The Bucs kicked off their rookie mini-camp on Friday with all eight draft picks, 13 undrafted free brokers and a bunch of try-out gamers in attendance. Listed here are some key observations from the Pewter Report workers.
Bucs Offensive Rookie Report
The standouts on the Bucs rookie mini-camp from the offensive aspect of the ball have been working again Rachaad White and a few undrafted vast receivers. We’ll get to them in a second. Understanding that gamers are solely in shorts and helmets, there wasn’t a ton to soak up from watching second-round decide offensive lineman Luke Goedeke.
What I’ll say is that Goedeke had good footwork in drills consisting of working on the ladder and pulling from the left aspect of the offensive line to the correct aspect. He’s a really massive man, and it was obvious that assistant coach Harold Goodwin was directing a variety of consideration his approach. Goodwin was vocal with him a number of instances, singling him out when voicing directions.
Seeing White in particular person for the primary time was an attention-grabbing spectacle. He’s a lot greater than I anticipated and has a muscular construct regardless of his very easy working fashion. White simply appears like he might change into a star working again. Nothing appeared too massive for him on the primary day and he was very attentive on performs that he wasn’t even in on the rep for.
Bucs RB Rachaad White – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
You could possibly see him usually pointing issues out, discussing it with teammates and asking the coaches about it too. I favored his alertness and the way concerned he was mentally. The man simply loves taking part in soccer. White had an excellent move blocking rep and caught each ball thrown his approach, which was a superb begin.
With tight finish Cade Otton, the crew’s fourth-round select with an ankle damage, all eyes have been on sixth-round decide Ko Kieft. The Minnesota mauler lived as much as his moniker of being a stout blocker. As beforehand acknowledged, we’re not going to see a ton of physicality at this level of the yr throughout a non-padded mini-camp. However Kieft was sound in his blocking method and stonewalled seventh-round decide Andre Anthony on a play. Receiving-wise he caught the correct passes that have been thrown his approach. He primarily ran quick routes out to the flats.
Undrafted vast receivers Jerreth Sterns, Kameron Brown and Deven Thompkins stood out. First off, they needed to take care of dangerous quarterback play. I respect anybody that’s attempting to make it to the subsequent degree, however there have been a ton of inaccurate balls from try-out QBs Aqeel Glass and Peyton Ramsey. Passes have been overthrown, late, behind or the timing was so off that the receivers needed to decelerate to simply catch it.
Sterns impressed essentially the most. At 5-foot-7, he depends on his quickness and athletic potential to make up for his lack of measurement. Not solely did he catch all the things in entrance of him on a number of routes, he caught a ton of inauspicious passes in the midst of visitors with many defenders round him. Each Brown and Thompkins confirmed a strong potential to run environment friendly routes and appeared far more snug than different receivers of their group. – By Matt Matera
Bucs Defensive Rookie Report
The primary impression of recent Bucs defensive deal with Logan Hall is that he’s fairly a giant man. Corridor is each little bit of 6-foot-6, as head coach Todd Bowles mentioned after apply. The 6-foot-2 Bowles mentioned that he has to pressure his neck when wanting up at Corridor in particular person. Nevertheless it’s not simply his peak. Corridor is a giant man. He’s as much as 290 kilos after taking part in final yr at Houston at 270 kilos.
“You stroll as much as him, he’s a giant man,” Bowles mentioned. “I hardly ever look as much as anyone. With him being 6-foot-6 and me being 6-foot-2, I actually need to snap my neck to truly search for at him.”
Remember that Gerald McCoy, the final 3-technique defensive deal with the Bucs drafted early, was 295 pounds when he left Oklahoma. Corridor is just not undersized. That’s evident at first look. And at simply age 22, he’s solely going to get greater and placed on extra muscle in time.
Corridor can be extra athletic than McCoy, working a 4.88 to McCoy’s 5.04 within the 40-yard sprint. And Corridor’s 3-cone drill time of seven.25 was within the ninetieth percentile of all defensive tackles tracked on MockDraftable.com.
Bucs DT Logan Corridor – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Corridor’s 4.44 time within the 20-yard shuttle was additionally barely higher than McCoy’s 4.48 time again in 2010. It’s additionally clear that Corridor is extra fluid and may redirect higher in sure drills.
However we’re going to finish the comparisons of Tampa Bay’s second-round decide, who hasn’t performed a down but within the NFL, to McCoy, a six-time Professional Bowler proper there. Corridor appeared the half in a helmet and cleats on his first day of rookie mini-camp, and that’s not simply Pewter Report’s statement. That’s Bowles’ statement, too. The brand new Bucs head coach lauded Corridor’s work ethic.
“He’s a really humble man, however he works laborious,” Bowles mentioned. “He labored very laborious and that confirmed at the moment. Clearly it was shorts and a t-shirt, however we just like the laborious work in him. He places within the work and he places within the time and I like that about him.”
The place Corridor, who’s sporting No. 90, which is Jason Pierre-Paul’s outdated jersey, will want some work is eliminating a false step in his move rush. That’s one thing that confirmed up on his Houston movie at instances, and likewise confirmed up a bit in Friday’s apply.
We’ll go a step additional and say that Corridor’s athleticism undoubtedly confirmed up in line of defense drills, the place he towered over the opposite Bucs defensive linemen, together with Kobe Smith, who was on the apply squad final yr.
Smith wasn’t the one former practice-squader in attendance. Outdoors linebacker Elijah Ponder and security Troy Warner have been different rostered Buccaneers on the apply squad that took half within the mini-camp.
Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Corridor’s athleticism was solely overshadowed by that of fellow draft decide Zyon McCollum. The fifth-round cornerback out of Sam Houston lived as much as his ridiculous testing numbers on the sphere. His actions have been quick, agile and easy, and McCollum’s instincts have been additionally on show as he reacted effectively to each fast passes within the flat and deeper throws downfield. McCollum’s athleticism actually reveals up in his potential to show and run with receivers downfield.
Outdoors linebacker Andre Anthony, the crew’s seventh-round decide, appears the half athletically. He strikes effectively on the sphere, however his largest query mark is questionable instincts. At some point of rookie mini-camp is just not going to have the ability to correctly assess that. Anthony will probably be competing with Cam Gill and Ponder for a roster spot, and Gill has the clear inside monitor.
One of many extra noteworthy try-out gamers on protection is linebacker DeCalon Brooks out of Florida State. Brooks is the son of Bucs legend Derrick Brooks. However after recording 46 tackles, a sack and a pressured fumble as a freshman in 2018, Brooks hardly ever noticed the sphere, logging simply 4 tackles final yr and eight in 2020. Brooks didn’t actually stand out on Friday, and at 5-foot-10, 222 kilos with scant manufacturing in school, he’s a really lengthy shot to make it within the NFL. – By Scott Reynolds
Bucs Particular Groups Rookie Report
Rookie punter Jake Camarda, the Bucs’ fourth-round decide, has a booming leg. It’s as robust as marketed, and he impressed with each distance and dangle time on Friday.
Kicker Jose Borregales, who spent final yr on the apply squad, was additionally in attendance for the rookie mini-camp. He’ll be competing with veteran Ryan Succop for the crew’s kicker function this yr. The Bucs like Borregales, who was a Lou Groza Award winner at Miami. He was considered one of Tampa Bay’s protected apply squad gamers every week final yr.
White was returning punts on Friday, because the Bucs have mentioned they’ll attempt to combine him to their particular groups throughout his rookie season. Thompkins and undrafted free agent signee Kaylon Geiger, Sr. have been additionally returning punts at first of apply. – By J.C. Allen
