by Carter Brantley
It’s that time of year; mock drafts, theoretical trades, busts, and betting on whether or not a guy with the last name of Sanders will be selected in the 1st round.
We’re going to do everything except a couple of those things (including theoretical trades, because it’s complicated enough trying to guess what teams are going to do without throwing another unpredictable factor into the formula), and hopefully have some fun doing so, even though this is being published on the day of the draft and why did I wait so long to do one?
That last question might require a bit more of a look in the mirror than what I’m seeking for a mock draft write-up, so let’s just get into it.
Round 1, Pick 19: Safety Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
Emmanwori is one of the most athletically gifted players in this draft class, as he scored a perfect 10 out of 10 on his Relative Athletic Score (RAS).
There are some questions about his ability to be a true centerfielder at the safety position, but his combination of size, power, speed, and agility is something you just don’t find at this position.
Malaki Starks out of Georgia would be a fine pick here, as would whatever flavor of pass rusher the Bucs deem the best, or a cornerback if Will Johnson or Jahdae Barron fall to 19.
A lot of outlets even have the Bucs managing to snag Jihaad Campbell, linebacker out of Alabama.
For those last 3 names, I unfortunately predict the Bucs will miss out on selecting them, as they’re projected to go relatively high in some mocks.
So, the Bucs decide to pick a guy who can not only bolster their safety room but potentially line up as a nickel to bolster their run defense, as he’s very much a run support type of safety.
Round 2, Pick 53: Corner Darien Porter, Iowa State
Another uber-athletic player for the Bucs to try to upgrade their secondary, Porter almost matched Emmanwori in RAS with a 9.99.
He gets there via his blazing speed, elite agility, and solid explosiveness, especially in the broad jump.
Porter lacks the experience of some of the other more highly rated corners in this draft, but fortunately for the Bucs, he can spend a season sort of learning the ropes as they have 2 established starters.
The former Cyclone would offer not only depth but a potential replacement for either Jamel Dean or Zyon McCollum, depending on how the Bucs choose to proceed with their cornerback room moving forward.
If Porter can put it all together, him, Emmanwori Tykee Smith, and Antoine Winfield, Jr. could turn a glaring weakness into a potential strength.
Round 3, Pick 84: Interior Defensive Lineman Vernon Broughton, Texas
I know right, no pass rushers? Weird.
But while Broughton may not be the dominant edge winner that Bucs fans want for this team, he can be an immediate impact player as a rotational defensive end, either supporting or outright replacing Logan Hall along the defensive line.
He’s got great size for the position at 6’5 and 311, and he managed to be a very good contributor for the Longhorns, with an 86.1 PFF grade for the 2024 season.
He’s good enough in the run to be a very serviceable rotational piece off rip, and while there are concerns about how much better he can really get as a pass rusher, that likely won’t be as much of an issue in the role he’d have with the Bucs.
Round 4, Pick 121: Linebacker Barrett Carter, Clemson
Some might ask why not that Bassa fellow out of Oregon? Valid point, and if the Bucs went that direction that’d be fine, but I just happen to like Carter more (no not because of his last name, why do you ask?).
He lacks the prototypical size of many other linebackers, but Carter is very fast and has enough explosiveness to make him a factor as a coverage backer.
He’s not quite up to snuff in the run game, but the hope would be that he can learn from future Canton guy Lavonte David on how to further improve in that area.
The RAS score Carter earned was a fine 7.46, and he managed an 81.4 PFF grade in his first year at Clemson during the 2022 season but took a few steps back throughout his career, speaking to why he’d be available in the 4th round.
Round 5, Pick 157: Center Seth McLaughlin, Ohio State
At this point the Bucs are getting into filling out the roster and practice squad, or trying to find high-upside players they can dream on and see if they can turn into diamonds in the rough.
McLaughlin falls more in the former category, as he’s certainly someone who could fill in immediately as a backup center and not totally screw things up, but his upside as a starter might be a bit more limited.
But that’s what day 3 picks are for, and McLaughlin has all the intelligence and experience you would want out of your center.
He even won the Rimington Award after transferring to Ohio State from Alabama, making for a very productive if not superbly promising.
Round 7, Pick 235: Safety Malik Verdon, Iowa State
Another Cyclone! He possesses a lot of upside as an athlete, but just needs a whole lot of polishing in order to fully realize that potential.
His role would be limited if he made the roster, likely a special teamer, but the Bucs need all the safety help they can get, and Verdon would have a better shot than a lot of other positions if the Bucs decided to go another way with their final pick of the draft.
Overall, Verdon has enough upside to certainly warrant a day 3 pick, even if he never fully capitalizes on his talent and isn’t able to latch on as a full-time safety.
