Help is on the way....
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been hit hard on the defensive side of the ball as they have lost many players to age over the years.(Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, and Simeon Rice) They let their defense get “old” and they are feeling the effects. A proud defense that was once tops in the league has lost its’ mojo and this is the year they try to get it back.
In the Crosshairs will break down the recent history of a team’s first round picks and try to discover draft day trends and upcoming needs.
Recent 1st Round Draft History:
2009: Josh Freeman-QB-Kansas St.
2008: Aqib Talib-DB-Kansas
2007: Gaines Adams-DE-Clemson*R.I.P.*
2006: Davin Joseph-OG-Oklahoma
2005: Cadillac Williams-RB-Auburn
2010 Draft Day Needs:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have done a solid job in the NFL Draft the last five or so years. They are a team that draft’s players by need and they do a good job of getting players that fit their system. This year they must get defensive and if Gerald McCoy of Oklahoma were to fall to them, they must pounce as he is a nice consolation prize to Ndamukong Suh. McCoy is a player that can get some swagger back to this defense and provide help in run defense as well as getting to the quarterback and disrupt the passing game.
The Bucs have many ways they could go with this pick, if McCoy is gone, that would leave them safety Eric Berry of Tennessee who is a ball hawking safety and many compare to Ed Reed, although I think a little more physical. Either way the 3rd pick is a win-win for the Buccanneers as they look to get back on top of the NFC South.
Both McCoy and Berry would be the type of player to give this Tampa Bay team a physical presence it has been missing. Either player is a nice compliment to the players already put in place such as Aqib Talib, Geno Hayes, and Barrett Ruud.
In the 2010 NFL Draft Tampa Bay will look to address these positions: DE, DT, WR, S, OG, and CB. The draft has many solid defensive players so look for the Buccaneers to address their defensive needs, then in the lower rounds look for them to grab a project or a sleeper type wide receiver such as Mike Williams of Syracuse or Danario Alexander of Missouri. The hometown kid Riley Cooper of Florida would also be an intriguing pick deeper down in the draft for a Bucs team in need at wideout.