Draft Review: Tampa Bay and Jacksonville
Editors’ Note: As part of our ongoing post-draft coverage, we’re doing our very best to leave no stone unturned and bringing you draft recaps from each and every NFL franchise. Make sure you’re ready for your dynasty league rookie draft by staying up on all these articles, checking out our rookie SWOT series, rookie draft guide, rookie rankings, rookie draft cheat sheet and mock draft rooms. There are simply no better resources out there for dynasty fantasy football enthusiasts.
The Buccaneers and Jaguars have combined for exactly zero playoff appearances in the last nine years. However, both franchises had rays of hope (no Florida pun intended) in 2015 in the form of the play of their franchise quarterbacks, Jameis Winston and Blake Bortles. The NFL Draft is a time for hope and a time for dynasty degenerates to dig deep into every team’s draft to find the best values in their rookie drafts and evaluate how incoming rookies will affect their veteran players. Since they had so many defensive selections, we’ve put these two teams together to make one jam-packed Florida-sized edition of our annual Draft Reviews.
Round One
In the first round of the NFL draft, both of these teams looked to bolster their secondaries by bringing in help at the cornerback position. At #5 overall, the Jaguars selected Florida State Cornerback Jalen Ramsey. A player many considered the top player in this draft, Ramsey should be a big boost for a Jaguars secondary that allowed the fourth most passing yards in the NFL last season. After trading back from #9 to #11 overall, the Buccaneers selected the third cornerback off the board in Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves. In most IDP leagues, cornerbacks have a minimal impact, so the real impact could be how the coverage of the rookie cornerbacks helps front seven players get to the opposing quarterback.
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Round Two
Both teams continued to build their young defenses with the Jaguars’ pick of Myles Jack at #36 overall. With Jack, the Jaguars get two of the top defensive players in the draft – the question now becomes how will his health concerns affect him at the next level. If Jack is able in week one one at the same ability he did before the knee injury that ended his final season at UCLA, it will be an instant improvement for the Jags defense and he will become one of the more coveted linebackers in IDP leagues.
With their first of two second round picks, the Buccaneers picked a much needed pass rusher in Noah Spence at #39 overall. Spence is one of the best pass rushers in this draft, but fell in the draft primarily due to the character concerns that got him kicked out of Ohio State, forcing him to play his final college season at Eastern Kentucky. Spence went #10 overall in the Staff pre-draft IDP mock. If he keeps clean off the field, Spence will be one of the best IDP assets from this class of IDP players.
One of the most surprising moves of the NFL Draft was the Buccaneers trading back into the second round of the NFL Draft to select the most accurate kicker in NCAA history – Florida State Kicker Roberto Aguayo. I’d just like to take the time to tell you that even if you still play in a league in the dark ages of kickers, do not invest rookie draft capital in Aguayo. If he goes undrafted and you don’t have a kicker, it might not be a terrible idea to pick up a kicker in a young offense that is only getting better, but in all likelihood, streaming the kicker position is the optimal strategy
Round Three
Next up on the Jaguars quest to not have Bortles always be playing in “garbage time” was their selection of Maryland Linebacker Yannick Ngakoue. Ngakoue is a pass rushing linebacker who will help a Jaguars pass rush that will also be gaining their 1st round pick last year Dante Fowler who didn’t play a snap after tearing his ACL in rookie minicamp.
Round Four
The Jaguars continued the trend of best defensive player available with their selection of Notre Dame Defensive Tackle Sheldon Day with the #103 overall pick. This was considered one of the better defensive tackle classes in recent memory and the Jaguars got a great value with Day and he could be a great value in Defensive Tackle Premium leagues.
The Buccaneers selected North Carolina Central Ryan Smith to improve their secondary. It is unclear whether he will be able to step in to compete for the starting job at safety or if he will serve as cornerback depth behind Vernon Hargreaves, Brent Grimes and Johnthan Banks.
Round Five
In the later rounds of the NFL Draft, it is important to find depth and players who can play special teams. Another thing teams look for is positional versatility. The Buccaneers selected UCLA Tackle Caleb Benonoch –Â he provides much needed depth on the offensive line and the Buccaneers feel that he can play guard as well if needed, which is a great asset for your depth players on the offensive line.
Round Six
With their selection of UNLV Linebacker Devante Boyd in the sixth round, the Buccaneers get depth at the position and a player who will be able to develop behind All-Pro Linebacker Lavonte David.
With their final pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Buccaneers selected Northwestern Fullback Dan Vitale. Vitale is a versatile fullback who gives Winston another option in the passing game, as well as a legitimate lead blocker for running back Doug Martin.
The Jaguars continued to add to their pass rush with Montana Outside Linebacker Tyrone Holmes, who had 18 sacks in 2015. Next, the Jaguars picked up a backup for Blake Bortles in Arkansas Quarterback Brandon Allen. Allen will be developed as a backup behind Chad Henne, backing up Bortles who was sacked 51 times in 2015, fourth most in the NFL.
Round Seven
The Jaguars added their third pass rushing Defensive End/Outside Linebacker with Central Arkansas Defensive End Jonathan Woodard. Woodard wraps up a defensive centric draft for the Jaguars, providing nice depth as a player who had 29.5 career sacks in college.
All in all, these picks weren’t the most exciting in traditional dynasty leagues, but IDP players had to love some of the opportunities found within these two classes.
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