Dave Canales’ Ideal Bucs Draft

The real Bucs draft in April will consist of both offensive and defensive players, but we wanted to have some fun with this exercise and see how it turned out just focusing on one side of the ball for both Todd Bowles and Dave Canales. Let us know what you think on Pewter Report’s social media channels or in the article comments section below.

Dave Canales’ Ideal Bucs Draft

ROUND 1 – Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer
6-4, 265 • Junior

The Seahawks operated in a lot of 12 personnel, which means two tight ends. Mayer is the top tight end in the draft and has some Rob Gronkowski-like qualities about him. With a 92.5 grade from Pro Football Focus, Mayer showed that he could be an elite receiver and a force at the line of scrimmage as a run blocker. Mayer had 67 catches for 809 yards and nine touchdowns last year. He was also the top-rated tight end with 17 contested catches and eight deep catches.

Whether it’s Kyle Trask under center or a new veteran, the tight end can always be considered the safety blanket for a quarterback. Mayer can team with Cade Otton to give the Bucs’ running game and passing attack a nice 1-2 punch. New offensive coordinator Dave Canales wants his weapons to know how to get in the end zone, and Mayer scored 18 touchdowns in his three seasons at Notre Dame.

ROUND 2 – USC G Andrew Vorhees
6-6, 325 • Senior

A four-year starter for the Trojans, Vorhees brings a wealth of experience to Tampa Bay. He’s had over 400 snaps at right guard, left tackle and left guard, but left guard is his natural fit. The selection of Vorhees is made under the premise that Donovan Smith is released or traded, Tristan Wirfs moves to left tackle and Luke Goedeke moves to right tackle, where he played in college.

Vorhees has a nasty attitude in the running game, where he excelled as a zone blocker as evidenced by a 90.8 grade from Pro Football Focus in 2022. He’s also a very efficient pass protector with the athleticism to mirror and the violent hands to stone his opponent at the line of scrimmage. There’s a lot to like about Vorhees, and the fact that he’s so adept playing left guard makes him a plug-and-play rookie.

ROUND 3 – Michigan State WR Jayden Reed
6-0, 185 • Senior

Reed really helped himself at the Senior Bowl, where he was the best receiver in Mobile, Ala. His production fizzled as a senior, as he caught just 55 passes for 636 yards (11.6 avg.) and five touchdowns. As a junior, Reed was more productive and explosive due to better play at quarterback. In 2021, Reed had 59 catches for 1,026 yards (17.4 avg.) and 10 touchdowns.

With electric feet, swagger and the ability to separate, Reed has a little bit of Tyler Lockett and Antonio Brown in him. He’s not afraid to go up and get the ball in traffic despite being a smaller receiver, and he has nice run-after-catch ability. With the ability to play inside or out, Reed is a nice complement to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

ROUND 5 – Virginia WR Dontayvion Wicks
6-2, 208 • Senior

The Bucs come back on Day 3 and address the receiver position again with another Senior Bowl standout with a similar profile to Reed. Wicks had an injury-plagued down year as a senior, when he only caught 30 passes for 430 yards (14.3 avg.) and two touchdowns. But as a junior, Wicks hauled in 57 receptions for 1,201 yards and a whopping 21.1-yard average. He also scored nine touchdowns in 2021.

Wicks brings more size to the Bucs receiver room, which will be losing some players in free agency. Julio Jones, Scotty Miller and Breshad Perriman are all free agents and likely won’t return. Tampa Bay might also cut Russell Gage in a salary cap move, so doubling up on receivers with Reed and Wicks might be necessary.

ROUND 6 – Minnesota RB Mohamed Ibrahim
5-10, 210 • Junior

The Bucs will likely cut Leonard Fournette in a salary cap maneuver and feature Rachaad White, last year’s third-round pick, in 2023. Tampa Bay also wants to see what Ke’Shawn Vaughn can do with more touches as a backup. Vaughn showed some real improvement last year, but was just buried on the depth chart. With Fournette and Giovani Bernard likely gone, the Bucs will need another running back to compete and fill out the depth chart.

Ibrahim isn’t the fastest back, but he’s a powerful, violent runner. After a 1,000-yard season with 15 touchdowns as a freshman in 2020, Ibraham suffered a season-ending injury in the 2021 season opener. He rebounded last year with 1,675 yards and 20 TDs while averaging 5.2 yards per carry. Ibrahim had the third-most yards after contact last year (1,106) and forced 71 missed tackles. He also had 186 zone run carries, which was the fifth-most in college football. Ibrahim is a perfect fit in Tampa Bay.

ROUND 6 – Florida OT Richard Gouraige
6-5, 308 • Senior

If Donovan Smith departs as a salary cap casualty, the Bucs will need another offensive tackle for depth. Tampa Bay can’t rely on longtime backup Josh Wells, either. He’s a free agent and suffered a severe knee injury at the end of last year. Gouraige is athletic enough to be a swing tackle, and he also has the versatility to play guard.

The Florida product was a three-year starter for the Gators, so he has plenty of experience. He’s only given up four sacks in his college career, including just one last season. Gouraige, a Senior Bowl participant, is a better pass protector than he is a run blocker at this stage of his career, but he could be a serviceable backup as a late Day 3 selection.

ROUND 7 – North Dakota State FB Hunter Luepke
6-1, 236 • Senior

The Bucs could be using a fullback on occasion in Dave Canales’ offense, and tight end Ko Kieft could be used in the backfield. But Tampa Bay might also want to get a bigger back who is capable of serving as a blocker and a ballcarrier. Luepke was a power back at North Dakota State, where he ran for 628 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 6.5 yards per carry.

The high-motor tackle-breaker has good hands and can be used as a weapon out of the backfield, too. At the very least, Luepke could be a special teams starter and flesh out the depth chart as the fourth running back on the roster. But if the Bucs need some hard, tough yards around the goal line or in third-and-short, Luepke can deliver. He’s not “The A-Train” Mike Alstott, but he could be “The L-Train” in Tampa Bay.