So yesterday, former Eagles, Browns and Crows scout and personnel assistant Daniel Jeremiah decided to play Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht.
Now regular readers know Joe’s not a mock draft guy. But there are one or two guys Joe will give a passing glance because Joe trusts these guys not to just throw feces on the wall
Jeremiah is one of those guys.
Partly because of Jeremiah’s background (anyone taught how to scout by Ozzie Newsome is a guy who knows what he’s doing in analyzing players) and partly because Joe knows who Jeremiah talks to (ahem), Joe will periodically look at his mocks.
For the better part of the offseason, Jeremiah — who once confessed on SiriusXM NFL Radio how much he hated mock drafts — was pretty consistent. He had the Bucs selecting Alabama beastly inside linebacker Jihaad Campbell at No. 19.
Now it remains to be seen if, in his final mock draft next week (the one that counts), he still has the Bucs going with Campbell
Yesterday, in Jeremiah’s final pre-draft press conference, he changed his tune about who the Bucs should draft.
Jeremiah was asked point blank who the Bucs should pick at No. 19. Jeremiah said if he were Licht, he’d turn in the card with Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku’s name on it.
Q. With the 19th pick in the draft, who should the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select and why?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Okay, I like that one. I’m going to go with an edge rusher for Tampa. I’m going to say they lean towards a productive guy and someone that I think could kind of fit and grow with that team. That’s a good team. I saw them last year, and I thought that was one of the most physical teams in the NFL.
I think to me adding another edge piece makes a lot of sense. I’ll go with Ezeiruaku from Boston College. I think all the production. I think Jason Licht values that. I think he would appreciate that.
When you get the center from Duke who comes in and is just — I mean, he’s so polished and so smart and so tough. Obviously the talent is there with Graham Barton, but all those intangible things I think were what led to him having such immediate success once he got on the field there.
I think with Ezeiruaku, there’s a very similar wiring with him. He’s a really smart kid. He’s someone I think is going to pick up what they’re doing defensively really fast and could have an impact.
Joe fully understands every point Jeremiah has for the Bucs picking Ezeiruaku. But this guy has Joe torn.
Lord knows Joe would absolutely love an edge rusher at No. 19. And let’s be real: What are the chances Haason Reddick sticks around after this year, 40 percent? He’s 31 and if he has a good season, he’s very likely looking at his last contract.
If Reddick dominates this fall, he’s going to be looking to break the bank since it will likely be his final bite at the NFL apple. How many of oily Drew Rosenhaus’ clients take discounts?
And Joe doesn’t know if Licht would be willing to pay Riddick market value for a strong edge rusher.
So, drafting an edge rusher nest week and having him develop (as rookie edge rushers who excel are outliers) seems like a smart way to go.
Then you look at the Bucs’ history of drafting edge rushers since Lee Roy Selmon in 1976. Frightening, man. Just frightening.
Jeremiah mentioned something that has “this Joe” ever so slightly leaning a certain for defensive tackle at No. 19. Jeremiah mentioned how Licht has built a physical team. Licht has had success drafting defensive tackles. Edge rushers? Not so much.
If the Bucs want to be known as a physical team, why not draft someone violent like Ole Miss tackle Walter Nolen or a sasquatch like Kenneth Grant?
Again, Joe has nothing against Ezeiruaku. He would be a solid pick.
Joe just thinks the Bucs are a high draft pick away from having a full-blown, arse-kicking group on the defensive line. The Eagles have shown what that can do for a defense.
