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2008 COLLEGE DRAFT REPORT CARD

by Jay Goldberg

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2007 COLLEGE DRAFT REPORT CARD

by Jay Goldberg

The Bucs had an excellent draft.  While others may not have been high on it, the Bucs drafted two players on my list of players who will have a better NFL career than many drafted higher than them, and signed another as a college street free agent.  My only objection was that they did not come away with a wide receiver, a position of need for the team, in a draft deep in wide receiver talent.

Adams was the best pass rushing defensive end in the draft.  He will become (very soon) a double-digit sack guy.  He isn't as good against the run but will improve in that area.  He is adept in pursuit against the run, but needs to improve playing off blocks and making plays when teams run at him.  Sears will be in the mix to start at left guard as soon as this season.  He is already NFL-ready as a run blocker and just needs to hit the weight room to bet there as a pass blocker as well.  He has all the tools to be a solid long-term starter for the Bucs.  Piscitelli is a player I like a lot.  He has the smarts, speed, quickness, change of-direction skills and athleticism to be a solid free safety and the strength and hard-hitting ability to play in the box as a strong safety.  He does need to wrap up better when tackling and forgo the big hit.  He will also be a terror on special teams.  Piscitelli will develop into a Pro Bowl level talent.  Black is another top athlete.  I can see him as Brooks eventual replacement.  In the meantime he will be another top special teams player and could play a role in the Bucs' nickel defense.  Jackson was good value for the Bucs since he is an ideal cover two corner.  He is smart, tough and has good cover skills, but lacks top speed and quickness.  Peterson has good size and speed but will need time to develop.  The Bucs may try him at under-tackle where his athleticism is ideal, but he will need to get stronger.  Look for him to spend time on Tampa Bays' development squad.  Personally, I would have gone in a different direction with this pick.  I would have grabbed one of the talented wide receivers that fell in the draft due to the tremendous depth at the position in the draft.  Both Allison and Clowney were available at this spot.  Clowney, with his tremendous speed and return potential would have been a great pick, and would have resulted in me giving the Bucs' draft an "A".  Hayward is another fast, athletic linebacker.  He played outside in college but has the skills and measureables to move inside in the Bucs' 4-3 defense.  Hayward will need time to adjust to the NFL, but is the third player drafted so far who could be a stud on special teams (Piscitelli, Black).  Denman is another development squad prospect.  He has good size, but player better when he played at a lower weight in college.  Time will tell if he can regain his skill set at the higher weight, something he will need to do to have a NFL career.  Hamilton is another cornerback who fits best in a cover two scheme, he has excellent feet, but needs to get stronger to be able to fight through blockers and force the run.  He is another development squad candidate.  Darby runs tough and catches well, but lacks speed and quickness.  He can be effective if used, but don't expect big plays.  He could be an effective backup.

The Bucs drafted a number of players who appear to be development squad candidates so they didn't come up with a lot of college street free agents of note.  However, they did sign a player I think has a very good NFL future, in linebacker Sam Olajabutu.  This kid is quite simply a football player.  His workout numbers were not great (as expected), but his on field read and react skills are tremendous.  He is always around the ball.  Worst case he will be a solid backup and tremendous special teams player.  Best case he is one of those heartwarming underdog stories; an undersized player who fights the odds and becomes a solid NFL starter.  Taylor is a smart quarterback with limited athletic ability.  He is a good quarterback to keep on a practice squad since he could be activated in a pinch because he will know the offense and won't make stupid plays.

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PLAYER WHO COULD HAVE A BETTER NFL CAREER THAN PLAYERS SELECTED AHEAD OF HIM in the DRAFT

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PLAYER WHO COULD HAVE A BETTER NFL CAREER THAN PLAYERS SELECTED AHEAD OF HIM in the DRAFT

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PLAYER WHO COULD HAVE A BETTER NFL CAREER THAN PLAYERS SELECTED AHEAD OF HIM in the DRAFT

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2006 COLLEGE DRAFT REPORT CARD

by Jay Goldberg

The Bucs reached slightly in rounds one, two, and four.  They got excellent value with Gradkowski in round six.

I had a second round grade on Joseph, who was my number two rated guard in the draft.  However, I can not find fault with the selection.  Joseph will push Mahan right away for a starting job.  Joseph is a fast, athletic, hard-working guard who is fundamentally sound and will be a long-term quality starter in the league.  Trueblood needs some work.  He has the attitude, the large frame, and the long arms to develop into a good starting tackle.  The key here is he could develop, and while he has good potential, he is not a sure thing as a long term starter which is why I had a third round grade on him.  I liked Winston at this spot better than Trueblood.  Stovall is a big target who plays physically, has good hands, was a clutch receiver in college, and has good size, quickness and athleticism for a man his size.  The Bucs will make good use of his talents.  Zemaitis has good size, plays smart, and has a nose for the ball.  However, he lacks the speed to cover receivers man to man.  He may be efficient in the Bucs cover two scheme, but his best chance for success may be to hit the weight room and move to free safety. The selection of Jenkins surprised me.  I thought he was best suited for a team that plays a 3-4.  He lacks the speed and quickness of many of the other ends in the draft and, therefore, will not be a pass rush threat in a 4-3.  He can use his body and athletic ability to be effective against the run in the 4-3, and will be most effective against plays run in his zone, not in pursuit.  Still he could be useful in certain situations and as a rotation player at end.  Mark Anderson is a player I loved and he was selected three spots later.  Gradkowski was an excellent pick in round six and could force Rattay off the Bucs' roster.  If Gradkowski was a couple of inches taller he would have gone on day one.  He has good pocket awareness, a live arm, is accurate, is a leader, and is faster and quicker than he appears.  He could develop into a quality backup and has a chance to buck the odds as an undersized starter.  Williams showed terrific hands in college, then had some drops at Senior Bowl practices.  He is strong, but at times has trouble releasing from the line.  Williams looks the part, has the tools, but needs to put it all together consistently to be an asset to the team. Williams is a project for the coaching staff that could pay dividends, or could be out of the league in four years.  Phinese is a player I thought might go undrafted.  However, he went to the right team for him since his corner skills fit the cover two better than a team that uses man-to-man.  His best chance is as a special teams player and dime back since he has experience at both corner and safety.  Bennett is a good pass rushing defensive end who some projected to outside linebacker in a 3-4.  He could find a role early as a rusher in the nickel, and down the line could be a rotation player at end.  Massaquoi has improved his strength and his receiving ability.  A player improving at this point in his career is worth a shot as a developmental prospect.  Massaquoi could be a candidate for the Bucs' practice squad if he doesn't make the final roster.

The Bucs signed four college street free agents of note.  In fact, as a group, I like these four more than the Bucs' last four picks in the draft.  Andre Hall is small running back with elite speed for whom I had a fourth round grade.  While small, Hall showed toughness in blocking drills against DeMeco Ryans during Senior Bowl practices.  Add in his superb ability to catch a football and Hall could be a top third down back.  However, he could also be more than that.  Despite his size he runs with toughness between the tackles.  Hall was a nice free agent signing. Trucks had 11 sacks his senior year.  He will be a very good special teams player, a dependable backup linebacker, and could be a better pass rush specialist in the nickel than Bennett.  Houston is another corner made for the Bucs' system.  On the field he is a better prospect than Phinese.  Houston plays corner with a strong safety's mentality, he loves to hit.  In fact, strong safety may not be a bad position for Houston.  Again, on the field as a corner, I would put him on the same level as a prospect as Zemaitis.  I keep saying on the field because their are major concerns about Houston off the field.  Now we come to my favorite college street free agent signing by the Bucs.  Jahmile Addae is a local kid, from a good family, who will not be outworked, and who is a leader on the field.  I had a fourth round grade on him.  Addae is both a big time hitter and a good tackler, and no they do not always coincide.  He is also a heady player who will quickly learn his assignments, and whose instincts make up for him not having elite speed.  While learning his craft, Addae will be a very good special teams player.  It would not surprise me if this kid becomes a quality NFL starter a couple of years down the line.