Earlier, I wrote about the first round picks of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the last decade as we prepare for April’s draft when the team will select 14th for the second time in franchise history.
One of the best draft picks by the Bucs over the last decade was linebacker Devin White, who the team took fifth overall in last year’s draft. White had a stellar rookie year and seems to be the franchise cornerstone for this defense going forward.
And, in ESPN’s latest piece where they do a 2019 re-draft now that we’ve seen how the rookies performed during the course of the season, it seems the Bucs did a solid job in both rounds one and two.
ESPN had Tampa Bay selecting Devin White and Sean Murphy-Bunting again with their first two selections.
Here’s what they said about White:
“White was 100 percent the correct pick for Todd Bowles’ defense, and he might have been the front-runner for Defensive Rookie of the Year had he not missed three games. He has become not only an impact player but a culture-changer in Tampa Bay. Five of White’s six takeaways in the final five games — four fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and one interception, with two touchdowns — came in moments in which there was a point differential of seven or fewer.”
Murphy-Bunting is more of a surprise in this re-draft, not because of his play, but because of the criticism surrounding the initial selection.
Here’s what Jenna Laine said about SMB:
“This pick was originally met with some skepticism from league sources, who were concerned the Bucs had reached and Murphy-Bunting would have to make a big jump from Central Michigan. And while he initially took some time learning both outside and nickel positions, he came on strong late in the season with two game-clinching interceptions. His three picks were tied for the most among all rookies, and he started 10 games.”
Let’s home the Bucs hit another home run in the draft come April.
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