Tag: kenyatta walker

27 Days, 27 Picks: OT Kenyatta Walker

The Bucs gave up two first-rounders for head coach Jon Gruden in 2002, so we go back to 2001 for the next player in our series — one who heard his number called by NFL referees far too often.

In 27 Days, 27 Picks, Bucs Wire will analyze the last 27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round draft picks, one for each day leading up to the 2023 NFL draft. We’ll take a look at the player’s college stats, their pre-draft numbers (either via the NFL Combine or their Pro Day), their NFL stats, some player footage and analysis at the end on whether the pick itself was a good one.

The Bucs would give up their first-round picks in 2002 and 2003 for coach Jon Gruden, so we go back to 2001 for the next player in our series. That player was OT [autotag]Kenyatta Walker[/autotag], who failed to live up to high expectations after the team traded up to select him.

Check out the draft rundown on Walker below:

Dooley’s Dozen: The best offensive linemen in Florida football history

Pat Dooley cooks up a baker’s dozen of the best offensive linemen in Florida football history.

Whenever you start evaluating offensive linemen for anything, it gets complicated.

We don’t watch hours of tape or watch these guys practice. And once a game starts, we tend to watch the ball and not the trenches.

That’s why I’ve always said that some of the all-conference or even all-American teams are built up front with a bunch of guys the media has heard of or players who happen to play for an efficient offense.

At the same time, if you have watched enough Gator football over the years, you know. Or at least you think you know.

What we know is Florida has not had a Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner since [autotag]Kenyatta Walker[/autotag] in 2000. It is strange the coaches didn’t think anyone from Florida’s 2006 and 2008 national championship teams were worthy.

It’s kind of a weird award anyway. The first winner in the SEC was a quarterback. Alabama has had 25 winners, Florida has had six with four coming during the [autotag]Steve Spurrier [/autotag]era.

The Jacobs Award is not the only way to measure the best, and a winner from UF was one of the last cuts of the latest Dooley’s Dozen as we take a look at the 12 (plus one) best offensive linemen in UF history.

Bucs have held the No. 14 pick in the NFL draft just once before

See how things turned out for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the last time they held the 14th pick in the NFL draft.

On paper, it may seem like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ season was a failure given their 7-9 record.

But, for those who follow this team closely, they know there’s a lot to be excited about with this team going forward under head coach Bruce Arians. Not only did the Bucs finish third in offense and 15th on defense, but they saw the emergence of star players like linebacker Shaq Barrett and wide receiver Chris Godwin, both of whom were named to the All-Pro Second Team.

As the team heads into the offseason, they’ll look to address their quarterback situation, and whether or not Jameis Winston will be back after throwing 30 interceptions this season. They’ll also look to continue building this defense under coordinator Todd Bowles, through both the draft and free agency.

The team currently holds the 14th pick in April’s NFL draft, and it’s just the second time in franchise history the team has held that pick. So, how did it turn out the last time they selected from that spot?

Pretty well, as a matter of fact. The team selected offensive tackle Kenyatta Walker out of Florida with the 14th overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. Walker ended up starting 73 of the 75 games he played for the Bucs, and was a part of the offensive line that helped win Super Bowl XXXVII.

Offensive tackle is certainly a need for Tampa Bay, but we’ll have to wait and see whether they opt to shore up their offense or defense come draft time. Still, there’s plenty of value to be found at that spot, so the Bucs are in a good position.

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