Bucs Mailbag: Who Do The Buccaneers Draft At No. 19?

Boston School edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku – Picture by: USA At present

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QUESTION: Malaki Starks and Donovan Ezeiruaku are on the board. Who’s the choice for the Bucs at No. 19?

Georgia S Malaki Starks – Picture by: USA At present

ANSWER: That is a simple one for me, and it must be for Tampa Bay, too. If it’s a alternative between simply two gamers – Boston School edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku and Georgia security Malaki Starks – the choose must be Ezeiruaku for a few causes.

First, simply based mostly on positional worth, move rushers must be prioritized over safeties. Edge rushers can impression the sport greater than safeties can, typically talking. Second, Ezieruaku is solely the higher participant in my view.

I watched a whole lot of Georgia video games over the past couple of seasons and I like Starks. He’s excellent security who’s properly rounded. However is he higher than than his former Bulldogs teammate Tykee Smith, who was drafted within the third spherical final yr? I’m undecided. And is Starks higher than Antoine Winfield Jr., who was drafted within the second spherical in 2020? No, he’s not. I don’t suppose Starks is a first-rounder from my preliminary draft research on him. I’d recommend he’s a second-rounder, so drafting him at No. 19 can be too excessive.

Additionally, Smith needs to play robust security and exchange Jordan Whitehead this yr. He spoke with head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles and desires to be on the sector 100% of the time slightly than simply 75% of the time because the workforce’s nickelback. Smith is a playmaker who pressured three fumbles and recorded two interceptions final yr – each of which have been workforce highs. So drafting Starks at No. 19 wouldn’t serve the workforce properly from that facet.

Ezeiruaku proved that he’s an unbelievable athlete on the NFL Scouting Mix with the quickest three-cone drill (6.94) and quick shuttle (4.19) time amongst edge rushers and defensive linemen. That, mixed with excellent move rush manufacturing, evidenced by 30 sacks and eight pressured fumbles in his profession, makes him a first-rounder and an out of doors linebacker price taking by Tampa Bay – even at No. 19. Even when the Bucs have curiosity in a veteran like Khalil Mack, drafting Ezeiruaku for the lengthy haul makes a ton of sense.

QUESTION: Hello, Scott hope you might be doing properly. After the NFL Scouting Mix, who do you suppose Bucs are going to pick as their first-round choose of 2025 NFL Draft?

Boston School Edge Donovan Ezeiruaku – Picture by: USA At present

ANSWER: Properly, we have now our new Pewter Report 2025 7-Spherical Bucs Mock Draft popping out quickly, so keep tuned for that. If I needed to guess proper now, I’d be inclined to say Boston School edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku. He’s an absolute stud move rusher, powerful in opposition to the run and a excessive character man as properly. Ezeiruaku can be an awesome match within the Bucs locker room and provides them a dynamic high quality off the sting.

I’m undecided both East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel or Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston are price being drafted at No. 19, however I like each gamers. And cornerback is an enormous place of want. I’m undecided there will likely be a cornerback price drafting at that place within the first spherical when the Bucs are on the clock.

I believe Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell may get drafted within the first spherical, and I count on he’ll be there at No. 19. However I’m undecided normal supervisor Jason Licht pulls the set off on one other off-ball linebacker with a first-round choose once more. He did that in 2019 with Devin White, who helped the workforce win Tremendous Bowl LV, however there are some actually high quality linebackers that may be had in rounds 2-4 who I believe might be on par with Campbell when it’s all mentioned and completed.

A few darkish horses at No. 19 on the offensive facet of the ball are Penn State tight finish Tyler Warren and North Dakota State guard Gray Zabel. Each had formal interviews with the Bucs in Indianapolis. Warren is a dynamic move catcher and is harmful with the ball in his palms. Zabel simply screams “Buccaneers offensive lineman” and dominated on the Senior Bowl. You’ll find out which gamers interviewed with the Bucs formally and informally on Pewter Report’s Bucs Mix Interview Tracker proper right here.

QUESTION: Would it not be cheaper simply to draft a good finish as an alternative of extending Cade Otton? Don’t get me incorrect. He’s good however I don’t know if he’s price what a whole lot of these projections are giving him. He’s a strong No. 2 in my view and that’s okay.

Bucs TE Cade Otton – Picture by: USA At present

ANSWER: I really feel the identical method. As Pewter Report has reported earlier than, the Bucs have mentioned giving Cade Otton a contract extension this offseason previous to his contract yr. I don’t know if I actually see the logic in that. I’m undecided what the hurry is.

Otton had a superb yr final season and improved his manufacturing as a receiver, in addition to improved his blocking capacity. However I don’t get the push to signal him to a deal price round $12 million per yr immediately. Is it price saving just a few million {dollars} over the course of three or 4 years to do a deal now? Otton is extra of a Cam Brate-type tight finish than a Rob Gronkowski-type tight finish in my thoughts. Brate was a tremendous participant in Tampa Bay throughout his profession, however he by no means sniffed a Professional Bowl, and I’m undecided if Otton ever will, both.

I agree that Otton is extra of a No. 2 tight finish ideally. He’s regular and dependable and that definitely counts for one thing, however I don’t suppose he’s that dynamic of a participant. Otton is sweet, however what if the Bucs have been capable of draft a extra dynamic tight finish like Penn State’s Tyler Warren, who’s considered a High 15 choose? Otton can be TE2 in Tampa Bay, wouldn’t he?

What if Warren is the very best participant accessible at No. 19 when the workforce is on the clock? He’s an absolute weapon within the passing sport and offers me Dallas Clark-type vibes. If the Bucs are going to increase Otton, I’d wait till after the draft to take action for positive.

QUESTION: Is Elijah Klein able to be the beginning left guard? Additionally out of linebacker, cornerback and edge rusher, what place do you suppose we might spend first rate cash in free company on a starter?

Bucs G Elijah Klein – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: No, Elijah Klein shouldn’t be able to be a beginning guard for the Bucs proper now. However will he be on the finish of coaching camp and the preseason? Probably, however Tampa Bay can’t financial institution on that occuring.

Klein wants so as to add some power after which get some expertise in camp and within the preseason video games. He spent his profession at UTEP and didn’t play in opposition to high school competitors regularly. I believe Klein has starter traits, however it could not occur in 2025.

The workforce wants to aim to re-sign Ben Bredeson to an affordable, one-year take care of a slight elevate – maybe $4 million in 2025. Then let Bredeson and Klein duke it out in August and should the very best man win.

QUESTION: Has something shocked you up to now this Bucs offseason?

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Picture by: Matt Matera/PR

ANSWER: Sure, I used to be pleasantly shocked that Bucs head coach Todd Bowles shook up his workers, particularly shifting Larry Foote from inside linebackers coach and placing him again as exterior linebackers coach. That was his authentic position in Tampa Bay from 2019-2021 and he had a ton of success with Shaq Barrett, turning him right into a record-setting two-time Professional Bowler. He additionally coached Jason Pierre-Paul to the Professional Bowl in 2020, the yr the Bucs gained the Tremendous Bowl.

I believe that’s a masterful transfer by Bowles, who eliminated George Edwards as a place coach, however put him in control of the Bucs’ again seven (secondary and linebackers) in move protection because the move protection coordinator. That was a job that Foote had over the previous three seasons and there appeared to be extra miscommunication points and protection busts than the workforce had from 2019-2021. So maybe Edwards can assist in that space, as Foote possibly extra in-tune with the entrance seven (line of defense and linebackers) because the run protection coordinator.

I didn’t count on Bowles to make these strikes, particularly since they got here so late within the offseason close to the tip of February. However he deserves a ton of credit score for shaking issues in an effort to enhance the play of his protection, which was an enormous letdown final yr.

Exterior of that, I wasn’t too shocked by the rest. I did a Pewter Pulse video again in early January about how the Bucs may lose assistant normal managers John Spytek and Mike Greenberg and offensive coordinator Liam Coen this offseason, and two out of three of these issues occurred. Spytek is now the Las Vegas normal supervisor and Coen is Jacksonville’s head coach.

I additionally wasn’t shocked by Josh Grizzard’s promotion as offensive coordinator. I wrote about him being a powerful candidate to exchange Coen if he left again in a December SR’s Fab 5 column. I’m glad I used to be proper about that as I believe Grizzard is as much as the duty.