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ESPN Recommends Biggest Need, Best Value Player for Buccaneers in 2024 NFL Draft
Could the Bucs draft either of these two prospects in the first round?
There are a few different positions of need that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to address in the 2024 NFL Draft. But there's positional need, and then there's draft value, and the two don't always intersect.
Sometimes they do, though, and they certainly do in ESPN's case. Writers Jordan Reid and Matt Miller wrote an article going over one prospect for each NFL team that would fill a positional need and would be good draft value for the pick the team has, and for the Bucs, both players fill a hole — the article has Penn State EDGE Chop Robinson as the positional need and Iowa CB Cooper DeJean as the value pick.
Here is what the two had to say about the hypothetical picks for Tampa Bay:
"Tampa Bay is searching for options to replace Shaquil Barrett, and Robinson is nearly identical as a prospect. He has the explosiveness and bend to be a disruptive force off the edge," Reid wrote. Miller followed with his DeJean pick: "One of my absolute favorite players in the class, DeJean is ranked No. 20 overall as an inside/outside cornerback, safety, punt returner and all-around playmaker on defense. He had seven interceptions over the past two seasons."
The Bucs need both an edge rusher and a corner and would likely be happy taking both players at No. 26 (assuming they like them, of course). Robinson is a talented edge rusher that, if a bit raw, could turn into something special at the next level, and DeJean could fit perfectly into replacing cornerback Carlton Davis III at cornerback after he was traded to the Detroit Lions.
Both players have been mocked to the Bucs in the past, but there's also a possibility both players won't be there when the time comes. Additionally, Tampa Bay has a pretty big need on the interior offensive line, and they may choose to address that need instead.
Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 offseason.
