It's the day after the draft, and everyone has his judgement ready for the draft. I did too, and graded the Bucs draft as well. Of course, all of these grades are based on college scouting and analysis, and no one really knows teams' draft boards. Moreover, who knows how each player will work out. In three years we might be talking about the playmaker Ahmad Black turned out to be despite his size and speed, or the great tandem of Blount and Bradford. We could also be talking about Da'Quan Bowers who never managed to get on the field. Who knows how things will really turn out?
That all, said, it's still fun to see what everyone else thought of the Bucs' draft. Generally speaking, people seem to love what the Bucs have done. Grabbing Da'Quan Bowers in the second round seems to be the move most draft analysts appreciate the most, and none of the draft picks have really been criticized.
Mel Kiper is one of the people who loves what the Bucs have done, giving them a B+. Upgrading the front seven was a good choice and the Bucs did a good job, but Kiper wonders about the holes in the secondary. He also notes that Stocker could be great value, as he came into 2010 with much higher draft stock. Kiper's colleague Todd McShay says some similar things about the Bucs, loving their first three choices but questioning the move to take Luke Stocker instead of adding a cornerback or running back.
CBS Sports' Pete Prisco really likes what the Bucs did, giving them an A, his top grade and a grade only two other teams (Giants and Texans) earned. He loves the move of taking Bowers in the second round, but does note that if he doesn't work out medically it's a very risky pick. He also loves Ahmad Black because, well, he's a real football player.
Similarly, Rob Rang of the same outfit loves what the Bucs did as well. He likes Clayborn, likes Foster, likes Black and likes Gaitor. He gives the Bucs an A- for the draft and the only reason it isn't an A is Bowers' medical concerns.
And finally, Mocking the Draft notes the Bucs as one of the draft's winners. Most notably they compare Luke Stocker to Tony Moeaki, a good blocker and versatile receiver who was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs last year. He caught 46 passes for 556 yards and 3 touchdowns last season. If the Bucs can get that out of Luke Stocker, that would be a great success.