We’re less than a month away from the 2016 NFL Draft, and as expected, clubs are trying to figure out what prospects to pick. Even bigger than that, fans all over are anxiously waiting to see if their teams will address the dire needs for their respective rosters. There are quite the needs for the hometown Buccaneers. We’re going to take a look at who I feel Pewter Nation should pick up in the draft…
#5 Jeremy Cash, SS, Duke
Rumor has it the the Titans are going to use their first overall pick on Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey, and rightfully so. Its no secret that Tampa Bay needs help in their secondary all around, and Cash looks to be just what the Bucs need. Listed at 6′, 212 lbs, he’s projected to go somewhere in the second round. With decent enough speed (4.66 40-time), I can definitely see him going in the second or third round and chances are that may be where the Bucs scoop him up.
During his senior campaign, Cash earned first team All-American honors, recording 101 tackles, 18.0 tackles for lost yardage, 2.5 sacks, eight quarterback pressures, four pass breakups, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Did I mention that he was also 2015 ACC Defensive Player of the Year? Just for the record, young Jeremy finished his Duke career with 333 tackles, 38.0 tackles for loss, 8.0 quarterback sacks, six interceptions, nine caused fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 15 pass breakups and 15 quarterback pressures. Also, over his career, he had three consecutive 100+ tackle seasons. Sounds like just the type of production that Tampa Bay needs.
While he can play both the corner and safety spots, and is decent against the pass and run, there are some cons. He has a tendency to play with blinders on; as good as he is on the attack, there are times he doesn’t see a blocker coming. Couple this with the fact that he just had surgery on his right wrist this past December. Per CBS Sports, he’s money when he plays near the line of scrimmage, and could be best suited as a safety-linebacker hybrid. But he could be groomed to fit new defensive coordinator Mike Smith’s system. Cash is a sure fire bet to help contribute to a Bucs defense that wasn’t too bad in 2015, ranking 10th in overall defense.
