Tampa Bay Buccaneers Draft Profile: CB, Trayvon Mullen

It is no secret, the Buccaneers still have a very questionable secondary and have yet to really add anything at the cornerback position this off-season.

Adding players to the cornerback group was expected to be a point of emphasis during free agency, but it just hasn’t turned out that way up to this point yet. With that being said, there is still over a month until the NFL draft and the Buccaneers have plenty of time to make moves at that position, but if no moves are made, it becomes a must that the Buccaneers draft a corner in the first two round of the 2019 draft.

One possible option come draft day, could be Clemson cornerback Trayvon Mullen

Trayvon Mullen Career

It took Mullen a year to adjust from being a wide receiver, to a defensive back, but he had made the adjustment nicely over the last two seasons at Clemson. During his freshman year, Mullen only appeared in six games as a reserve defensive back and recorded 15 tackles with only one pass breakup. It was a drastic change from year one to year two as Mullen racked up 42 tackles, three interceptions and seven pass breakups which led to him being named to the ALL-ACC team in 2017.

He followed up an impressive sophomore campaign with a solid junior season and capped it off by being named the MVP on defense in the championship game. He accumulated a sack, a forced fumble, an interception, and six tackles in the NCAA Championship game against Alabama.

Pros

One of the big pros for Mullen is he is regarded as a press corner, something that Todd Bowles looks for in his defensive backs. Mullen also has decent size for a cornerback and is listed at 6”1’ and ran a 4.46 40 yard dash at the combine. He is very experienced in different types of coverages, whether it be man or zone, Mullen has the confidence to play both.

Cons

On Mullen’s NFL draft profile on NFL.com, some of his cons are that he doesn’t have enough ball production, is slow to react to bunch formations and also has trouble staying connected to complex routers. Offensive coordinators would pick that a part, but that is something you can work on at the next level.

Why The Buccaneers Need Him

The Buccaneers simply need a cornerback. The current group that they have just wont get the job done and they need to add either young, or veteran talent to the position. It remains to be seen what they add to that position, but right now, Mullen makes a ton of sense for Tampa Bay come the end of April.

Will It Happen?

Mullen is projected as a day 2 cornerback and with that being said, I think it’s a real possibility. The Buccaneers will likely add at least one corner on day two and three of the draft, so why not Mullen? I give it a 50-50 chance of happening.