This is the full review of each player taken by the Bucs for this year from
the college ranks to play at the pro level. Each player's scouting report is
summarized, strengths/weaknesses listed, and each pick is rated by 'Fills a
Need?' and 'Makes the Team?' Overall review of the team is below the individual
draft picks, so please read the whole page. Thanks.
UPDATED 2010
FOR A REVIEW OF HOW THE PICKS TURNED OUT YEARS LATER.
| FIRST ROUND | |||
| 23. Davin Joseph | OG | Oklahoma | Review |
| UPDATE: Yes I was at first upset with this pick, but by the time I wrote the original assessment I accepted this as a good (albiet expensive) pick for the team. Turns out to have been one of the better First Round picks the team's ever had. Well, at least since 1997. Solid starter for the team, made the 2008 Pro Bowl as an alternate replacement. Promises to be a great contributor for the offense for years to come. |
FILLS A NEED? | At first I was horrified the Bucs used a draft pick at a position I thought was already well-staffed. Subsequent discussions with my fellow ranters online have led me to conclude there was a need at Guard that necessitated getting a starter-quality player. So, with some regret (read review), this is a YES. | Coming into this draft, I figured the Bucs had only
three key areas to answer in the first few rounds of the draft: Safety,
Cornerback, and Offensive Tackle. Safety because there's little depth there,
and the talent we have seem underwhelming. Cornerback because our starters
are starting to age, and the draft value of CBs this year was surprisingly
good so this was a good year to nab one on Day One. Offensive Tackle because
of serious O-line upgrade (the unit played better than the year before,
and had better stability than it's had in ages, but there were still mind-numbing
penalties and miscues). Once the draft rolled to this spot, the Bucs had a slew of options: there were still some big-name OTs on the board (Winston Justice was one), decent CBs such as Jonathan Joseph were still available, and even the top-rated WRs had slipped down to that point (and with the problems at WR from last season, I knew they would be too tempting to Gruden). Safeties that were deserving of First Round considerations had already gone (including my pick Whitner who went 8th to Buffalo, a pick even I knew was too high). So there I was... ...watching Gruden take the top-rated Guard in the draft. "WHAT?!?!" and "WHAT?!?! were my initial responses. Joseph's high value comes from his strength and aggressiveness: none of the other high-ranked Guards got positive scouting reports like he did. He pushes forward well, is fast for his size, and can knock down DTs bigger than he is. He gives a mediocre offensive line more power, and the running game more room. I was not in love with this pick when it happened. It's taken a full day, and a talking-to from more dedicated team watchers who pointed out the flaws in OG Mahan's play, to show that Guard was a greater need than I knew. With that knowledge, I accept the pick. With some caveats. This was too high a pick for a Guard that none of the other late-round teams would have gone for. The Bucs did try to trade down to get better position (and pick up an extra selection), but noone took the deal, so... When you read the other scouting on Guards this draft, Joseph was the only one who looked like he would be an immediate improvement on the O-line, so you can see how the Bucs *had* to take him. It's a good pick, but it's too expensive at the point we took it. |
| MAKES THE TEAM? | YES. He's the fricking first rounder. Fricking first rounders make the team, otherwise the whole draft is going to look like a bust. | ||
| SECOND ROUND | |||
| 59. Jeremy Trueblood | OT | Boston College | Review |
| UPDATE:
He's on the team as of 2009 as a starter, which makes him a solid addition. The problem is Trueblood has been a penalty magnet, especially the Personal Foul type of drive-killers. He may be a starter, but he's not a good one. Goes into 2010 as RFA. |
FILLS A NEED? | The whole offensive line did need a look-at this draft, and I am of the opinion that any upgrade to the Tackle spots is welcome. I'd give this a YES. | Gruden is clearly looking to upgrade the O-line
above all else this year, considering we now have a key position at RB set
for the decade and the QB position poised for a breakout year. Trueblood has the size and the blocking skills to work as a starter at the pro level, but the scouting is down on his lack of mobility and low intensity. Most scouts had him as a Third Round pick, so the Bucs may have reached on this one. |
| MAKES THE TEAM? | YES. Definitely not as a starter, given the shaky reviews he's gotten about his footwork and lack of intensity. | ||
| THIRD ROUND | |||
| 90. Maurice Stovall | WR | Notre Dame | Review |
| UPDATE: Stovall has remained on the team, more due to the fact Gruden never developed a great WR corps with all the rookies drafted than anything else. He's been a steady WR presence but never improved to where he could supplant Clayton, who had his own issues as a starting WR. Goes into 2010 as a RFA. |
FILLS A NEED? | While we've got a lot of bodies at Wide Receiver, there are a lot of question marks with the backups (and even with the starters). I'd grade this as a YES. | I kinda knew that the Bucs would be interested in
getting a Wide Receiver, especially by this round. I was of the opinion
that such a pick would be wasteful, however, due to the high count of first
and second-year raw cadets the team already has. But with aging veterans
(Galloway, Hilliard), injured stars (Clayton), and unsure youngsters (Shepperd,
the '05 Day Two Crew of Brackins Warren and Russell), you just knew Gruden
would be looking for any improvement. Stovall is coming in as a solid, if unspectacular, possession-type receiver who scouts well with making difficult catches and especially with pounding out extra yards after the catch. The best case scenario is that he becomes a key third-down target that makes the first downs to keep drives alive. Better case scenario is that he can be a nice go-to target in Red Zone situations (just picture it: Bucs inside the 20. Alstott and Williams in the backfield. Alex Smith as a TE target. Stovall and a healthy Clayton lined up one side, Galloway to the other. Force the defense to gamble on which one gets the rock). If anything, I'm worried that the rookies we garnered last season (Russell in particular) aren't going to get a chance to develop in time to stay on the team. Pity... |
| MAKES THE TEAM? | YES. A first day guy stays unless he royally screws up in camp or preseason. If Stovall impresses, he could well be a third-down receiver from Game One on. | ||
| FOURTH ROUND | |||
| 122. Alan Zemaitis | CB | Penn State | Review |
|
UPDATE: |
FILLS A NEED? | Finally, a secondary pick! YES! | Fourth Round is where you start making your 'draft
steals', and by most accounts this one is going to count well for the Bucs. Zemaitis comes in with key positives: smart, aggressive, plays to the ball, does great in zone coverage, solid hands, speed, all of it. The one big knock on him is his inconsistency: he can get beaten too often. If he can improve his play to where he rarely gets beaten on pass plays, he could well be a starter within 2 or 3 years. If anything, this is a major improvement to the depth at CB we've got: Cox with his penalty habits and inconsistent special teams play has well worn out his welcome, at least in my corner of the world. |
| MAKES THE TEAM? | Considering the poor depth we've got now (Bolden, Jebus help us, is the only quality backup at CB right now), I'd say YES. | ||
| FIFTH ROUND | |||
| 156. Julian Jenkins | DE | Stanford | Review |
|
UPDATE: |
FILLS A NEED? | There are questions about our depth at DE, so I'd go with YES. | Jenkins does address depth concerns at DE, which is good. He also scouts well as a solid run-stopping front man, not a major threat for garnering sacks but stuffing running backs when needed and at least providing consistent pressure. If the Bucs give him a year or two to develop he could become a dependable platoon backup on the D-line. |
| MAKES THE TEAM? | He is going to have to impress in the preseason and camps, but I think he'll make a backup spot with little problem. A borderline YES. | ||
| SIXTH ROUND | |||
| 194. Bruce Gradkowski | QB | Toledo | Review |
| UPDATE: Pity Bucco Bruce. He got thrown to the wolves in the 2006 season when Simms got knocked out with a spleen injury that almost killed him. Gradkowski was sent out for a team that was seriously losing nearly every game out there, and as a rookie QB in dire need for training didn't make things better. Ended up bouncing around league until 2009 where he showed signs of life coming off the bench for Oakland (!) |
FILLS A NEED? | I'm sorry, wait. Did we need a Bruce on this team? Does any Bruce want to be on this team? He's not going to like his new nickname I can tell you that. This is a NO. | You know, I'm not being fair. We've probably had
other Bruces on this team before. It's just this is the first time I can
recall seeing one drafted, so the initial temptation to nickname him 'Bucco'
is too... too... well tempting. Poor guy. Especially since we DIDN'T NEED
A BLEEPING QB in this draft! Gradkowski has decent scouting reports, but he's had a handful of injuries here and there, and he's not considered a decent-sized QB. He does get good marks for efficiency and completion averages, and it appears he can fit into the Bucs scheme. He's just got a lot of competition ahead of him... |
| MAKES THE TEAM? | Considering there are a couple of QBs ahead of him on the roster with at least some starting experience, I'd have to say NO. I know Gruden, like all offensive-oriented HCs, likes to mold QBs, but this wasn't that pressing a need. He'll have a good shot at the Practice Squad but that's it. | ||
| 202. TJ Williams | TE | NC State | Review |
| UPDATE: Still on the Bucs roster as of 2010, but hasn't shown much as a contributor on-field. |
FILLS A NEED? | There are some concerns about depth at the TE position, but barely. A borderline YES. | The scouting I've read up on Williams' isn't thrilling. Too lax, too inconsistent, too sloppy. The only advantage he brings to the board is that when he does show up for plays he can move faster and get downfield better than most starting TEs in the league. A major coaching challenge. The one thing in his favor for making the team is that there's only 4 other TEs on the roster competing with him. Against him is the fact that 3 of them (Moore, Becht, and up-and-coming Smith) are solid players who are more dedicated and more talented and more likely to run circles around this guy. |
| MAKES THE TEAM? | Scouting's not too high on this guy. I'm leaning toward NO on this one. He's at best Practice Squad material. | ||
| SEVENTH ROUND | |||
| 235. Justin Phinisee | CB/S | Oregon | Review |
| UPDATE: He's visited more NFL teams than Brett Favre. Pity is, he didn't stick well with all of them either. Currently in Canadian football. |
FILLS A NEED? | I've been making noises that Tampa review the depth in the secondary, so this is a YES. | The draft board counts him as a Cornerback, but Phinisee also has experience at Safety. This is Gruden's way of trying to placate me and my obsession du jour of the Bucs needing a Safety drafted this year. |
| MAKES THE TEAM? | Cannon fodder time, people. If he makes the Practice Squad it'll be a victory. NO. | ||
| 241. Charles Bennett | DE/LB? | Clemson | Review |
| UPDATE: Didn't last too long with the team, and is currently in the just-formed UFL league. |
FILLS A NEED? | That depends. Where is he going to end up? | Bennett is what's called a classic 'Tweener: too
small for Defensive End, too fast for Linebacker. As a result, he's 'Tween
a rock and a hard place. Yeah, I know, I couldn't help meself. The scouts are suggesting Bennett shift from DE to weakside Linebacker. However, such a shift can be a major hassle and will take time (if he can earn it) to learn how to play at the OLB role. Honestly, I don't think he'll find the chances to stick on the team. |
| MAKES THE TEAM? | Cannon fodder time. With the scouting suggesting he's going to switch positions, depending on where the Bucs actually put him will dictate his success in camp and preseason. Even then, he's a late round pick with too many questions. NO. | ||
| 244. Tim Massaquoi | TE | Michigan | Review |
| UPDATE: Never contributed to the Bucs, ended up at Miami and Buffalo, no stats. |
FILLS A NEED? | There are some concerns about depth at the TE position, but barely. A borderline YES. | Massaquoi wasn't scouted as high as the Bucs' earlier TE Williams:
he apparantly doesn't show pure talent; he does show pure determination,
however, and plays well as a decent passing target from the TE spot. Massaquoi's
biggest problem is a history of nagging injuries: I don't think he's played
an entire season unhurt. He's got the stylings of a scrapper, someone who wants to make it in the game, so here's hoping. |
| MAKES THE TEAM? | He's a late Seventh Round pick. Nasty history of injuries. The only good thing is that his scouting report looks better than the TE taken ahead of him. A borderline NO, but I'd like to see him make it. | ||
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Review of overall draft:
OVERALL GRADE |
C |
|
| NOTES: It's taken a full day to better appreciate the OG Joseph pick, but I'm still underwhelmed by how the Bucs drafted this year. Not so much the lack of 'glamour' picks in the first two rounds, but the feeling that half the players taken aren't going to survive preseason. UPDATE BELOW. | ||
| BEST PICKS | Davin Joseph, Maurice Stovall, Alan Zemaitis, Julian Jenkins | Joseph should solidify the O-line enough to make a good running game better. Stovall could be the next Jurevicius. |
| WORST PICKS | Bruce Gradkowski, TJ Williams, Charles Bennett | Didn't need a QB, Williams was drafted when better talent was to be had (and was gotten by the look of things), Bennett is a tweener project who might not have been worth the selection. |
| BEST OVERALL MOVES THIS DRAFT | Focusing on the offensive line as a must-fix; getting a Day One cornerback like Zemaitis in the Fourth Round; reviewing the passing game talent with a decent WR pick and a handful of TE selections for depth evaluation. | |
| WORST OVERALL MOVES THIS DRAFT | Ignoring the depth and starter quality need at the Safety position.
The Bucs didn't get anything close to a Safety until Phinisee in the Seventh,
where we've drafted low-round projects for the backfield for the last 8
years. And I worry the team is going to suffer for the lack of high-level
talent either this season (injuries, Jebus forbid) or the next. The other worst move is the move they couldn't make: trading down in the First Round so they could still draft Joseph at Guard while picking up an extra selection in the process. There was little risk any of the teams drafting after the 23rd spot would go for a Guard, so the Bucs could have moved down even a few spots and still have gotten him. Apparently, no other team would take the offer, unwilling to part with any late-round picks just to move up even a few notches. So the Bucs were stuck making their pick where they were. While you can't blame the team for not making the move, it still hurts. |
|
| 2010 UPDATE REVIEW | As a long-term move, the upgrades to the Offensive line did make sense and have worked out. The top three picks became contributors, especially Joseph. While everyone else didn't turn out so well, I really believe the problem was with the coach: Gruden's career has shown that past the big-name guys, he doesn't develop rookies at all well. Throwing Gradowski to the wolves his rookie season rather than grab a veteran QB to fill Simms' departure to a near-career-ending injury showed just how poorly Gruden was as a coach. Of the drafts the team had in the 2000s, this year's did better than most. | |
UPDATE GRADE |
B- |
|
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back | email me if you think the Bucs should have drafted higher for a donut supplier...
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