/2 as good as he was 2 years ago. Tykee is going to be solid no matter where he plays (safety or nickel)…. Izien is a great depth piece. Merriweather may be worth keeping – lot of hustle. BUT we need one more stud back there that plays smart, aggressive, good ball skills, who’s a punishing tackler.
Hard to pass on our other needs to pick a safety but I wouldn’t be upset if they got one who could make a year one difference – not a 2-3 year “project”.
April 7th, 2025 at 8:34 pm
So many seem to want Rnd 1 restricted to drafting QBs, WRs or Edges. QB I can see (IF you’re drafting high), but other than that … build the trenches. Put a bunch of Big Nasties in front of your QB or ILBs and they’ll perform MUCH BETTER.
This year’s Rnd 1 pick needs to be a beastly DT/NT. None of this quick, 280-290 lb stuff; give me a beast to rotate in with Vea. Grant, Collins or Williams will do.
April 7th, 2025 at 9:38 pm
Jahdae Barron 1st round
Darien Porter 2nd round
Demetrius Knight Jr. 3rd round
April 7th, 2025 at 10:46 pm
They get paid to do this!
ROTFLMAO. Give the fat person a phone, a photoshop and they will offer their useless opinions. No different.
April 8th, 2025 at 12:31 am
Starks/Emman/Harmon…one of those
WR Higgins
Deone Walker/Farmer/Demetrius Knight
Cb Nohl Williams/Edge Jack Sawyer
RB Kalel Mullings
and it would be nice if we somehow found a trade partner for a 6th (that we dont have)…CB BJ Adams
April 8th, 2025 at 4:40 am
Please stay away from players that have had significant injuries/surgeries!! We’ve had enough of those players!
April 8th, 2025 at 4:44 am
I think Christian Izien is better than everyone else seems to. Please no first round safety. Too much dough there already