Draft Week is upon us, which means this is the last edition of Mock Draft Roundup before we know the Bucs' pick for real. This week's mocks have seen analysts hone in even more on safety Derwin James out of Florida State as the Bucs' first pick of the draft. This is based largely on the fact that many don't believe G Quenton Nelson, DE Bradley Chubb or RB Saquon Barkley will be on the board by the time the Bucs are up at number seven. However, it's worth noting that with the possibility of an early quarterback run from teams picking (or interested in picking) in the first six picks, anything could happen. It is the NFL Draft after all.
Have you weighed in on which position you think the Bucs should take with their first-round pick? If not, it's your last chance! Vote here to see if your pick ends up being correct later this week!
View pictures of Daniel Jeremiah's third mock draft. Photos by AP Images.
1- Browns Sam Darnold - QB, USC
2- Giants Saquon Barkley - RB, Penn State
3- Jets Baker Mayfield - QB, Oklahoma
4- Browns Bradley Chubb - DE, N.C. State
5- Broncos Josh Allen - QB, Wyoming
6- Colts Denzel Ward - CB, Ohio State
7- Buccaneers Quenton Nelson - OG, Notre Dame
8- Bears Tremaine Edmunds - LB, Virginia Tech
9- 49ers Roquan Smith - LB, Georgia
10- Raiders Minkah Fitzpatrick - DB, Alabama
11- Dolphins Vita Vea - DT, Washington
12- Bills Josh Rosen - QB, UCLA
13- Redskins Derrius Guice - RB, LSU
14- Packers Marcus Davenport - OLB, UTSA
15- Cardinals Calvin Ridley - WR, Alabama
16- Ravens Hayden Hurst - TE, South Carolina
17- Chargers Derwin James - S, Florida State
18- Seahawks Harold Landry - OLB, Boston College
19- Cowboys Courtland Sutton - WR, SMU
20- Lions Will Hernandez - OG, UTEP
21- Bengals Mike McGlinchey - OT, Notre Dame
22- Bills Leighton Vander Esch - LB, Boise State
23- Patriots Rashaan Evans - LB, Alabama
24- Panthers Mike Hughes - CB, UCF
25- Titans James Daniels - C, Iowa
26- Falcons Taven Bryan - DT, Florida
27- Saints Dallas Goedert - TE, South Dakota State
28- Steelers Jaire Alexander - CB, Louisville
29- Jaguars D.J. Chark - WR, LSU
30- Vikings Isaiah Wynn - OG, Georgia
31- Patriots Kolton Miller - OT, UCLA
32- Eagles Sony Michel - RB, Georgia
The full roundup of expert picks is below.
NFL.com
Daniel Jeremiah (April 17) – G Quenton Nelson (Notre Dame)
Jeremiah: "The Bucs need to add more pieces around Jameis Winston. Nelson would be a huge asset in both the running and passing game."
Bucky Brooks (April 12) – S Derwin James (Florida State)
Brooks: "The Buccaneers' secondary needs an enforcer like James roaming between the hashes."
Maurice Jones-Drew (April 10) – S Derwin James (Florida State)
CBSSports.com
Pete Prisco (April 19) – RB Saquon Barkley (Penn State)
Prisco: "They have a major hole at running back, so they land the best runner in the draft – even with defensive needs."
Jared Dubin (April 12) – S Derwin James (Florida State)
R.J. White (April 11) – S Derwin James (Florida State)
Chris Trapasso (April 8) – RB Saquon Barkley (Penn State)
ESPNMel Kiper Jr. (April 4) – CB Denzel Ward (Ohio State)*
Todd McShay (April 4) – CB Denzel Ward (Ohio State) SB NATION Dan Kadar (April 23) – S Derwin James (Florida State) Kadar: "It may be a surprise to see James taken before Minkah Fitzpatrick or Denzel Ward, but sometimes the draft is just about talent and potential. James has the skills to be a superstar. In Tampa Bay he could pair with Justin Evans and give the Buccaneers an excellent you pair for years to come." Pewter Report Scott Reynolds (April 22) – S Derwin James (Florida State) *Reynolds: "The Bucs love James' athletic traits, length, tackling prowess and leadership ability. He's the top-rated safety on Tampa Bay's draft board ahead of Alabama's Minkah Fitzpatrick, and is believed to be the highest-ranked defensive back ahead of Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, who also might garner consideration with the seventh overall pick."
