With the First Pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Bucs select: Their Franchise Quarterback of the Future!
The Bucs made a splash with their first pick out of the gate. With little controversy surrounding who they would pick at number one. Jameis Winston of Florida State University boasts a 27-1 record as the starting quarterback and has a BCS National Championship and a Heisman to back up why he went number one. But lets look at how Tampa Bay addressed the rest of their team's needs from the second round onward.
Round 2: Donovan Smith, OT, Penn State Round 5: Kenny Bell, WR, Nebraska
Round 2: All Marpet, C, Hobart Round 6: Kaelin Clay, WR, Utah
Round 4: Kwon Alexander, ILB, LSU Round 7: Joey Iosefa, FB, Hawaii
Team Needs: QB DL OL LB WR
The Bucs addressed their number one need right off the bat, no problem. As the draft moved on to the next few days, the Bucs stayed to their game plan of drafting only their needs for awhile.
On day two, the Bucs took Donovan Smith from Penn State and All Marpet from Hobart. Both of these picks address that key offensive line help that the Bucs desperately need. In the past two seasons, the Bucs have yet to have a RB reach 1,000 yards. This is due to the lack of communication on the line and the fact that the RBs keep getting injured due to the heavy workload they have themselves, without a line. One of these RBs includes Doug Martin, who is entering his fouth year and has not yet had his option picked up for a fifth year.
Martin had over 1,000 yards his rookie season, but has not hit 500 in the past two.
The addition of an Inside Linebacker will help relieve that defense of having so much pressure put on all-star Gerald McCoy. Alexander had 83 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 12 games with LSU last year. With Tampa giving up almost 115 yards on the ground per game, Alexander is sure to be there difference to stop the run whether it is off or in between the tackles. While there was no help on the line in the draft, do remember the Bucs signed veteran DT Henry Melton.
Finally, they address the Wide Receiver depth issue. With Jackson close to retirement, Tampa is hoping that Mike Evans will be able to take over as their future number one receiver. With both receivers standing at 6' 5", Winston has just been given two wide outs that are the same size of his former teammate and savior of the Championship, Kelvin Benjamin.
With both of the Bucs' picks, Bell and Clay, at 6' 1" and 5' 10", these will not be like the two big men. But they do represent speed which is needed by the Bucs receivers. Bell, who ran a 4.42, and Clay, a 4.51. Look to be those speedy slot receivers. These are the men that can make a difference in a game. Smaller receivers like T.Y. Hilton and Julian Edelman have become big-time targets for their QBs as the seasons go on. Bell and Clay look to become that type of player.
Adding to the running game is not what people would think the Bucs need, but a big guy like Iosefa? While Iosefa is not the type of FB like Mike Tolbert, they will look for this 247 pounder to be a lead blocker for Martin or Rainey in the future to set the outside edge.
Overall, Tampa Bay can rest easy for a bit, knowing that, on paper, their draft looks good. Are all of the pieces there to make a run for another Super Bowl? In time, maybe. I look at this team and say that the Bucs can finish the year at a solid 8-8. But this all depends on how Winston can play with the big boys in the NFL.
Tomorrow, I will be looking at the Titan's Draft Class.
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