NFL Draft grades 2013: Buccaneers get mixed reviews on Banks and Glennon

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally got to make a few picks yesterday, which means everyone got to scrutinize those picks. Johnthan Banks of Mississippi State is generally seen as a nice pickup in the second round. Mike Glennon is greeted with significantly less enthusiasm, though, both because of Josh Freeman's presence and because of questions about Glennon's abilities.

Let's go through a few draft grades.

Mocking the Draft

Dan Kadar actually likes what the Buccaneers did, both with Banks and with Glennon.

Banks is a nice pickup in the second round. He has size and can excel in zone situations. Glennon is insurance if Josh Freeman isn't re-signed. The tall signal caller can do many of the same things Freeman can.

Grade: B+

CBS Sports

Johnthan Banks: good. Mike Glennon: good. Pete Prisco likes something the Buccaneers did? Hotdamn, hold the presses!

Buccaneers select: Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State
I like Banks to upgrade a secondary that now has improved greatly -- if Darrelle Revis is healthy. Banks is a longer corner, which teams love. Grade: B

Buccaneers select: Mike Glennon, QB, North Carolina State
This speaks about Josh Freeman as much as anything. Glennon has a big arm, but he is a statue in the pocket. Grade: B

ESPN

ESPN isn't a fan of the Buccaneers' draft selections so far, intriguingly. There's no real consensus among outlets on how the Bucs did this year, at least not so far.

Johnthan Banks

What he brings: Banks has great size and can get physical and re-route receivers at the line of scrimmage. He also plays the ball aggressively, and is one of the better run-support corners in this class. His 40 time (4.61) is cause for concern, and he will have to be protected over the top in man coverage. He looks faster on tape than his timed speed indicates, but he clearly lacks elite speed.

How he fits: This Bucs secondary has been a disaster in the past couple years -- both in terms of personnel and scheme. For as long as we can remember, the Bucs have played a Cover 2 zone concept, which required physicality, but not turn-and-run cover guys. This coaching staff is trying to play a lot more man-to-man schemes, but it just doesn't have the players to get it done. That leads to allowing a tremendous amount of big plays. Newly acquired cornerback Darrelle Revis goes a long way toward fixing this weakness, but Ronde Barber is near the end of his career and might not be back. The rest of Tampa Bay's corner options aren't very exciting. The edge of this secondary needs speed and the ability to shut down vertical plays. Banks seems to be more of a short-to-intermediate cover guy. So this might not be a perfect fit.

Mike Glennon

What he brings: Glennon is a natural thrower who can make all the throws, and has one of the best deep balls in this class. And he moves well in the pocket fairly well for his size, and does a great job keeping his eyes downfield when eluding the rush. He will miss some easy throws a times, and also needs to show more competitiveness as a leader and develop the ability to shake off mistakes.

How he fits: This pick would certainly suggest that this coaching staff may not fully believe in Josh Freeman as the long-term answer at quarterback. Freeman continues to have inconsistent streaks and make bad decisions, and Glennon has a good enough skill set to potentially develop into a good player. He will likely start as Freeman's backup, which would give him a year of development. But you get the feeling that this coaching staff could push him into the mix quicker than we might think if Freeman's production remains inconsistent.

Yahoo! Sports

Yahoo! isn't handing out normal draft grades, but they have a little capsule on each draft pick. They appear to like both draft picks.

Johnthan Banks: With Ronde Barber still deciding if he is going to return next season, the Bucs realize they need to find his replacement. Banks is a tall (6'2) cornerback with long arms, good ball skills and good all-around athleticism. Despite his lack of premier speed, he has what it takes to be a fine starting cornerback. In addition to his talent, Banks is an outstanding young man with character, smarts and intangibles.

Mike Glennon: The heat is clearly on Josh Freeman this year as Tampa selects his potential successor. While Glennon is a wildly inconsistent passer who makes too many bad decisions, he has an elite arm and is capable of making every NFL throw. The Bucs have positioned themselves well this offseason to compete in the NFC South in 2013, and with this pick they have a clear contingency plan for the future.

Walter Football

Walter Football loves the Banks pick, but they feel that picking Glennon in the third round is a bit of a stretch. That remark about Schiano absolutely hating Josh Freeman is patently ludicrous.

43. Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State: A Grade
Think the Buccaneers shored up their secondary with Johnthan Banks and Darrelle Revis? Banks is a steal at No. 43. He was projected to go in the first round prior to running a 4.6 40 at the Combine. But as the Seahawks have proven, tall but slower corners can thrive in the NFL.

73. Mike Glennon, QB, N.C. State: C Grade

There are so many teams that need quarterbacks, yet the Buccaneers were the first one to choose a player out of the Barkley/Nassib/Glennon/Wilson group? It may seem strange, but head coach Greg Schiano absolutely hates Josh Freeman, who struggled mightily down the stretch. Glennon has good upside, but he's a project. The Buccaneers probably would have been better off giving Freeman one more shot and then coming back with a quarterback in the awesome 2014 class.

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