Potential Buccaneers Targets And Best Fits In The Draft: Inside Linebacker

JC Allen breaks down each position in the draft with potential fits, including the best fits for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL Draft.

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JC Allen
Apr 22, 2024

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did exactly what they said they would do this offseason and returned all of their high-quality free agents on the team. Back in the fold are Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Lavonte David, Chase McLaughlin, and Antoine Winfield Jr. They added depth and potential starters to the team with the likes of Jordan Whitehead, Sua Opeta, Ben Bredeson, Tavierre Thomas, Bryce Hall, and Randy Gregory while also bringing back core depth pieces in Greg Gaines, Chase Edmonds, and John Wolford.

The moves they made have given them great flexibility in the draft and while holes remain on the roster they’ve positioned themselves to where they aren’t pigeonholed into any one position in the draft. In this series, we’ll take a look at each position in the draft and potential prospects they could select in each round. In some rounds, there won’t be any fits due to not having an overwhelming need at the position or no first-round grades on players who could potentially be there at their selection.

At the end of each preview, we’ll break down the Bucs best roster fits at each position from rounds 1-2, 3-4, and 5-7.

Lavonte David is back, as father time hasn't slowed down the veteran linebacker. He'll have a new running mate for the first time in five years as Devin White will not be on the team after signing with the Eagles in the offseason. K.J. Britt will get the first crack at the role after replacing an injured and ineffective White during the regular season last year. The Bucs liked what they saw out of SirVocea Dennis during his rookie campaign and he too will be given a shot at the starting role. J.J. Russell is a special teams maven but stepped up in his first career start big time last season. While it might not be considered a high-end need, the Bucs would be putting a lot of faith that Britt can hold up as a starter for a full season. They've said all the right things about the veteran linebacker but I wouldn't rule out an addition to the room through the draft. The Bucs met with a plethora of linebackers over the last few months and could look to add to the room as high as the second round.

Round 1

None

Round 2

Junior Colson, Michigan [6'2, 238, N/A, 3JR]

Colson has good speed and explosiveness at the position and is physical, taking on and shedding blocks. He has a good feel for coverage and displays the communication skills and pre-snap and post-snap recognition you want at linebacker. However, he doesn't have great change of direction skills, showcasing stiff hips, will need to improve his patience working downhill and won't be a threat to get after the quarterback with limited ball production. Colson finished his senior season with 95 tackles, two for loss. He had a formal interview with the Bucs at the Combine.

Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M [6'2, 230, 4.51-40, SR]

Cooper has excellent speed, burst, and change-of-direction skills. He's rangy with the closing speed in pursuit, can cover backs and tight ends and is an effective blitzer. However, he can be undisciplined biting on play-action fakes and will need to improve hand timing when stacking and shedding, He needs to show a better feel often reacting rather than anticipating and can run himself out of plays at times. Cooper finished his senior year with 83 tackles, 17 for loss, and eight sacks. He had an informal visit with the Bucs at the Combine and was brought in for an official Top 30 visit.

Payton Wilson, NC State [6'3, 233, 4.43,-40, 6SR]

Wilson is long, fast, and an excellent cover linebacker with tremendous ball skills. He's a rangy sideline-to-sideline defender racking up tackles, with a high football IQ, and can effectively stack and shed blockers with strong hands and good leverage. However, he needs to improve his play strength, lacks the ideal size, can be over-aggressive at times, and has a serious injury history that teams will need to be comfortable with. Wilson finished his senior season with the Wolfpack racking up 138 tackles, 17.5 for loss, six sacks, nine pass breakups, and three interceptions winning the Dick Butkus and Chuck Bednarik awards. He had an informal meeting with the Bucs at the Combine.

Rounds 3 - 4

Trevin Wallace, Kentucky [6'1, 237, 4.51-40, JR]

Wallace has true sideline-to-sideline speed and can close in on ball carriers quickly. He's not afraid to get his nose dirty in run defense taking on bigger guards and tackles and can put pressure on the quarterback when called upon. He has the athleticism to stay with tight ends in coverage and was a playmaker in college with three interceptions. However, his instincts and reactionary skills need polishing, can get fooled by play-action and misdirection, and lacks patience in his scrape allowing cutback lanes to runners. He was a captain in 2023 and finished his career with 19 starts. Wallace finished his collegiate career at Kentucky with 166 tackles, 18 for loss, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and three interceptions. He was brought in for an official Top 30 visit by the Bucs.

Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson [6'0, 228, N/A, JR]

Trotter has a high football IQ, a nose for the football, and is quick to read and react to make the play. He is solid in coverage, plays with control, and is an effective blitzer. However, his small frame and arm length can make it difficult to wrap up bigger running backs and shed blocks once engaged, he can have trouble timing his tackles and lacks top speed and pursuit to chase down ball carriers. Trotter finished his junior year with 88 tackles,15 for loss, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, eight pass breakups, and two interceptions. He had an official 30 visit with the Bucs ahead of the draft.

Jordan Magee, Temple [6'1, 228, 4.55-40, 5SR]

Magee has quick feet and speed to pursue ball carries. In the run game, he will fly to the ball once he zeroes in on his target, shows the ability to slip blockers in space, and has the athletic range to cover the sideline and stick with backs in coverage. However, he lacks the ideal size and play strength and can be late in his reads and anticipation which can hinder his ability to stay ahead of blocks and once he's engaged can struggle to shed. Magee finished his senior year with 80 tackles, 14 for loss, and 3.5 sacks. He had an informal meeting with the Bucs at the Combine.

Round 5-7

Cedric Gray, UNC [6'1, 234, 4.64-40, SR]

Gray is a tackling machine with strong form and finish. He displays great reaction and awareness in coverage, the speed to pursue the sideline, and takes good angles with acceleration when coming downhill. However, he can struggle to shed bigger blockers, can run himself out of plays, instincts and recognition need refinement in the run and pass game, and missed more tackles than he should. Gray finished his senior year with 121 tackles, 11 for loss, and five sacks. He had a formal visit with the Bucs at the Combine.

Curtis Jacobs, Penn State [6'1, 241, 4.58-40, SR]

Jacobs possesses good speed and explosiveness with the range to make plays at the second level. He has active hands to work around blocks, can sift through traffic when coming downhill, and shows enough bend to get around the edge. However, he has limited experience in coverage, can be over-aggressive running himself out of plays, can be slow to locate the ball at times, and his lack of play strength can see him get swallowed up by blockers. Jacobs finished his senior year at Penn State with 49 tackles, nine for loss, and 2.5 sacks. He had an informal interview with the Bucs at the Combine.

Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri [6'1, 228, 4.68, 5SR] informal

Hopper has sideline-to-sideline speed, with terrific explosiveness and pursuit skill to track down ball carriers. He's a physical tackler, an effective blitzer, and fluid in zone coverage. However, he'll need to add strength to not get behind blockers, can struggle in man coverage, lacks instincts and field vision, and can be late diagnosing plays. Hopper finished his senior year with 55 tackles, six for loss, and three sacks. He had an informal interview with the Bucs at the Combine.

Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State [6'2, 233, 4.63-40, 6SR]

Watson has the traditional size and toughness for the position and has the awareness to locate the ball quickly. He's a disciplined tackler, shows effectiveness shooting the gap as a blitzer, and has a good punch to separate from climbing blockers. However, he doesn't possess elite pursuit speed, will struggle in coverage, and can be fooled on play fakes and misdirection. Watson finished his Senior season with 137 tackles, 13 for loss, and 10 sacks. He had a formal interview with the Bucs at the Combine.

Marist Liufau, Notre Dame [6'2, 234, 4.64-40, 5SR]

Liufau plays with a relentless motor and violence, with the length and speed to crash downhill. He is functional in short-area zone coverages, an effective blitzer, and his football IQ is something teams will appreciate. However, he isn't a strong solo tackler, needs to play with better anticipation and patience, can be overly aggressive, and can be slow to disengage from bigger blockers once they get their hands on him. Liafau finished his senior year with 44 tackles, six for loss, and three sacks. He had an informal meeting with the Bucs at the Combine.

JD Bertrand, Notre Dame [6'0, 235, N/A, 5SR]

Bertrand gets the most out of his frame and can quickly diagnose plays and react. He has great closing burst to the ball, is an effective blitzer causing disruption in the backfield, and is a good communicator. However, his lack and speed and quickness are concerning, he doesn't have great range, will struggle in man coverage, and struggles to disengage from blockers. Bertrand finished his senior season with 76 tackles, 7.5 for loss, and 2.5 sacks. He had an informal meeting with the Bucs at the Combine.

Jaylan Ford, Texas [6'3, 239, 4.71-40, SR]

Ford displays quick reaction skills and gets to the ball quickly before blockers can get there. Downhill, physical defender with good hands in coverage, and adequate pursuit skills. However, he can get caught with his eyes in the backfield, lacks speed, quickness, and change of direction skills, and gets swallowed up by blockers. Ford finished his senior year with 101 tackles, 10.5 for loss, and zero sacks, but did have two interceptions. He had an informal interview with the Bucs at the Combine.

Tyrice Knight, UTEP [6'0, 233, 4.63-40, 5SR]

Knight plays aggressively displaying good physicality and was a tackling machine in college. He has an excellent closing burst, a good feel for routes in zone coverage, and got his hands on a ton of balls with 17 career pass breakups. However, he has a habit of freelancing, struggles with man coverage, and needs to improve recognition skills as he plays with too much guesswork. Knight finished his senior year with 140 tackles, 15.5 for loss, and 5.5 sacks. Knight had an informal interview with the Bucs at the combine and attended their local workout.

Darius Mausau, UCLA [5'11, 225, 4.70-40, 5SR]

Mausau plays with tremendous instincts and recognition reading, reacting, and getting to the ball carrier quickly. He's a sound tackler with a relentless motor, has a good feel for short-area zone coverage, and has active hands to disengage from blockers. However, he will struggle in man coverage and deep zone, doesn't have high-end pursuit speed, and can get sucked in on play-action and misdirection. Mausau finished his senior year with 75 tackles, 10.5 for loss, and four sacks. He had an informal meeting with the Bucs at the Combine.

Michael Barret Jr, Michigan [5'11, 232, 4.70, 6SR]

Barrett Jr. displays good feel in zone coverage, is an effective blitzer, and is a strong wrap-up tackler. He has good short-area quickness to elude blockers and can be a core special teamer and nickel/dime backer. However, he lacks the size, speed, or strength teams look for in starting inside linebackers, can get washed out by blockers, and has inconsistent anticipation and play recognition. Barrett Jr finished his senior year with 63 tackles, 3.5 for loss, three sacks, and three forced fumbles. He had an informal meeting with the Bucs at the Combine.

Tatum Bethune, FSU [5'11, 227, 4.75-40, 5SR]

Bethune has a feel for the game with good reaction quickness and a high football IQ. He's adept in coverage and can stick with tight ends and backs, flies downhill in the run game, and is not afraid to get physical with blockers. However, he has just average size and speed, needs to wrap better when tackling, and can be over-aggressive forsaking discipline and leverage. Bethune finished his senior year with 70 tackles, 5.5 for loss, and an interception. He had an informal interview with the Bucs at the Combine.

Jontrey Hunter, Georgia State [6'1, 236, 4.91-40, 6SR]

Hunter made the switch from safety to linebacker last season and while there were some ups and downs there was a lot to like. The former safety is exceptional in coverage with the ability to cover tight ends and running backs.. He displays good ability to stack and shed to get off blocks and shows promise as a blitzer. However, he will need more time to learn the intricacies of the position and will need to play with better tackling technique, hand placement, and leverage. The Tampa native finished his collegiate career with 33 starts totaling 225 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, three interceptions, 11 passes defended, seven forced fumbles, three recoveries, and a defensive touchdown. He had an informal visit with the Bucs at the Combine.

Best Fit Rounds 1-2

Edgerrin Cooper

If the Bucs want an upgrade at linebacker that can start from Day 1, Cooper is a do-it-all player that fits the bill. He has great speed and cover skills, while also being an effective run-stopper and blitzer. he has extensive experience playing special teams and was First Team All-American and First Team All-SEC. Cooper has the skills to fit any system and would challenge Britt as a rookie for playing time.

Best Fit Rounds 3-4

Trevin Wallace

Wallace is still young at 21 years old and not a finished product but has the speed and range to be an every-down linebacker in the NFL. He can get caught freelancing at times, but is a playmaker and would fit well within Bowles' defensive scheme. A team captain, he also has experience with new Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen from their time together at Kentucky. Trotter could also be of consideration in these rounds.

Best Fit Rounds 5-7

Cedric Gray

If the Bucs choose to address the linebacker position later in the draft, Gray could be the selection. He is a strong tackler, can play in coverage, and has sideline-to-sideline speed. He's a high-character guy who is passionate about the game of football and fits the mold of the type of culture the Bucs have in the building. He had three straight seasons of 100+ tackles and is an effective blitzer. Nathaniel Watson could be someone they consider in the latter rounds as well.