The 2024 NFL Combine is just around the corner. The Pewter Report spent Thursday on the Pewter Report Podcast We’re talking about some potential Bucs targets. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah also took time to host a conference call Thursday to discuss a number of potential prospects and how they fit into different situations around the league.
While focusing on the Bucs, Jeremiah had some insightful remarks about several players Tampa Bay might consider in the NFL Draft.
Daniel Jeremiah talks about two ILBs the Bucks might be interested in
Daniel Jeremiah took time to talk about two inside linebackers the Bucs could target on Day 2 of the NFL Draft: Peyton Wilson and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Wilson was one of the Senior Bowl studs worth taking a chance on. uponwhile trotting Profile as a midfield threat. Starting with Wilson, here’s what Jeremiah had to say.
“I love him as a player,” Jeremiah said. “It’s going to be all about the ratings for him. This tape is really, really good, so it’s going to be about what it’s going to be like from a health standpoint. I love the background stuff. A little bit earlier. As I said, he reminded me of Kiko Alonso coming out of college. Look, he hurt his knee and shoulder. He had his doctor fix the problem and he got clearance from the team. But he had just tremendous speed and distance at the Senior Bowl, as I saw on tape. He can cover. He has some physicality. There is.
“I see him taking control there. He’s a 6-foot-4, 234-pound off-the-ball linebacker who can really, really run and hit coverage. That’s the kind of guy you want at this position. That’s the combine for him. I know he’s fast. I don’t need to see him run. I know he can cover and move in space. For me, it really comes down to what we’re going to get out of the medical care there and if we can get permission from those people. If we get the OK from those people, I think he’s a second-round pick. I think he’s that type of player.”
Wilson’s tapes are backed up by serious production. In five years with the Wolfpack, he had 402 tackles, 48 lost tackles, 15 sacks, 13 pass breakups, seven interceptions, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, and one defensive touchdown. Recorded.
Someone with a similar pedigree in terms of production is also the son of a four-time Pro Bowler. NFL Network analysts don’t rate Jeremiah Trotter Jr. as highly as Wilson, but he could help with a big week in Indianapolis.
“To me, he’s a good player,” Jeremiah said of Trotter. “I don’t think he’s a first-round pick. I’ll be interested to see how fast he runs. His game is more about instinct, and that’s very important at the linebacker position. And obviously it’s very important. When I looked at him, he was a little bit smaller. He has a really good eye. He sifted, sorted, filled, flesh He can hit the block hard, but you don’t see many players trying this.
“I thought the speed and distance were OK. If he runs well, yeah, I think he can really help himself. Personally, I’d like to have him in the third round more.” But shoot, I think he can go out there and move around really well and kind of ace the rest of the test and potentially find his way into the second round. Draft Linebacker So, not a great draft for an off-the-ball linebacker.”
Inside linebacker isn’t the Bucs’ biggest need, but with Devin White in free agency and Lavonte David needing to be re-signed at 34 years old, it’s a position the team will have to address sooner rather than later.
Could these Oregon Ducks be the Tampa Bay Ducks of the future?
The Bucs have big needs on the interior offensive line right now, and if Mike Evans doesn’t return to Tampa Bay, there could be a big hole at wide receiver. He is not expected to leave, but nothing is official until Jason Licht, Mike Greenberg and the Glazers negotiate and get his name on the dotted line on the contract.
With that in mind, Daniel Jeremiah discussed two first-round offensive prospects, both from Oregon State. Center Jackson Powers-Johnson and wide receiver Troy Franklin both have a lot to like. It’s hard not to like him up front, starting with Powers-Johnson, and could seamlessly replace Ryan Jensen in midfield for a long time.
“It’s hard to find guys with that size who can move that much,” Jeremiah said. “He weighs 334 pounds. You can’t get past him. He just kind of catches guys and absorbs them. In pass pro, he’s fast up to the second level and good at combo blocks. He has There’s a mean side to him. He’s a bulldog. He had a real snap and pop in his hands.
“He had a great week at the Senior Bowl before he got injured. I think he’ll go in the bottom of the first round. He’s too clean a player to be a part of the offense for the next 10 years. He’s just a player.”
Among the players with a deep wide receiver depth, some players may slip down from the draft board.franklin knows better New wide receiver coach Brian McClendonMcClendon served as a position coach with the Ducks in 2021. He has the size (6-3) and deep threat potential (81 receptions, 1,383 yards, 14 touchdowns last season) to develop into a big weapon.
“As for Franklin, he did well,” Jeremiah said. “He’s my 39th player. I liked him a lot. I think I’ll end up getting closer to him, because I just looked at all these guys for the combine. Because I just finished and I saw a lot of corners with a lot of blood on their hands courtesy of Franklin, and he’s just running by everybody.
“Very big man, tall, lean, explosive. He can beat the press with his quickness. He’s clean on breaks and breaks for a tall player. It’s fun to watch him actually track the ball and go get it. Big-time home run hitter. I think he’ll be in the 20’s to 30’s. He’ll probably go somewhere in the middle of that, and probably very well in Indy. I predict it will run fast.”
Bucs will keep an eye on these versatile O-linemen
If Jackson Powers-Johnson leaves the roster at No. 26, the Bucks may consider drafting another versatile center prospect. In addition to Powers-Johnson, Daniel Jeremiah also talked about two other players: Duke’s Graham Burton and West Virginia’s Zach Frazier.
“I think the top three centers fit that category.” [versatile] Jackson Powers-Johnson, Duke University’s Graham Burton and West Virginia’s Zach Frazier also participated. They can all move you in the moment of attack, they’re all over 310 pounds, and they’re all athletic. ”
Burton is Pewter Report’s first-round picks in the latest Bucs mock draftand there’s a lot of appeal in taking him on.
“He started a lot of games,” Jeremiah said of Barton. “He was playing center. I think his best position ultimately will be center. He can play anywhere. Obviously he’s been playing left tackle lately. He ended up playing left tackle instead of Graham Burton. I’d go with Jackson Powers-Johnson, but I also love Graham Burton and I love Zach Frazier. I think all three of those guys are plug-and-play guys.”
The NFL Scouting Combine is one of the most influential weeks of the offseason, with draft status largely determined by how players measure up and test. These are just a few players the Bucks might be keeping an eye on. For more on Daniel Jeremiah’s draft analysis, go to Check out his second mock draft It came out earlier this week.