The Tampa Bay Buccaneers put a cap on their first week of OTA practices by getting some important off-the-field-work done, too. On Thursday, hours after getting first-round pick Vita Vea's signature on his first NFL contract, the team also completed a deal with second-round cornerback Carlton Davis.
Davis, the 63rd overall pick in the 2018 draft, actually returned to team headquarters on Thursday evening to sign his rookie deal after taking part in practice earlier. Like all players drafted after the first round, Davis got a four-year contract to begin his professional career. That leaves the Buccaneers with only one unsigned draft pick, second-round running back Ronald Jones.
The Buccaneers got half of their eight-man draft class under contract on May 10 when they signed second-round cornerback M.J. Stewart, fourth-round safety Jordan Whitehead, fifth-round wide receiver Justin Watson and sixth-round linebacker Jack Cichy. Third-round guard Alex Cappa followed two days later, signing his rookie deal on May 12. The Vea and Davis signings on Thursday put the Buccaneers near the goal line on their draft class work.
Davis was one of three players the Buccaneers selected between the second and fourth rounds to shore up their secondary, along with Stewart and Whitehead. General Manager Jason Licht created the necessary draft capital to address that need so thoroughly by executing a series of trades during the three days of the draft. Licht first acquired picks number 53 and 56 from the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a move down in the first round from the seventh pick to the 12th, where he selected Vea. After taking Stewart with the 53rd selection, Licht then traded again, moving from the 56th pick to number 63 and adding a fourth-round pick in the process.
The Buccaneers targeted Davis with the 63rd pick in part because of his size; at 6-1 and 206 pounds he is the team's biggest corner, giving it an option to match up against the many oversized receivers in the NFL. At Auburn, Davis was a three-year starter who amassed 138 stops, four interceptions, 29 passes defensed and three forced fumbles, leading the team in tackles in his final season.
