Let's talk football.
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First Round
With the 27th pick of the NFL draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Zion Johnson, Offensive Guard, Boston College.
Tom Brady came out of retirement for at least one more season in Tampa Bay. We don't know how long the window with him under center is going to be open. The goal of this draft is to maximize our assets for that window. And we lost both starting guards, one to retirement, the other to free agency. While we made a great trade for Shaq Mason, and one could argue that Aaron Stinnie did okay in relief duty during our Superbowl run so left guard should HOPEFULLY be okay, okay isn't good enough. The best way for our team to win is by letting Tom Brady be Tom Brady by giving him time in a clean pocket with little interior pressure, and give him reasonable down-and-distances to convert on third down. The best way to do that is to look for a guard who can step in day one and challenge Aaron Stinnie for a starting position, turning this questionable weakness to an unquestionable strength. The selection of Zion Johnson in the first round would be unsurprising. There's very good reasons why we met with him at the combine and why Johnson is consistently mocked to the Bucs.
This 6'2", 312lb All-American guard is indeed a slam dunk selection. He's a two-time team captain and three-time All-ACC selection, reportedly a smart guy, he has collegiate experience at both guard and tackle, and he even put in reps at center during the Senior Bowl. As a pro, he projects to guard, where he can use his immense physical strength to brute force interior defensive linemen.
Watching Zion play is a pleasure. He is a very good run blocker who excels in pretty much every run scheme I could see. He's an excellent double teamer, great on duo concepts (which we run a ton), good feet in zone concepts, excellent again on gap-and-power concepts. Because he's only 6'2" (though rounded up to 6'3" if you're generous), he consistently out-leverages the defensive linemen across from him, which is basically what his new linemate Shaq Mason has made a career of doing. He rolls his hips well through contact, he does a great job to work his hips around defenders to wall off gaps, and he can finish blocks nicely when he wants to (though he doesn't do this consistently). When he gets his hands on defenders, they may as well make a business decision to save their energy for the next play, because they aren't going to make the tackle. He will beat the snot out of the guy across from him on a consistent basis in the run game, which will make his future offensive line coach very happy indeed. As a pass blocker, Zion's experience at tackle is obvious when watching him play this season. He does a really good job of mirroring for a guard, largely keeps his balance, and his feet show more than adequate chops in the passing game.
But Zion Johnson's game isn't perfect. Coaching points I would give him is to keep his feet driving when engaged as a run blocker, which if he did consistently combined with his play strength would send him to the Pro Bowl on a consistent basis. I'd also say that he needs to be more active when he isn't engaged in pass protection, to keep his head on a swivel and look for work and help his teammates; in pass pro he can often be found just stand there waiting for the twist or stunt that never came. But my biggest issue with his game is that he further away he moves from where he lines up at the start of the play, the worse he seems to do. He isn't the best puller (and we pulled Marpet at left guard a ton in this offense), and he consistently misses targets in space on the perimeter and quicker moving guys on the second level.
But largely that's quibbling. Don't get it twisted -- Zion Johnson can play ball, and he can play it very well. His positives are excellent and his negatives are largely correctable coaching points. No, he isn't going to be pulling like Anthony Nelson anytime soon, but if we are smart we won't make him do that every other down.
Zion would be Donovan Smith's new best friend on that left side. He would also be a boon for Jensen by helping him on double teams; while Jensen is a great pass blocker, he's a bit of a powderpuff in the run game and needs strong dudes on either side to help open up those A-gaps.
In short, Zion Johnson is a plug-and-play left guard who will keep Brady upright in the passing game and open massive holes in the running game. He may not make the Hall of Fame, but he can be a young Davin Joseph, which ain't bad.
Zion highlights:
Zion versus Clemson 2021:
Zion versus Missouri 2021:
Alternative picks; Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson. Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas. Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida. George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue. Rodger McCreary, CB, Auburn. Devonte Wyatt, DL, Georgia.
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Second Round
With the 60th pick of the NFL draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select select Phidarian Mathis, Defensive Lineman, Alabama.
You may have seen me wax poetic about the depth on our interior defensive line, and I don't think it's hyperbole. At nosetackle we have Vea and Nacho, who are great and servicable respectively. And while we resigned Will Gholston to contribute to the mix, Suh is still sitting on his couch. None of our other interior guys are worth mentioning, except for Benning Potoa'e, because his last name sounds like Potato. In base defense and in nickel packages there are plenty of snaps to go around to talented interior defensive linemen. We should get one this draft. Maybe two.
Enter Phidarian (call him Phil) Mathis from Alabama, 6'4" and 310lb. This second-team All-American can play nosetackle and undertackle and defensive end, basically anywhere you want between the tackles. He's been coached up by Nick Saban, so you know he knows his business, and he has plenty of experience against top competition.
Phidarian is a team captain with a fiery demeanor, a self-motivated leader who by all accounts is a great teammate. Phil is fantastic against the run. He can stack-and-shed with the best of them and can two-gap if you want him to. When lined up outside, he will brute force finesse tackles players. He had nine sacks last season, most of them collapsing the apex of the pocket with a powerful bull rush, but he flashes quickness at times as well. He shows consistent hands at the snap, with both power and quickness. His pursuit is decent for a guy with his athletic limitations.
Okay then, why is he at the bottom of the second round? Good question. In short, his testing results at the Combine were uniformly horrible in every event in which he participated, and he didn't elect to test in many of them, likely because the other results would have been even worse. While the Alabama pro day has yet to happen, I doubt he will do much better there either. I think because of that objectively poor athleticism he will fall down to the bottom of the second, because there are going to be some who rightly argue that his athletic limitations are going to lower his ceiling as a pro.
I think we can overlook that because when the dude steps on the field, he balls out. Because Phidarian Mathis is not a track athlete and never will be; he's a football player.
I like this player a lot. Yeah, I know he isn't quick, and yeah he may not be an early threat on third downs as a rookie, and yeah he needs to work on his toolbox of rush moves in a big way. But I really like what he has to offer to our team as a hybrid DT/DE in this defense, taking up many of the snaps that Suh gave us last year. I think if you get him to drop some of his bad weight and add some muscle in its place, you'll have a guy who can have a good career. Moreover, I think he fits into our system very nicely, and his schematic versatility being able to play up and down the line is an underrated plus.
Phidarian Highlights:
Phidarian versus Miami 2021:
Phidarian versus Ole Miss 2021:
Alternative picks; Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington. Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State. Darian Kinnard, OG, Kentucky. DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M. Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State. George Pickens, WR, Georgia. Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M. Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State. Tariq Woolen, CB. UTSA.
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Third Round
With the 91st pick of the NFL draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Dameon Pierce, Running Back, Florida.
The Bucs currently only have two running backs under contract, Leonard Fournette and Ke'Shawn Vaughn. It should therefore not come as a surprise that the running backs are who the Bucs have been meeting with at All-Star Bowls and the combine, the most visits of any position. Our third round pick here, Dameon Pierce, is one of them.
Pierce is a specimen. This former four-star recruit measures in at 5'10" and 218lb. In Bruce Feldman's annual freaks list, it's noted that Dameon squats 705, benches 390, and has 6% body fat. He put up adequate numbers at the combine, but ran a bit of a disappointing 40 yard dash of 4.59. While that may bother some, that doesn't bother me much because he is VERY quick on a football field. And it showed up last season; 574 yards on 100 carries, caught 19 balls for 216 yards, and scored 16 total rushing and receiving TDs. That's right; dude scored a touchdown every SEVEN touches.
Pierce is a power runner with good vision. He's patient, he finds the crease routinely, he laughs through arm tackles, and he's violent at the finish. He shows good leg drive through contact and adequate balance. Most important for the Bucs and our immobile quarterback, Pierce showed skill as a blocker and as a receiver in college, giving him third-down capabilities early in his pro career. He has very little wear on his tires despite playing four years of SEC ball. He also has collegiate experience playing special teams, which he would most undoubtedly play as a rookie. In most every facet of his game, Dameon Pierce would be an ideal guy to add to any team's backfield rotation.
Okay Cheb, so why's he here in the third round? Well, he's very tight as a runner, not offering much horizontal movement. Despite his physicality being obviously geared towards power football, stylistically he's more of an off-tackle slasher, and he can struggle to find yards on the interior if the holes aren't obvious. One could also argue that so much of his production was due to Florida's various option looks, giving him favorable numbers to the playside.
Overall I like Dameon Pierce's game. I don't expect him to supplant Fournette as the lead back anytime soon, nor do I think he's going to get more than 50 touches as a rookie. But he can help keep Fournette and Vaughn fresh, he can play every special team, and I expect he can do pretty well on in an offense like ours. There's a reason that the Bucs had him for an interview during the Combine, and I think it's because they see how well he'd gel in an offense like ours.
Dameon highlights:
Dameon versus Georgia 2021:
Dameon versus UCF 2021:
Alternative picks; David Bell, WR, Purdue. Zack Carter, DE, Florida. Erik Ezukanma, WR, Texas Tech. Dylan Parham, OG, Memphis. Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma.
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Fourth round
With the 133rd pick of the NFL draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Akayleb Evans, Defensive Back, Missouri.
Akayleb Evans is an intriguing defensive back. He's got plenty of size at 6'2", 197lb. He played most of his career at Tulsa, then was a graduate transfer to Missouri last season, where he had a decent season. He's experienced with 20+ starts, he can play field or boundary or slot corner, he's a plus tackler, he's pretty physical for a cornerback, and he demonstrates plenty of length to contest bigger receivers.
But he lacks elite speed (4.46 40), possesses an iffy backpedal and tight hips, has a decent injury history, shows very little ball skills to contest for interceptions (just one in five years of college ball), and is VERY handsy in coverage.
Evans is a boom-or-bust prospect. If he stays healthy and learns to trust his technique instead of panicking and getting grabby at the top of routes, he could be a very good cornerback for teams that run zone schemes. Given Bowles' new love for zone defense, I think that a guy like Evans could thrive given the right opportunities and mentorship. I also think he would be a prime candidate to move to safety. If nothing else, would offer plus snaps on special teams and depth across the secondary, even if you'd be a bit sick to your stomach if he's starting as a rookie.
I dunno. The Bucs have met with him twice already, so the Bucs' braintrust obviously likes something. I can see the potential there. He could be a solid starter down the line, or he could be out of the league in three years, who knows.
Akayleb Missouri highlights:
Akayleb Tulsa highlights:
Akayleb versus Tennessee 2021:
Alternative picks; Jalyn Armour-Davis, CB, Alabama. Hassan Haskins, RB, Michigan. Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati. John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas. Cameron Thomas, Edge, San Diego State. Kyren Williams, RB, Notre Dame. Zamir White, RB, Georgia.
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Seventh Round
With the 248th pick of the NFL draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Daniel Bellinger, TE, San Diego State.
Welcome to the seventh round, where we look to shore up weak areas of the roster with warm bodies and hope they work out. Looking at our roster right now, tight end is a definite weak point, with only Brate under contract. It wouldn't shock me if the Bucs had addressed this position prior to the draft. Assuming Gronkowski returns (and I think he will), a third tight would be nice to have for injury but not a neccesity to our offense, which is very receiver-heavy. Both Brate and Gronk are getting older, so adding a young dude to groom would be also be wise.
Enter Mr Daniel Bellinger. He's got NFL size and measurables but only put up with Pop Warner production at San Diego State. One could fairly chalk that up to poor quarterbacking, but one could also say that Isaiah Likely blew it up against mid-major competition, so what's holding back Bellinger? But I digress.
Bellinger at this point would be only a blocking tight end. If he's smart and keeps drinking his protein shakes, he could have himself a very Luke Stockery career. I think he'd be a good value pick in the seventh if he drops that far, and I think his production and route-running are so pedestrian that he just might.
Daniel Highlights:
Daniel versus UTSA 2021:
Daniel versus San Jose State 2021:
Alternative picks; Cade Mays, OG, Tennessee. Esezi Otomewo, DL, Minnesota.
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With the second-to-last pick of the NFL draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Another Running Back.
If looking at this draft class has taught me anything, it's that the running back depth is very good. And while we can probably lure a choice undrafted free agent with visions of making playoff runs and catching passes from Tom Brady, I say that we can have our pick of the litter right at the end.
There are a few running backs who I think have a decent shot of making it to undrafted status, who are pictured above from left to right; Max Borghi from Washington State, Leddie Brown from West Virginia, Tyler Goodson from Iowa, Kevin Harris from South Carolina, and Zonovan Knight from NC State.
Here's highlights from each. Pick your favorite:
Max Borghi:
Leddie Brown:
Tyler Goodson:
Kevin Harris:
Zonovan Knight:
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In summation:
1 - Zion Johnson, offensive guard, is a day-one starter at left guard, solidifies our interior offensive line, keeps Brady upright, and opens massive holes in the run game.
2 - Phidarian Mathis, defensive lineman, gets tons of reps on the interior defensive line, both at defensive end in base and at undertackle in nickel defense.
3 - Dameon Pierce, running back, contributes to the backfield rotation, spells Lenny and Ke'Shawn, and has developmental upside as a possible future RB1.
4 - Akayleb Evans, defensive back, is a huge boom/bust pick who might be great if we can get him to play disciplined ball with more consistently, possible conversion to safety.
7a - Daniel Bellinger, tight end, offers Y tight-end reps in future, assuming we develop his physical tools into on-field production.
7b - We get another talented runner to maximize Weapons for Brady.
Thoughts? Opinions? Gnashing of teeth? Feedback is welcome, as always.
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Links to previous years for the curious:
2021 - https://buczone.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7050
2020 - https://buczone.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6045
2019 - https://buczone.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5235
2018 - https://buczone.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4123
2017 - https://buczone.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2897
