Wesley Hitt
Draft season, and that means we have two more mock draft for you to choose from today.
Today's mock draft is a dual mock draft, coming to us from CBS Sports. Rob Rang and Dane Brugler both turned in an interesting mock draft for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rob Rang has them taking Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner off the board as the first cornerback taken in the draft:
Though more than just the cornerbacks are at fault for Tampa ranking dead last in the NFL in passing yards allowed in 2012, there is no better spot to start to correct the problems. One of the trademarks of Greg Schiano's Rutgers' teams was stellar play at cornerback and the 6-1, 198-pound Milliner has the length and physicality to fit perfectly.
Alabama defensive players: everyone likes them, and Greg Schiano probably a little more so. They're always physical, they can all tackle, and they're all engaged in the running game. And now, Milliner can cover, too. He's everything the Buccaneers are looking for in a cornerback, and he would fit perfectly.
Milliner falls this far because of an early run on quarterbacks and pass rushers. And, let's be honest here: those runs happen every.single.year. Even though this looks like a pretty mediocre quarterback class, people are going to pick quarterbacks high. And this does look like a good pass-rushing class. So Milliner, easily the top cornerback, falls to the Bucs.
Dane Brugler goes the other way, coming up with defensive end Barkevious Mingo:
Despite drafting several defensive ends recently, the Buccaneers ranked 30th in the league in sacks this past season (25.0 sacks). Mingo didn't have junior season most expected, but he's an athletic edge rusher who has a bright future with his combination of speed and burst.
That's one selection I really can't see happening. It's not because they couldn't use a pass-rush specialist: everyone can use a good pass-rush specialist at all times. It's because Mingo doesn't fit the Bucs. He's inconsistent versus the run, undersized for a defensive end and has had a disappointing senior season with just four sacks. He's a bit of a one-trick pony, trying to beat tackles with speed and nothing else. In fact, really, he reminds me of Gaines Adams. Talented, but he has a lot of work to do.
I would prefer the Buccaneers to select Oregon's Dion Jordan, if they're going for a pass rusher. Jordan's explosive, more well-rounded in his technique and actually has the versatility to drop into coverage and do it well. He was a 3-4 OLB at Oregon, but he has the frame to play 4-3 defensive end. He could be an intriguing weapon for whoever drafts him.
Though, honestly, I don't think defensive line is a need -- if the team resigns Michael Bennett.


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