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New Era Scouting: Tampa Bay Bucs Mock Draft 1.0

The fellas from New Era Scouting have provided a Tampa Bay Buccaneers Mock Draft for the entire 7 Rounds of April's NFL Draft. To say these guys have put in an extensive amount of hours and preparation into their Scouting would be a HUGE understatement. Below you'll find their Mock Draft Picks for the Bucs:

1st Round Draft Pick (#20) - Ryan Clady Boise State OT 6'6, 319 - Clady is a classically built left tackle packed with strength and athleticism. The junior uses his hands and upper body strength really well to keep defenders away. Will need to learn how to play in a pro-style offense where he can’t just stand back and let opponents come to him. Will have trouble with speed rushers who can work his inside shoulder.

I'm not sure an Offensive Lineman is what we really need to Draft in the 1st Round this off-season. We drafted Arron Sears in the 2nd Round last year, Davin Joseph and Jeremy Trueblood in Rounds 1 & 2 the previous year. I know we need help on the line, I think GM Bruce Allen needs to import pieces to meld with the youth on the line. Another Rookie isnt going to help us TODAY on the line. I would target a DL (think Ohio State's Vernon Gholston) or a CB (like South Florida's Mike Jenkins). We need pass rush help and our Cornerbacks are getting older and older.

2nd Round Draft Pick (#52) - Keenan Burton Kentucky WR 6'2, 195 - Good, solid receiver who flashes decent hands, speed and athleticism. Has good size with a powerful frame. Uses his strength to beat jams. Hard worker. Also returns kicks. Runs good, crisp routes. Doesn't seem to have excellent top-end speed to run away from defenders. Might not have much upside.

I agree with Drafting a Wide Receiver at this stage in the Draft whole heartedly. Will Kentucky's Burton still be on the board? GM Bruce Allen needs to acquire a difference maker at Wideout via a Trade. I dont think there's a single WR in the Draft that is an immediate difference maker and Wide Receivers rarely are as Rookies.. We desperately need help in our WR Corps though

3rd Round Draft Pick (#84) - Erik Ainge Tennessee QB 6'6, 220 - Ainge is a tall, wiry pocket passer who needs a lot of time to make things happen. Very similar to Derek Anderson of the Cleveland Browns. Puts a nice touch on balls in the short-to-medium area. Struggles on his deep-ball accuracy. Not very tough.

I think this particular selection just rubs me wrong. It has nothing to do with Erik Ainge as a Quarterback and everything to do with redundancy and repetitive moves within the Bucs Organization. Does Erik Ainge look like a NFL QB? Did Chris Simms? Bruce Gradkowski? Let's not continue to waste Draft Picks. A QB should be the last thing this team should add to the rosters aside from former Cornhusker Bill Callahan.

4th Round Draft Pick (#116) - Lorenzo Williams Missouri DT 6'1, 295 - A potential nose tackle in the NFL. A wide-bodied gap plugger. Can get pressure on the backfield, but not very fleet of foot. Good vision and instincts. Had a better senior year than any previous season. Could rise with a solid offseason.

I understand Jovan Haye, Greg White, and Gaines Adams are not household names y e t and we definitely need more depth, but drafting for the position three rounds in a row?.

5th Round Draft Pick (#148) - Kevin Brown UCLA DT 6'2, 293 - Underachieving player who seems to just take up a space on the line. Squatty player. Isn’t quick off the snap. Has long arms for his size.

I'm not going to pretend to know who Kevin Brown is or what type of player he'll turn out to be, but the analysis up above doesnt bode well. I'd like to see the Bucs Draft a Cornerback, Tight End, and a True Full Back to round out the Draft.

6th Round Draft Pick (#180) - Titus Brown Miss. State DE 6'3, 250 - Brown, while a good college player, probably can't be anything more than serviceable in the NFL. He gives maximum effort but isn't a great athlete or big enough. It's possible he could be a decent enough situational pass rusher on the right team because of his quickness.

Rounding out the Draft with a Defensive End with a motor that doesnt quit sounds good to me.

7th Round Draft Pick (#212) - Marcus Smith New Mexico WR 6'2, 212 - A good athlete with a sprinting background and excellent size. Underrated player who has been very productive at a smaller D-I school. Possesses all of the tools NFL teams look for in a receiver. Standout special teams player in both coverage and as a return man.

Special Teams is always a concern and it would be nice to have a serious Return Man on this team for once.

Thanks to New Era Scouting for the interesting Draft Perspectives...