Tampa Bay Buccaners 2018 Draft Recap: Part 1

[NightHawkTH32]

BUCS BOLSTER THE TRENCHES IN 2018 DRAFT
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Tampa, FL -- Coming into the 2018 off-season, there were a lot of questions that needed to be addressed in regards to the future of the franchise. After a dismal 2017 campaign and another underwhelming season, the Bucs revamped their front office in hopes to change the fortune of recent seasons. It is clear by the makeup of the roster that the Bucs are young and that struggle is sure to present itself with young teams, but there were holes to fill prior to the off-season. After drafting safety Justin Evans in2017, the front office decided to bring back Bradley McDougald after a season with Seattle to mentor Evans and to give him more time to grow. The staff also brought in veteran guard Xavier Su'a-Filo to compete for the starting guard position. After filling some depth at other positions in free agency, it was time for the front office and coaching staff to turn their attention to the NFL draft, in which Tampa held the #8 selection.

Prior to the draft, there were clear needs for this young Tampa Bay team. First, the Bucs needed a young pass rusher to compete with William Gholston and Noah Spence. The front office executing that game plan immediately by selecting Defensive End Bradley Chubb out of North Carolina State. Chubb was the captain and defensive anchor for the Wolfpack defense. Chubb is a great athlete with an extremely quick first step that allows him to beat offensive linemen off the snap and uses a very good bull rush move to harass opposing QBs. Chubb was considered by many to be the top ranked defensive end in the draft and can quickly join elite company as a scary pass rusher.

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In the second round, the Bucs decided to select Running Back Derrius Guice out of LSU. Although the Bucs have a good backfield with Doug Martin and Charles Sims III, there is some concern with Doug Martin's health and the future of Martin as the Bucs lead back. Guice, who was the understudy of Leonard Fournette in 2016, took the lead role for LSU in 2017. Guice showed that he can be a true 3-down back in the NFL and the engine that makes the offense go. He is a combination of size, speed and power with the intangibles to make him a special player in the NFL. Pairing him with young stars Jameis Winston and Mike Evans will keep defenses on their toes and make the Bucs offense diverse.



After drafting Vernon Hargreaves III in 2017, the Bucs took a step toward bolstering their defensive backfield. With Brent Grimes at 35 years old and not much depth at the position, the front office went out and selected Anthony Averett from Alabama in the 3rd round. Averett played opposite of #2 pick Minkah Fitzpatrick for the Crimson Tide and did not disappoint. Averett brings good speed and a very high IQ to the Bucs defense. There is some concern for his ball playing skills, but his intangibles give him the opportunity to come in and compete for the starting nickel spot with fellow draft pick Iman Marshall.