Tampa Bay Bucs: Full 7-Round 2012 NFL Mock Draft

We are now less than ten days away from the NFL Scouting Combine. We have already seen players compete in the East-West Shrine game, as well as the Senior Bowl. After the Combine, players will be able to improve their status in the 2012 NFL draft with their Pro Day workouts.

The Tampa Bay Bucs have six selections in the draft as of this moment, but that will improve as we move closer to the draft, which will start on April 26th and continue through April 28th.

The Bucs do not have a 4th round pick in the draft, as they traded that away to the Philadelphia Eagles last year in order to draft TE Luke Stocker. 

In March, the NFL will announce the compensatory picks that will be awarded to teams for the draft. The Bucs expect to get compensatory picks for both Barret Ruud and Cadillac Williams, who they lost in free agency last year.

In this mock draft, I'm going to draft just the six selections that the Bucs currently have.

The Bucs are also trying to get their coaching staff fully configured after the hiring of Greg Schiano from Rutgers a couple weeks back. Because of the late hiring date of Schiano, the Bucs are having issues getting permission from various NFL teams about interviewing prospective coaching candidates. Even so, the staff is filling out nicely as the process moves forward.

1st Round- CB Morris Claiborne (LSU)

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 190

40 Time: 4.40

With the 5th pick of the draft, the Bucs will most likely have to choose between RB Trent Richardson and Claiborne. There are those who say Richardson is almost a lock to be drafted by the Bucs, but if it was me, I would take Claiborne.

For one, the Bucs don't know if veteran CB Ronde Barber is going to retire or come back to the team.  Secondly, the status of Aqib Talib is up in the air. The Bucs and Talib may not even have a choice in the matter (whether he is wanted back or released), depending on what happens with his court case for charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in March.

The bottom line is the Bucs need a CB of Claiborne's character badly. Claiborne led LSU with six interceptions this season and returned one for a touchdown, and also won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back. Claiborne also averaged 25 yards per return and had one touchdown that went 99 yards.

2nd Round: S Markelle Martin (Oklahoma State)

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 200

40 Time: 4.47

Markelle Martin is a natural free safety who also doesn't shy away from the physical part of the game. Martin was named to the All-Big 12 conference first team, and was named to the 2011 AFCA FBS Coaches’ All-America Team as well.

Martin did not have any interceptions in 2011, but he did have 74 tackles, 11 passes broken up and two forced fumbles. In 2010, Martin had three picks and 55 tackles.  Martin looked good at the Senior Bowl as well.

Bottom line, Martin has good speed and covers a lot of ground in the secondary.

3rd Round: LB Tank Carder (TCU)

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 235

40 Time: 4.65

The Bucs badly need a playmaker at LB.  Carder can be that type of player. In 2011, Carder had 66 tackles with 4.5 tackles for a loss, plus two interceptions returned for scores.

For the second straight year, Carder was the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year. In 2010, he had 60 tackles last season with 9.5 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery. 

Carder was also the 2011 Rose Bowl Defensive Most Valuable Player.

Carder can play either MLB or OLB and is very quick to the football. He's also hard-nosed and intense.  The Bucs need that type of attitude at LB.

5th Round- RB Isaiah Pead (Cincinnati)

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 195

40 Time: 4.40

Pead averaged 5.3 yards per carry with 1,259 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns in 2011. He is also very effective in the passing game, catching 39 passes for 319 yards and three scores.

Pead was also the MVP of the Senior Bowl, as he excelled as both a running back and punt returner.

He also ran for 149 yards and a touchdown as the Bearcats edged Vanderbilt 31-24 in the Liberty Bowl.

Pead also had back to back 1,000 yard seasons for the Bearcats.

6th Round: DE/DT Travian Robertson (South Carolina)

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 305

40 Time: 4.99

Robertson had a somewhat down year in 2011, as he had 49 tackles with eight tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks. However in the East-West Shrine game practices, Robertson looked like a man among boys as he dominated the offensive linemen.

Robertson was SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week when he had four tackles, with two for losses (-10 yards), including a sack (-8 yards) in South Carolina’s 17-12 win against Florida.

In 2010, Robertson had 42 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss with four sacks.

Robertson would be well worth a late round pick for the Bucs, especially with all the injuries the Bucs have had on their defensive line. 

7th Round: OT Josh Oglesby (Wisconsin)

Height: 6'7"

Weight: 330

40 Time: 5.30

Josh Oglesby was named to the All-Big Ten first team by both the coaches and the media. Oglesby had a strong senior season after having some injury issues throughout his career at Wisconsin. 

The tackle has had six knee surgeries in his career, and he suffered a torn ACL in 2010. It's for that reason that his draft stock is not higher. 

He played both RT and LT at Wisconsin.

Oglesby is a four year starter with prototypical size, who has also shown the ability to get to the second level on his blocks. A punishing run blocker, he does have problems at times with speed rushers in pass blocking.