Tampa Bay Buccaneers Mock Draft #2

Round 1, Pick 7: Teddy Bridgewater, QB

Bridgewater has been hailed as a great college QB who could transition into the pros and be the face of a franchise with little trouble because of his tangible skills as much as the intangibles. More recently, he has been bashed for a “poor” pro day, in which he threw without the gloves that have become a trademark of his. Rumor is that Bridgewater’s stock has dropped and that Manziel and Bortles have surpassed him; however, I still view Bridgewater as the best QB prospect in the draft, and the most pro-ready.

Round 2, Pick 38: Buccaneers trade back with NY Giants for 2^nd (43^rd  overall) and 4^th (113^th  overall) picks

Round 2, Pick 43: Donte Moncrief, WR

Moncrief offers good size (6’2”, 220 lbs) at the WR position and although he may not possess dominant size like Mike Evans or Kelvin Banjamin, he is much smoother in his movements and offers good playmaking ability as an undervalued player in a deep WR class.

Round 3, Pick 69:  Stanley Jean-Baptiste, DB

SJB is a big defensive back who offers great ball skills and the versatility to play cornerback and safety. Standing at 6’3” Jean-Baptiste can come up to the line and press bigger receivers and is strong enough to disrupt their routes. He has also displayed a nose for the ball and has drawn comparisons to Richard Sherman. With a lack of top-end speed but good ball skills and size, Jean-Baptiste could be an ideal Cover 2 corner, and can also be an effective safety. Lovie Smith loves versatility, and SJB’s ability to effectively play at least two positions could make him a very appealing player to the defensive-minded coach.

Round 4, Pick 113: Cyril Richardson, OG

Lovie Smith and Jason Licht seem to really like like versatility in their players, with several offensive and defensive lineman having the ability to play multiple positions. Richardson offers versatility as well, as he has played T and G at Baylor; however, his best position is likely at G. At the G position, Richardson brings a big body with good feet, although his intensity has been questioned.

Round 5, Pick 143: Yawin Smallwood, LB

Smallwood has expressed confidence in himself when he stated that he believes he is the best linebacker in the 2014 class. Smallwood offers plus size (6’2”, 246 lbs) and  ability, and was a three year starter at the University of Connecticut where he posted 337 tackles, 8.5 sacks,, five forced fumbles and 17 pass deflections (stats obtained from sports-reference.com). He also has the athleticism to drop back in coverage, a big responsibility for Tampa-2 middle linebackers.

Round 6, Pick 185: Brandon Coleman, WR

Round 7, Pick 221:  Kadeem Edwards, OG

In this draft, the Buccaneers have not only gotten their franchise QB, but also addressed some pressing needs. Several players have the ability to step in and start in Week 1 of next season, but may not have to.