Randy Gregory a possibility for Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

By Kevin Parvizi | May 1, 2015

Failed drug tests and character concerns caused former Nebraska star Randy Gregory to fall out of the first day of the draft after once being viewed as a top-2o prospect, and it will be interesting to see how early he goes on the second day of the 2015 NFL Draft. The Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the No. 33 and 34 picks, respectively, but the amount of money that the Titans have tied up in Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo makes it unlikely for them to draft one-time, top-ten pick.

Gregory’s concerns seem to be significant, but ESPN’s Ed Werder reports that he is still a possibility for the Buccaneers at 34. His high upside combined with the Bucs huge need at defensive end could make a quality, high-upside pick, but I don’t think it’s the right fit on paper.

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For starters, I view Gregory as a much better fit in the 3-4, and it’s both due to his lack of strength and the fact that he’s best-used as a linebacker where he can free-lance as a pass rusher. He had some creative sacks while at Nebraska, and I’d like to see him off of the edge without his hands in the ground. Gregory is at his best in space, and he’s easily one of the most athletic defensive players in the class.

There’s also the matter that the Buccaneers needs on the offensive line are even bigger than their needs on the defensive line. While their pass rush looks awful on paper with George Johnson and Jacquies Smith as starters (those two are ideally decent rotation guys), their bigger need will likely to provide Jameis Winston with sufficient blocking so that he can use Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson, and Austin Seferian-Jenkins to great effect.

It’s why Werder explicitly mentions Jake Fisher as an option, as the former Oregon standout is very likely the best offensive lineman left on the board. Interior pressure was the Buccaneers biggest problem last year and was Winston’s biggest problem at Florida State, but tackles are much more valuable. Plus, either T.J. Clemmings or Fisher could slot in at guard if needed, though I’d rather see the former inside than the latter.

Basically, the Buccaneers have needs all over their offensive line, and it will be almost impossible for them to sufficiently find a tackle upgrade as Demar Dotson‘s bookend if they don’t take Fisher, Clemmings, or another touted OT in the second. As we saw in the first round, offensive tackles go quickly, and Fisher could have easily gone in the first round with the way tackles like Ereck Flowers and D.J. Humphries were snapped up.

Feb 22, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive lineman Randy Gregory goes through a pass interception drill during the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

In my opinion, there’s no doubt that Randy Gregory is a more talented prospect than the offensive linemen left on the board, and the Buccaneers have the need. However, there are concerns about his ability to play DE in the NFL, as well as concerns regarding his off-field make-up.

The former is more important than the latter to the Bucs, and with a rookie quarterback in, the Bucs bigger priority is to shore up an offensive line that looks atrocious on the right side.

Plenty of people are surprised that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven’t taken Gregory off of their board entirely, but that’s not a surprise to me, given his athleticism and the current state of their pass rush.

But I would be shocked if they take him in favor of an offensive tackle, because even though OTs are inherently risky due to the difficulty of the position, even Clemmings is more safe than Gregory, who is another boom-or-bust edge defender with, in my opinion, significantly more “bust” in a 4-3.

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