Buccaneers have met with UCLA RB Demetric Felton

The Buccaneers’ hunt for a versatile backfield weapon is well-documented at this point, and one of their latest prospect meetings will only fuel the speculation.

UCLA offensive weapon Demetric Felton said recently that he has met with the Buccaneers twice since the onset of draft season, per James H. Williams of Inside SoCal Sports.

Felton also mentioned that the Buccaneers see him as a “gadget guy”, which is an apt moniker given his experience at running back and wide receiver. Felton came to UCLA as a 4-star athlete in 2016 and got his first significant snaps at wide receiver in 2018 before garnering a majority of his playing time at running back in 2019 and 2020.

He showed dynamic ability across the field, even in the return game, amassing roughly 2,000 total yards and 14 touchdowns the last two years while dramatically raising his draft profile.

A mismatch like Felton could bring an element to the Tampa Bay offense that was largely absent in 2020, as the entire group suffered from drops and general inconsistency in the pass game. Given the uncertainty of the Leonard Fournette situation, free agent James White returning to the Patriots, and the likely retirement of LeSean McCoy, Felton is a name to watch on late Day 2 or early Day 3 of the NFL Draft.