2011 NFL Draft: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Seven Round Mock Draft

Ladies and gentleman, the Bucs are back.

Excuse me for jumping the gun a bit, but as an excited Buccaneer fan, I’m jazzed up for the future.

Tampa Bay has a bright young nucleus to build around and they’re a team that looks to be ascending after a breakthrough season last year.

QB Josh Freeman and head coach Raheem Morris should lead this team back to the top of the NFC within a few years. But before they can do that, they’re going to have to plug a few holes.

The Bucs have a lot of key decisions to make once the lockout ends and their 2011 roster is far from set at this point.

The only thing they can control right now is which rookies they’re going to add in next week’s NFL draft.

Here’s a look at my eight ideal Tampa Bay draft picks.

1st Round: DE Aldon Smith, Missouri

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COLUMBIA, MO - OCTOBER 23: Aldon Smith #85 of the Missouri Tigers in action against the Oklahoma Sooners at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium on October 23, 2010 in Columbia, Missouri. The Tigers beat the Sooners 36-27. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Image

With the 20th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri.

Everyone knows that Tampa Bay’s most pressing need is at the defensive end position.

Luckily for the Bucs, it happens to be the deepest position in this year’s draft. There’s a legitimate chance that eight defensive ends could be selected on the draft’s first night.

The one prospect who would be the perfect fit for Tampa is super pass-rusher Aldon Smith out of Missouri.

Although he’s still raw, Smith possesses as much potential and upside as any player in this draft.

The 6’4’’ and 265 lb. redshirt sophomore totaled 17 sacks and 29 tackles for loss during his short time at Missouri and he flashed more natural athleticism than any other DE prospect in this draft.

2nd Round: S Rahim Moore, UCLA

Rahim Moore

With the 51st pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Rahim Moore, S, UCLA.

I’m still a little bitter that the Bucs decided to draft Gerald McCoy over Eric Berry last year.

The team only had one true standout safety on the roster last season and that was Tanard Jackson. However, after a second violation of the NFL’s drug policy, no one is quite sure what the future holds for Jackson.

That leaves Sean Jones and Cody Grimm to cover the slack.

Adding another safety to the mix would be a wise move but it’s a thin class this year with no elite prospects to be found.

The best of the bunch is UCLA’s Rahim Moore, who could be available in the second round when the Bucs are on the clock.

Moore may not be the most physically gifted safety but he’s a great leader who has a chance to develop into the centerpiece of a NFL defensive backfield.

3rd Round: TE Virgil Green, Nevada

With the 84th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Virgil Green, TE, Nevada.

Giving a young quarterback more offensive weapons never hurts.

It’s true, the Bucs already have an established tight end in Kellen Winslow Jr., who hauled in 66 passes for 730 yards last season. But Winslow, who will be 28-years-old next season, is the only real threat at the position.

Adding a young tight end who can come in and make plays in the passing game is something that the team needs to consider—one prospect who fits that mold is Nevada’s Virgil Green.

Green has the type of speed and athleticism to really put pressure on opposing defenses and he would make a great second tight end for the upcoming season and he could turn into Winslow’s eventual replacement.

4th Round: LB Doug Hogue, Syracuse

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SEATTLE - SEPTEMBER 11: Doug Hogue #32 of the Syracuse Orange looks on during the game against the Washington Huskies on September 11, 2010 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

With the 116th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Doug Hogue, LB, Syracuse.

There are few linebackers available in this draft who can actually be considered quality fits for the Cover 2 defense, but one such player is Doug Hogue out of Syracuse.

Hogue, a converted running back, has the athleticism and range to flow all over the field and he would make a perfect weakside linebacker for the Bucs.

Even though he only played two seasons on the defensive side of the ball, the 6’2’’ 235 lb. Hogue proved to be a quick learner, racking up 168 tackles and 12.5 sacks.

No one is sure if Quincy Black will be back with the team and Geno Hayes wasn’t exactly stellar last season.

Dekoda Watson, who outplayed his seventh round value as a rookie, could be the heir apparent on the strong side but the team definitely needs to consider adding some depth throughout the linebacker corps.

5th Round: CB Kendric Burney, UNC

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TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 22: Cornerback Kendric Burney #16 of the North Carolina Tar Heels warms up before play against the University of South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium on September 22, 2007 in Tampa, Florida. USF won 37-10. (Photo by Al Mes

With the 151st pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Kendric Burney, CB, North Carolina.

It may be time for the Bucs to finally part ways with talented yet troubled CB Aqib Talib, the team’s 2008 first round pick. Talib may have finally worn out his welcome in Tampa Bay after another run-in with the law in March.

That would leave Ronde Barber as the team’s top cornerback.

Barber, who is now 36-years-old, is now watching his NFL hourglass slowly but surely run out of sand.

Myron Lewis and E.J. Biggers are two intriguing young corners who could eventually turn into starters down the road, but more help is needed at the position.

One of my favorite cornerback prospects in this year’s draft is North Carolina’s Kendric Burney, who really impressed me during senior bowl week.

Burney’s only noticeable deficiency is his lack of speed, something that could be covered up in Tampa’s defense.

Burney, who is a perfect fit for the Cover 2, is one of the most competitive and instinctive cornerbacks in this class and he could turn out to be a real steal for the team that snags him on day three.

6th Round: OL Joseph Barksdale, LSU

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GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 11: Offensive lineman Joseph Barksdale #78 of the LSU Tigers sets to block against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 11, 2008 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

With the 187th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Joseph Barksdale, OT, LSU.

The Bucs have to figure out what to do with guard Davin Joseph and tackle Jeremy Trueblood, who will both be free agents after the lockout ends.

It’s unlikely that the team will resign Trueblood, who was replaced and then subsequently outplayed by James Lee at right tackle last season.

The team could look to draft a guard/tackle tweener sometime on day three and one prospect they could take a look at is Joseph Barksdale out of LSU.

Barksdale possesses starter ability but he failed to solidify himself as an upper-echelon offensive line prospect during his time in Baton Rouge.

He’s the type of lineman who’s worth taking a shot on late with the hope that he could mature and reach his potential at some point.

7th Round: QB Jeff Van Camp, Florida Atlantic

With the 222nd pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Jeff Van Camp, QB, Florida Atlantic.

We know that the Bucs are set at QB with young star-in-the-making Josh Freeman under center, but it remains unclear who Freeman’s long term backup will be.

Josh Johnson is in the last year of his contract and there have been rumors that he could eventually be traded to the 49ers, who are now led by Johnson’s former college coach, Jim Harbaugh.

In the later rounds, the Bucs might look for a young quarterback to develop and one name they should consider is in-state prospect Jeff Van Camp from Florida Atlantic.

Van Camp is a tall, prototypical pro passer, who has the tools to turn into an intriguing NFL signal caller if he’s given the proper time to progress.

7th Round: RB Derrick Locke, Kentucky

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LEXINGTON, KY - SEPTEMBER 18: Derrick Locke #20 of the Kentucky Wildcats runs with the ball during the game against the Akron Zips at Commonwealth Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

With the 238th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Derrick Locke, RB, Kentucky.

RB LeGarrette Blount, who went undrafted in 2010, turned out to be a revelation for the Bucs last season, leading all rookie running backs with 1,007 yards. Blount solidifed himself as the No. 1 back for Tampa Bay going forward but there are concerns about who will spell him in 2011.

At age 28, Cadillac Williams is on the downside of his career and Kareem Huggins probably won’t be back next season.

I wouldn’t be shocked if the team looked at one of the top tier backs early on and Alabama’s Mark Ingram could be in play at the No. 20 pick. But if I were running the show, I would wait until the third day to draft a RB.

There are a ton of quality situational backs who can be found after Round 3 this year and one of the big sleepers of the draft looks to be Kentucky’s Derrick Locke.

He reminds me of a less explosive version of Dexter McCluster.

The 5’9’’ 180 lb. Locke is too small to carry a heavy workload in the NFL but he has the speed to be a versatile weapon in both the running and passing games.

I also wouldn’t mind seeing either Louisville’s Bilal Powell, Connecticut’s Jordan Todman or Pittsburgh’s Dion Lewis in a Tampa Bay uniform next season.

If the Bucs come away with one of those four backs, I would be satisfied. Although I would not be a happy camper if the team wasted the No. 20 pick on Mark Ingram.