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We went over a few national grades this morning, but now it's time for you guys to give us your grades on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2012 NFL Draft. I'll give you my grade first, and you can react in the comments and through a poll.
My Grade: B
From one perspective, the Buccaneers made out like bandits. They came into the draft with three picks in the first four rounds - one in the first, second and third round each. They managed to turn those three picks into two first-rounders and a second-rounder, selecting three players who should be immediate, three-down starters for the Bucs in S Mark Barron, RB Doug Martin and LB Lavonte David. The later rounds of the draft are harder to judge, and those players look mostly like they will bring a little competition in training camp and little else. But it's good to keep in mind that this draft was not a very deep one: it was tough to find more than just camp depth in the last four rounds.
So why don't I give the team an A? Because I still question some of these picks. The Buccaneers say they had Mark Barron rated ahead of Morris Claiborne, and I'm inclined to believe them - but that doesn't mean I agree with them. Barron is a tough, physical safety who should bring a dynamic element to the Bucs' defense - but Claiborne is a potential shutdown cornerback with tremendous ball skills, and one of the best cover cornerbacks to come out in years. That bothers me, as does the selection of Najee Goode in the fifth round. He seems like a two-down thumper. Not the kind of player I'd use a draft pick on unless he was outstanding at being a thumper - and he's not. I like the other three late-round picks a lot better.
Still, overall the Bucs added three starters and four role-players who should at least add some competition in camp. It was a pretty good draft for the team, and they certainly improved themselves. But by how much, and could they have done better?
Let us know what your grade for the draft is in the comments and the poll!