Pre Combine Buccaneers’ Mock Draft

The NFL combine is upon us. It’s an important part of the draft process where prospects gather in Indianapolis to show what they can do in athlete testing drills. It’s a good chance for teams to get an up close look at these athletes for the first time. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be paying close attention to the results of these workouts. Not necessarily to learn anything about them, but to confirm what they have seen on tape. But before that, here is one last mock draft before things kick off. 

Here is my Pre Combine Buccaneers Mock Draft.

15) Keldrick Faulk, Defensive Line, Auburn

Faulk is a freak athlete who will enter the league as a very good run defender. His pass rusher does leave something to be desired compared to other edge rushers in the class, however if you project him as an odd front defensive end then it changes the perception. His length, strength and flashes of great hands indicate that there is more here than the lack of production indicates.

46) Gabe Jacas, Edge, Illinois 

Over the last two years, Jascas has been a consistent force in the Big Ten. The 21 year old Florida native has had 26.6 tackles for loss and 19.0 sacks over the last two seasons. He is big and powerful, yet also bendy enough to pressure offensive tackles around the edge. 

77) Josiah Trotter, Linebacker, Missouri

Few linebackers in this draft are as physical as Trotter. He has the makings as a top tier box defender with the way he can blow up blocks and make sound tackles. The Bucs will have to find a linebacker who can cover somewhere else, but Trotter can be the heart of a run defense.

116) Oscar Delp, Tight End, Georgia

The production isn’t especially impressive over Delp’s career, but his tape is. He looks like a very good athlete who can get separation as well as block at a high level. This is the type of player who I expect to have a better NFL career than what he did in college. 

153) Logan Jones, Center, Iowa

Jones isn’t the biggest lineman in the draft, but he’s the epitome of the saying “it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog”. This is someone who can push defenders around. This is the depth player on the offensive line that the Buccaneers desperately needed last year.

194) Brandon Cleveland, Defensive Line, North Carolina State

With the departure of Logan Hall in free agency, the Bucs need a replacement for him on the defensive line. And while I believe that Elijah Roberts can fill some of that void as a pass rusher, he isn’t the early down run defender that Hall was. Cleveland played a lot of nose tackle in college, but is really more of a run stuffing defensive end in a 3-4 system at the NFL level.

230) Donaven McCulley, Wide Receiver, Michigan

There is the chance that Mike Evans leaves in free agency this year and even if he doesn’t the Bucs don’t have anyone else who is a true big body outside receiver. McCulley has size to fill that need as a possession receiver who can go up and get the ball. He’s a deep sleeper who I like at this point in the draft.