The Bucs only selected one defensive player, linebacker Kwon Alexander, in this year's draft, so almost all of the team's rookie defenders are undrafted free agents. On Friday, Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier met with the media for the first time since before the draft. One of the first things he pointed out was how impressed he was with the team's young defensive players.
"It's good to see some of our young players coming around," Frazier said, "see a Kwon Alexander making some improvements, taking a look at a Jamal Young and some of the other players that are coming. Hopefully those guys will be able to help us.
"(Young's) done some good things. Quayshawne Buckley as well, he's done some good things, Ryan Delaire. A lot of those young guys are fighting, and when you're undrafted like some of them are, it's a challenge to make the football team. But they're doing everything they can to make an impression."
Alexander enters the league having played for a powerhouse collegiate program – LSU. But many of the undrafted players come from a much different background; Young, a defensive end, hardly played college football while Delaire, also a defensive end, played his college ball at Towson, an FCS school.
Other undrafted free agents include Buckley, a defensive tackle out of Idaho, Caushaud Lyons, a defensive tackle out of Tusculum, Josh Keyes, a linebacker out of Boston College and Quinton Alston, a linebacker out of Iowa.
As Frazier noted, it will be a battle for the undrafted players to land on the 53-man roster. But that doesn't mean it can't be done.
"We had one draft pick [on defense] this season, there's a chance for some of those guys to come in and make our roster," Frazier said. "It was legitimate when we talked to their agents right after the draft."
