With the 2011 NFL Draft in the books, its time to analyze and reflect upon Tampa’s draft overall pick by pick.
1) DE, Adrian Clayborn (6’3′ 281), Iowa
I love this pick, and not just because im an Hawkeye fan. Clayborn is an elite talent that will not only help out in the pass rush department, but he will be an impact player in the running game too. Many people are down on Clayborn because his stats were down, well, I’m going to tell you that stats don’t tell the story about Clayborn. Being constantly double teamed and chipped by running backs, offenses would game plan specifically to slow him down and negate his impact. Adrian also has Erbs Palsy, which is another reason people are down on him. An genetic deformity at birth, Clayborn can not fully extend his right arm, so his weight room strength is limited, but when watching him play, you would never know he has such a condition because he plays with tremendous speed, power, and awarness for a 281 lb defensive lineman. Clayborn instantly upgrades the RE position and I cant wait to see what he does in pewter and red.
2) DE, Da’quan Bowers (6’4” 277) , Clemson
Trust me, being able to get Bowers in the second is a complete steal. Knee shmee, a player of Bowers caliber is well worth the risk. He tore his meniscus and supposedly the issue is how its healing. Ive had the same injury and its something that he can play through. The key here though is the Bucs training staff. They have worked with players like RB Cadillac Williams and TE Kellen Winslow. Both players have come back from devastating knee injuries and both, especially Winslow, have continued to play at a high level. If the trainers can keep Winslow on the field and well rehabbed, I have confidence that they can do the same for Bowers. Once to be thought of as a top 5 pick, Bowers stock fell due to his knee issues and when he was there at 51, the Buccaneers could not pass it up. Bowers plays with a non stop motor and is a phenomenal pass rusher with an arsenal of moves. Teaming him up with Clayborn now makes Tampa’s DE spots look ten times more intimidating. With Clayborn and Bowers, Gerald McCoy got some much needed help. Out of all the players with the Bucs, McCoy benefited the most from this years draft.
3) LB, Mason Foster (6’1” 240), Washington
The Bucs could of finally got the Derrick Brooks type line backer they have been searching for since his departure. Mason Foster is a complete stud. Period. His instincts and play making ability are second to none and how he was there in the 3rd round is beyond me. Foster had a phenomenal career for the Huskies wracking up 372 tackles 11 sacks and 4 interceptions. Hes physical, smart, versatile, and plays big in big games, something that the Bucs lacked from there backers in 2010. I see shades of Derrick Brooks when I look at Foster. Do not be surprised if Foster wins Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011.
4) TE, Luke Stocker (6’5” 258), Tennessee
One of the two players that the Buccaneers traded up for. Luke Stocker is a big TE that will help the Bucs in both the pass and running game. Even though he wont be a starter, Stocker has a lot of potential to be a contributor for the Bucs in his first season. An overall balanced TE, Stocker will allow the Bucs to keep defenses guessing by not allowing them to key off on whether its a run or pass by if Kellen is in the game or not.
5) S, Ahmad Black (5’10” 184), Florida
The second player that the Bucs traded up for. Black is a very instinctive player and an extremely solid tackler. He may not have the best measurable, which is the only reason he fell, but what he is, is a football player. I say that a lot, but its true. Football players, not athletes is what produces on the field. Athletic ability is nice to have, but being a ball player is what its about. Black emulates that by recording a staggering 227 career tackles with 13 picks. He was also the leading tackler for the Gators in 2010, recording 109 tackles. Black could be a starter on opening day or at seasons end. He will contribute on special teams and will be one of the safeties in Morris’ 3 safety looks. An underrated player and is an addition to this already stacked secondary.
6) RB, Allen Bradford (5’11” 242), USC
It was no secret that the Bucs were looking for a running back in the later rounds and that held to be true. Many believed though that they would target a change of pace back, but surprised people by taking another power runner. Scouts say hes not fast, but to me, he looks pretty explosive for an 240 plus pound back. I’m interested to see Bradford play and Im curious as too if he can turn into a good number 2 back to spell Blount.
7) CB, Anthony Gaitor (5’10” 177), FIU
With Aqib Talib facing criminal charges, its not surprising that the Bucs addressed the CB position. Gaitor proved to be a play maker at FIU, recording 9 ints in his career. Hes also a player that is not afraid of putting is nose in traffic and tackling as he is credited with 8 tackles for loss in his final year at FIU. Morris is a great secondary coach, so one has to believe that Gaitor can come in and contribute in some fashion to the secondary.
7) TE, Daniel Hardy (6’4” 249), Idaho
After drafting Luke Stocker in the 4th, the Buccaneers decided that they wanted to add one more TE to the roster by adding Daniel Hardy in the 7th. I haven’t heard much about Hardy and had to take some time to look at some of his highlights. I’m impressed. I dont know much about his blocking, but he definitely has some hands and can create plays down the field. Hes a fiery guy and doesn’t go down easily. This is yet another value pick and Hardy as a lot of potential to be a passing threat later down the road for Freeman.
This was a fantastic draft by Morris, Dominik, and there staff. Every one of these picks brings something to the team and are instant upgrades at a lot of positions.
One thing I found interesting is that while divisional rivals like Atlanta, Carolina, and New Orleans focused much on the offensive side of the ball, Tampa went defensive heavy from top to bottom with 5 of the 8 picks being defensive players.
To me, the Bucs did the smart thing and took the top tier defensive players when they presented themselves, ala Adrian Clayborn and Da’quan Bowers. This draft deserves an A+ grade. While so many teams, including Atlanta, were trading there draft away for players, Tampa let the draft come to them and took complete advantage of every pick.
Great job Dominik and Morris. Yet another fantastic draft. This roster is starting to look extremely loaded and with the incoming rookies, a playoff birth and super bowl push is very much in sight.
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