Final Tampa Bay Buccaneers Seven Round Mock Draft
With all 22 starters from Super Bowl LV returning for another run at a championship in 2021, it is extremely difficult trying to predict who the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will select in this weekend's NFL Draft.
But we're going to try to do it anyway, one final time before the selection ceremony begins on Thursday at 8 P.M. ET.
For credibility purposes, this mock draft was created in coordination with the full two-round mock draft that I shared via AllBucs on Monday. Therefore, Tampa Bay's first and second-round picks below are the same as the Monday mock, however each pick comes with a more detailed explanation.
Let's get to it!
First round, 32nd overall: Joe Tryon, Edge, Washington
In the SI Publisher's mock draft over two weeks ago, I had the Buccaneers selecting Washington defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike. Then, Buccaneers' GM Jason Licht propped up the edge class and talked down the defensive line class when speaking with media, so I moved toward a different former Huskies defender.
The Buccaneers could benefit greatly from a rotational edge rusher during a second Super Bowl push, who simultaneously can serve as the eventual heir to Jason Pierre-Paul as the 32-year-old will be a free agent next offseason. Tryon, 6-foot-5, 259 pounds with 66th percentile arm length, is a high-quality athlete with great edge-rushing tools and was productive with eight sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss in his lone season as a full-time starter in 2019. He opted out of the 2020 season.
Tryon shows tremendous get-off pursuit speed and explosion from the edge both with his hand in the dirt and as a standing rusher. His hands are powerful at the point of attack and he's shown the ability to chop away at blocker's hands but could utilize better and more consistent technique to defeat NFL offensive linemen. Although his one year of film is from over a year ago, Tryon's raw rushing skill-set makes him one of the more intriguing prospects in this class at his position.
Tryon needs to polish his game, particularly after a season removed from the field, but he physically looks like a modern-day edge-rushing force. The Buccaneers can develop Tryon over time to eventually become a starter opposite of Shaq Barrett, and reunite Tyron with former Husky defensive linemen Vita Vea and Benning Potoa’e.
Second round, 64th overall: Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia
This wouldn’t be the first time that Licht selected a defensive back on day two as the Buccaneers’ GM. Or second, or third, or fourth (even in the past two years)...
Cornerback is one of the Buccaneers' biggest needs, as 2020 undrafted free agent Herb Miller is the team's only backup outside. Campbell is an ideal fit for the Buccaneers' secondary given his length, speed and explosion, plus he has experience and is comfortable playing in man coverage from his time at Georgia. The 6-foot-1, 193-pound cornerback, who ran a 4.4 40-yard dash at UGA's pro day, tallied one interception, ten defended passes, and three forced fumbles in three seasons with the Bulldogs.
Campbell could push Jamel Dean to play opposite of Carlton Davis III over time, but at worst offers immediate, desperately-needed depth at the Buccaneers' biggest position of need.
Third round, 95th overall: Kyle Trask, QB, Florida
The Buccaneers have yet to re-sign their primary backup from a year ago in Blaine Gabbert, and Trask presents a much cheaper alternative to serve as No. 2 behind Tom Brady and work alongside Ryan Griffin as the Buccaneers' quarterback depth. Brady will be 44 before the season begins, meaning Trask can be viewed as a potential quarterback of the future once the seven-time Super Bowl champ retires.
Trask doesn't have the biggest arm and is the furthest thing from a dual-threat, but that's okay. The Buccaneers just won a Super Bowl with a pure pocket passer in Brady. And Trask just set UF school records in passing yards and touchdowns this past season, finishing fourth in Heisman Trophy voting after completing 68.9 percent of his passes.
Licht described the type of quarterback prospect Tampa Bay would covet in the draft last week, and Trask met the criteria.
Fourth round, 137th overall: David Moore, iOL, Grambling State
The Buccaneers have stuck gold drafting smaller-school offensive linemen in recent years (Ali Marpet and Alex Cappa both come to mind) and Moore could be their next gem should Tampa Bay select him.
Moore is a stout prospect at just under 6-foot-2, 330 pounds, but he possesses 84th percentile arm length and an 86th percentile wingspan for an interior offensive lineman. And for a player of his size, Moore moves extremely well with 5.19-second 40-yard dash time. His 105-inch broad jump suggests a solid explosion from out of his stance as well, which shows up on tape.
Moore stood out at the Senior Bowl this offseason against top defensive line competition from bigger programs, playing both center and guard. Moore will need to address his technique and is some time away from taking the field for an NFL offensive snap, but presents a great project for an offensive line coach with loads of potential as a powerful, capable pulling guard who should be able to hold his own against the speed of interior NFL pass rushers.
Fifth round, 176th overall: Damar Hamlin, S, Pittsburgh
The Buccaneers are currently backup-less at safety behind Jordan Whitehead, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract this offseason.
Hamlin, 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, isn't the most athletic safety in the class but is an explosive prospect which is beneficial as he is a strong mover downhill. Hamlin flies to the ball and is a willing, physical tackler, which makes his projection as a strong safety and flex slot/linebacker intriguing. He's a capable coverage defender in the tackle box and flats with ample length to make plays on the ball, but his lack of ideal speed makes him a questionable fit in deep coverage.
Sixth round, 217th overall: Camryn Bynum, CB, Cal
Another defensive back? Another defensive back.
With only one backup outside cornerback currently on the roster, it wouldn't come as a surprise whatsoever if Tampa Bay exited the draft with two new players at the position. Bynum is another option with comfort in man coverage (off more than press) which makes him a fit for the Buccaneers, even though he doesn't bring much length or ideal speed to the table compared to Tampa Bay's current group of corners.
Bynum does, however, have a lot of playing time under his belt in the Power 5, which could make him a dependable backup and special teamer. He's appeared in 42 games over four years at Cal, where the 6-foot, 196-pound corner racked up 184 tackles, six interceptions, and 28 defended passes.
Seventh round, 251st overall: Demetric Felton, RB/WR, UCLA
Before Antonio Brown agreed to a new contract with Tampa Bay on Wednesday, I had the Buccaneers selecting a wide receiver prospect in the fourth round. Now, the position really doesn't need any other talent added to it, but Felton presented too much value near the end of the draft to pass up.
He's undersized at under 5-foot-9, 189 pounds, yes, but don't let Felton's size fool you. He's a playmaker with the ball in his hands even though his athletic scores were below average. Felton is the type of player whose tape you trust when taking a flier this late in the draft. He can run routes effectively out of the backfield and aligned as a wide receiver, can take handoffs as well as reverses, and averaged over 23 yards per kick return at UCLA. Felton displayed these skills at the Senior Bowl against top competition as well, and his size appeared to be far from an issue.
Seventh round, 259th overall: Darius Stills, DL, West Virginia
After taking an edge rusher earlier in the draft, Tampa Bay finally adds a true defensive lineman at the end of the process in Stills. The former Mountaineer was one of the first prospects to reportedly meet with the Buccaneers over Zoom this offseason.
Stills is as small as they come as a defensive lineman at almost 6-foot and a half, 278 pounds, and is naturally a pretty good athlete compared to other defensive linemen given his frame. Stills showed off his athleticism as a backfield wrecker at WVU, accumulating 9.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss over his final two college seasons. He may never take the field in a full-time role at his size, but Stills' ability to penetrate despite his physical limitations makes him an exciting possible late-round target.
