PFF names Notre Dame star potential 'surprise' Buccaneers first-rounder

Could the Tampa Bay Buccaneers swing for a Notre Dame defensive back in the first round of the NFL Draft this year?

Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Xavier Watts against the Ohio State Buckeyes. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will need to pick up some defensive players in the NFL Draft — that much is certain. With a top-five offense returning to the fold in its entirety, the Bucs are going to have to shore up the other side of the ball if they want to be taken seriously as a contender.

Naturally, that means it would be a good idea to use a first-round pick on a defensive player. Many pundits and experts have linked Tampa Bay with players like linebacker Jihaad Campell, cornerback Jadhae Barron and edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku, among others — but Pro Football Focus recently named a surprise first-round candidate for every NFL team, and it was Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts that was linked with the Bucs as a potential off-consensus selection.

Here's what writer Dalton Wasserman had to say about Watts' fit in Tampa Bay:

"Tampa Bay moved Christian Izien to safety last season, but his PFF grade dropped nearly 10 points from his impressive rookie campaign as a slot defender. Drafting Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts would allow Antoine Winfield Jr .to move freely around the formation while giving the Bucs a true ball hawk on the back end, as Watts racked up 13 interceptions over the past two seasons."

Watts is an average athlete who can play stiff, but he has excellent anticipation and has excelled in both man and zone coverage at Notre Dame. Watts is considered by many to be a Day 2 prospect and could certainly be there when the Bucs pick in Round 2, but in a draft that general manager Jason Licht calls "level", the Bucs may want to pick him early if they really like him. Other safeties Tampa Bay could pursue include Georgia safety Malaki Starks and South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori, both of whom are considered Day 1 prospects.

Tampa Bay will pick No. 19 in the NFL Draft, which begins the night of April 24.

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