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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter the final day of the draft with five picks in three rounds, and they'll mainly look to add depth to their team at this point. They have one big need at tight end remaining, but it seems the team may not see it as a large problem. They will likely rely on Luke Stocker and Tom Crabtree and may contemplate re-signing Dallas Clark as well. Beyond that, the Bucs mainly need to add depth at a number of positions, most notably defensive line and offensive tackle.
The Buccaneers addressed two holes today, adding a backup quarterback and a potential starting cornerback. Fans aren't happy about the former, but the latter means the Buccaneers are now set along the secondary with Darrelle Revis, Eric Wright, Johnthan Banks, Dashon Goldson and Mark Barron. That's quite a collection of players. But the Bucs have plenty of other holes they can fill.
So, who are the best remaining players the Buccaneers could target?
Defensive line
At this point the Buccaneers will simply be looking for depth along the defensive line.
Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama
I don't think Williams really fits the Buccaneers' defense, as they prefer stockier, quick twitch nose tackles like, well, the ones they have right now. But he's fallen an awfully long way and could start to be good value for the Bucs. Of course, there's a reason why he's falling this far in the first place, and that's likely due to some medical issues. Which could easily take him off the board for the Buccaneers.
Alex Okafor, DE, Texas
Okafor's a bit of a tweener, which has caused him to fall a little. He's too small to be a great left defensive end, but he doesn't have the burst to be a good right defensive end. Still, he does have some physical NFL traits and can still be a disruptive player. He could provide decent depth for the Bucs, and could line up inside on passing downs too.
William Gholston, DE, Michigan State
Ew, a pass rusher named Gholston. He has decent measurables but is sorely lacking in production, and has some off-field incidents in his history too. Seems unlikely the Buccaneers target him.
Cornelius Washington, DE, Georgia
Now here's an intriguing player. Washington blew up the combine posting some ridiculous numbers and he played well in the Senior Bowl -- but he has almost no production at Georgia. He may have been miscast there as a 3-4 defensive end while he's much better suited to the role of 4-3 defensive end or even 3-4 outside linebacker. He'd be a project, but he has the physical tools to become a quality pass rusher.
Running back
The Buccaneers still want to trade Legarrette Blount, which means they may need a backup for Doug Martin who can carry the load if he has to.
Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina
Lattimore was a very good player -- until he tore up his knee. The question is to what extent he can play on his knee. NFL teams have that information, but we don't. Lattimore may not even be able to suit up this year, but he could be a good pick for the future at some point.
Johnathan Franklin, UCLA
Frankling may fit best in a zone scheme, but he should be able to work in a power running system too. He has some ability in the passing game, too, which helps his case. He'd look good as a backup to Doug Martin.
Linebacker
The Buccaneers don't need a linebacker, and at this point they won't find someone to come in and start. But a little competition and special teams depth never hurt anybody.
Khaseem Greene, Rutgers
Greene has fallen quite a bit, but there's a reason for that: he's a bit limited as a player. He's as undersized as Lavonte David, but his college tape isn't as good. He certainly wouldn't fit the Buccaneers: he can only play the weakside linebacker spot, and that's where David plays. He's a no go as far as I can see.
Nico Johnson, Alabama
An Alabama linebacker? Sure, why not. He's not an upgrade for the Buccaneers, but he's the best middle linebacker left on the board. He's a good run defender who will struggle in coverage, which probably describes every single linebacker drafted from now until the end of the draft.
Wide receiver
The Buccaneers are set with two starters here, but they could add someone to compete with the slew of low end third and fourth receivers the Buccaneers have collected this offseason.
Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech
Patton's a little undersized, but he's a professional receiver. He's a good route runner who can create separation from the slot and create after the catch. He'd be a quality compliment to Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams, but the fact that he's mostly a slot receiver would limit him in the Bucs' system.
Da'Rick Rogers, Tennessee Tech
Rogers is a very, very good talent who will be available in the fourth round for one reason: character issues. he played at Tennessee Tech after getting kicked out of Tennessee, in part for failing multiple drug tests. Add in the fact that he's still a little underdeveloped as a player and you can see why he falls this far. But his talent is undeniable, as he's big, fast, physical and has a large catching radius. If the Bucs are convinced his off-field concerns are behind him, they may take a chance on him as they did with Mike Williams a couple of years ago.
Tight end
This is the only real hole left on the roster, but it appears the Buccaneers are content with the tight end group as it is. At this point they likely won't find anything more than a project or mediocre tight end anyway.
Dion Sims, Michigan State
Sims is very big at 6'5", 285 lbs and that has allowed him to become a very good blocker, which should appeal to the Buccaneers. And unlike most huge tight ends, he's actually a pretty decent receiver, too, who excels catching contested balls. He has one major concern that's causing him to drop, though, and that's a history of injuries. The Bucs will have to figure out whether that's just bad luck or a real problem.
Michael Williams, Alabama
When you come from Alabama, you'd better be able to block. That's what Williams brings to the table, and the Buccaneers will love that about him. But, like a lot of very good blockers, he won't be a dynamic receiver. The Bucs already have a few quality blockers, but he'd provide good competition for them. He just won't really do anything as a receiver.
Ryan Otten, San Jose State
Otten's your typical joker tight end. He's undersized as a blocker, but he's fast and a quality receiver. He's the guy you move outside the numbers to match up on cornerbacks and create mismatches, but not someone who will actually do something for you in the running game. A poor man's Aaron Hernandez, say.
Mychael Rivera, Tennessee
Rivera was more of a fullback/H-back at Tennessee, but he provides some intriguing skills. He can block both as a lead blocker and in-line, but he's a more dynamic receiver than his statistics would suggest. He'd be an intriguing option as a versatile player for the Buccaneers in the later rounds.
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