Buccaneers' Mock Draft Monday: Three Round Early December Experiment
It's Monday and there isn't a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game to recap, shucks.
Therefore, we're launching Mock Draft Mondays here at Sports Illustrated's AllBucs.com! This won't happen super regularly until the 2020 season is over as Tampa Bay is in playoff contention, but our mock drafts will always be on Mondays other than right before the annual draft.
The reason this is called an experiment is that this mock draft is being conducted based on how I perceive the Bucs' current team needs. Of course, I can see things going several ways and the draft is unpredictable, especially this well beforehand. However, the offseason really is just around the corner and mock drafts are already flying, so let's get in on the fun.
As a general rule, mock drafts conducted by myself won't repeat the same player more than once, at least until it's time to truly begin predicting who Tampa Bay will select. Rather, let this exercise get you started on learning some of the top draft prospects who are coming out or are expected to declare this year, with different names at different positions each time.
The Draft Network's mock draft simulator was used to create this scenario.
1.21: Eric Stokes, cornerback, Georgia
The Buccaneers have a Pro Bowl-caliber cornerback on the outside for the majority of the season in Carlton Davis III, on one side of the field. The other side, held down by Jamel Dean along with Sean Murphy-Bunting on occasion, has been serviceable at times, but the Bucs could use an upgrade.
Particularly, Tampa Bay could use a cornerback upgrade with agility and all-around speed. Dean is fast in a straight line in coverage and working down the receiver's vertical stem, but lacks the fluidity you'd want in a cornerback playing opposite of a strong press-coverage guy like Davis. The Bucs often play soft zone and off-man as Dean and Murphy-Bunting don't offer much in press, further enforcing the need for an upgrade to create some more comfort on the backend.
Enter Eric Stokes. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Georgia defensive back has the frame, skill-set, and technical understanding to fit as a press-coverage field cornerback at the NFL level. Stokes' hips and feet are fluid both through contact and when playing off coverage, putting him in the right coverage position more often than not. His length allows him to not only jam receivers at the line, but also make plays on the ball as they come his way.
Stokes has tallied 77 tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, three interceptions (including two pick-sixes), and 22 defended passes in his three-year Bulldogs career. As a high school prospect, Stokes reportedly ran a verified 4.33-second 40-yard dash and clocked a 10.65-second 100-meter dash on a "bum leg".
The Bucs have spent four draft picks (all rounds two through four) on defensive backs in the last two drafts, so I understand the hesitation from fans on another especially with needs on the defensive line/edge and at left tackle. But Strokes has a very natural feel for the position and looks the part when it comes to defensive coordinator Todd Bowles' type at cornerback: Long, athletic, and capable of pressing.
Performances such as Tyreek Hill's just over a week ago will happen again if the Bucs don't add some coverage agility. Stokes offers plenty of it, and he provides a lot more value as a 20-range pick when you consider a fifth-year option while assuming the Bucs will try to extend Davis' contract in the near future.
2.53: Marvin Wilson, defensive line, Florida State
Defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh and edge rusher Shaq Barrett are both set to become free agents when the 2020 season is over, while the Bucs are on a cap space crunch and may not be able to keep both guys. Heck, they may not even be able to keep one of them, unless Suh becomes cheaper given his age.
The defensive line and edge depth throughout the first few rounds of the draft project nicely this year, and in this simulation, one of the biggest names of the bunch ends up available at Tampa Bay's second-round pick: FSU's Marvin Wilson. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound defensive tackle has taken snaps across the Seminoles' entire defensive line in his career and was demanding double-teams by the end of it, before suffering a season-ending leg injury in November which leads to his slide here.
In 39 career games at FSU, Wilson recorded 109 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and five batted passes. Pro Football Focus credits Wilson with 60 quarterback pressures in his 2018-19 seasons combined (21 games).
Wilson is a physically overpowering defensive line prospect who has little issue throwing blockers around with powerful hand strikes and immense upper-body strength in order to penetrate the backfield. He isn't the most athletic defensive lineman in the world but Wilson gets the job done at his size and paired with his strength.
Ideally, Wilson would serve as Suh's long-term replacement as a versatile lineman who can move around the trenches and wreak havoc while opening up opportunities for edge rushers to get home. After not taking a defensive lineman or edge rusher in the first round, Wilson was too good of a prospect and fit to pass up.
3.84: Walker Little, left tackle, Stanford
The final selection of this three-round mock comes on the offensive side of the ball, being left tackle Walker Little of Stanford. Little made the 2018 All Pac-12 first team, was named a Freshman All-American by ESPN in 2017, and was even considered a top-five offensive tackle in this draft class by ESPN's Mel Kiper entering the 2020 season.
Yet, while he may be that talented, Little hasn't shown it in some time. The 6-foot-7, 309-pound left tackle missed all but one game in 2019 after suffering a season-ending knee injury, and decided to opt-out of the 2020 season in preparation for the draft and to continue rehabbing in September.
When he did take the field for the Cardinal, Little held down the left side by allowing 23 quarterback pressures in 22 games as a true freshman, sophomore, and one game into his junior season (PFF). Little makes his living as a one-on-one pass protector by shutting down outside rushers, and with the athleticism to find success as a blocker in space. Little's pad level, especially given his height, could use some improvement so he can stand up against powerful rushers working inside.
Little will have spent nearly two years between his last snaps and preparing for his first NFL training camp, making him an ideal sit-and-learn candidate to better comprehend the blocking scheme and speed of the NFL, should the Bucs keep left tackle Donovan Smith around. Perhaps the goal would be to let Smith walk after 2021 when his expensive contract expires, but the Bucs wouldn't be upset if Little earned the job rather quickly if he ended up in red and pewter.
