5 NFL Draft Prospects Buccaneers Fans Should Already Be Watching

NFL draft season is still at least 13 weeks away for most teams, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of a handful of teams that can probably start thinking about the offseason already. 

Due to a coaching change during the 2014 offseason, the Buccaneers are still in a rebuilding process and will be attempting to find the right mix of players to fill out Lovie Smith and Leslie Frazier's defense and a signal-caller for Jeff Tedford's offensive system.

The following list highlights five prospects who could be first-round targets of the Buccaneers depending on where they end up making their first selection on April 30.

Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State

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Despite their 1-4 record, the Buccaneers have played well enough recently to make it difficult to imagine them landing in a position to select Marcus Mariota, the consensus top quarterback in this class. As a result, their attention should turn to the next tier to determine if anyone else is worthy of a top-10 selection. 

Connor Cook doesn't appear to have the elite physical tools of Mariota or Jameis Winston, but his measurables are passable (6'4", 218 lbs). And he has shown enough arm talent to warrant first-round consideration. 

Whether Cook ends up a possibility for the Buccaneers in the first round will depend upon the development of his decision-making. 

Cook plays with confidence, which some will view as a strength, but the tight windows he attempts to squeeze the ball into against Big Ten opponents won't go his way nearly as often at the next level. 

It's likely that scouts will have a wide range of opinions on Cook in their final evaluations. 

Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA

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Brett Hundley has not elevated his stock the way many expected during his senior year, but the weak play of his offensive line certainly hasn't helped matters. 

Despite his mostly disappointing and inconsistent performance, Hundley still possesses all the physical tools in terms of arm talent and athleticism that will endear him to NFL teams. Additionally, Hundley, who started his academic career at UCLA as a pre-med student, is among the most intelligent prospects in this class and will pass the interview portion of the evaluation with flying colors. 

While the Bucs obviously have some holes, the talent at running back and receiver in Tampa Bay would allow Hundley to step in and find immediate success. 

He has more than enough arm strength and accuracy to get the ball down the field to Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans and Austin Seferian-Jenkins and has the athleticism to buy some time with his feet when the line fails him.

Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M

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The Buccaneers' patchwork offensive line has ranked among the worst in the league this season, especially in pass protection. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the Bucs' quarterbacks have been pressured on 40.9 percent of their dropbacks this season, the third-worst rate in the NFL.

In Tampa, Ogbuehi could potentially unseat Anthony Collins at left tackle. However, Collins has performed well enough that the team could choose to ease the rookie into the NFL by lining him on the right side early in his career. 

Ogbuehi is coming off a subpar performance against Mississippi State but has the overall body of work to be considered a solid first-round prospect at this stage of the process. 

Other offensive linemen who could catch the Buccaneers' attention include Stanford's Andrus Peat and Iowa's Brandon Scherff.

Marcus Peters, CB, Washington

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Earlier this year a scout told Bleacher Report's Matt Miller that Marcus Peters is a "'stay-away' character player." 

That's certainly something teams will factor into their final evaluation of the Washington cornerback, but in terms of talent, he appears to have the skills to land in the first round. 

Peters has the size and athleticism to play in any scheme at the next level and has shown the ability to make plays in press, off-man and zone coverage. 

Lovie Smith and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier tend to like their defensive backs to be aggressive in an effort to make splash plays, which Peters does well. He's a gambler, which does hurt him at times, but it's the style of play that the Buccaneers will likely favor when looking to upgrade their secondary.

Danny Shelton, DT, Washington

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Danny Shelton is a behemoth on the interior defensive line, listed at 339 pounds by Washington. But, much like Vince Wilfork, Peters carries his weight well and moves well for his size. 

Gerald McCoy remains among the most dominant defensive tackles in the league, but the platoon of Akeem Spence and Clinton McDonald next to McCoy has failed miserably this season. In fact, Spence, despite playing just 34 percent of the Bucs' snaps, ranks as Pro Football Focus' worst defensive tackle this season. 

Shelton has the size (6'2", 339 lbs) and quickness to be the run-stuffing lineman the Buccaneers need to plug in next to the more pass-rushing minded McCoy.

This is exactly the type of player Tampa Bay had hoped it landed in Brian Price—whom it selected in the second round in 2010 after selecting McCoy in the first—but has failed to find in the years since.