Writing The Ship: Week Three Buccaneers College Watch Guide

Week three of the college football season is here! And while that in itself is a full slate of awesomeness, it’s another opportunity to see some of the prospects for the 2027 NFL draft. Because even though the NFL season just kicked off, it is always draft season to me.

Despite a disappointing week one loss, the expectations are still very high for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I still expect a playoff push and a draft pick that will be towards the end of the first round. That being said, we are also getting a feel for some of the needs on this roster.

So much of the scouting process is projecting right now, but the evaluation part remains consistent. Based on what we know now, here are some prospects that I think the Bucs should have their eye on this weekend. Here is my writing the ship week three Buccaneers college watch guide.

Trey’Dez Green, Tight End, LSU

Some view Green as the crown jewel of this tight end class (although I believe that is still up for debate). He is the pass catching movement tight end that the Bucs don’t currently have on the roster. If you are looking to give offensive coordinator Zac Robinson as Kyle Pitts type, then this is that guy. 

At 6’7 and 245 lbs, Green moves very well. He’s off to a hot start this year with 162 yards in two games after going for 433 yards and 7 touchdowns last season. It feels like we are in the early parts of a very impressive breakout year for him.

This weekend, Green will face a challenge in 8th ranked Ole Miss. This is a highly anticipated prime time matchup where he will have an opportunity to make a splash on the national stage. If there was a time to solidify himself as a first round pick then this is the type of game to do it in. 

Tae Johnson, Safety, Notre Dame

The Bucs have a quiet need that I feel has floated under the radar in recent years. That would be at their free safety spot. Antione Winfield Jr does a good job in that role, but consistently using him in deep coverage doesn’t maximize his versatile skillset.

This defense was at its peak in recent years when they had a true center fielder. Mike Edwards coming off the bench for the Bruce Arians years was incredibly valuable to this team and just has never been replaced. I would like to see that change.

Johnson is an excellent center field safety with all the range to be a high end coverage player in the NFL. I don’t know if he will be a first round pick or not, but I believe his stock will continue to rise this year. Look for him to make a splash play against Michigan State this weekend.

AJ Holmes, Defensive Tackle, Texas Tech

This is a name who I believe will be a little lower on draft boards compared to the other two guys. However, getting impact players on day two of the draft is a Jason Licht specialty. Holmes could be that next day two gem.

Holmes isn’t especially big at just 6’3 and 300 lbs. However, he is strong at the point of attack and has the burst off the line of scrimmage that you would expect from a smaller defensive tackle. He needs to improve his hand usage this year, but the early returns are good as he has had a sack in back to back games to start the season.

Holmes will get an opportunity to play his former team this weekend, and one of the better teams in the Big 12, the Houston Cougars. Granted this isn’t the best conference in college football, but that makes it all that much more important to look good against the cream of the crop. I’ll be watching him closely this weekend.