National Football League

College Football Playoff: Who the Buccaneers Should Watch at the Peach Bowl

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:11 p.m. ET

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Feb 18, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht speaks at a press conference during the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Buccaneers have steadily been climbing up the NFL power rankings propelled by a four-game winning streak which has seen them defeat two top playoff contenders.

The NFL playoff picture is still being clarified while college football has it’s field set to play, and the Buccaneers will be watching as they look to spot the next great draft prospect to bring onto the roster in 2017.

Scouting is a tricky business as college success doesn’t always translate to pro-level talent. Identifying who can help your franchise and who just doesn’t have what it takes to fit in your franchise are not easy tasks, but watching these young men go head-to-head against one of the top four teams in the NCAA can help separate the fool’s gold from the draft gems.

The Bucs have impressed as of late, and with four games left in the regular season there’s still plenty to be seen.

Building a future contender is a year-round job, and when the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl commences there will be plenty of eyes from around the NFL watching.

The following student-athletes are gearing up to put on a show as they lay down their final audition film for both the University of Alabama and the University of Washington.

Sep 30, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies defensive back Budda Baker (32) warms-up before the start of a game against the Stanford Cardinal at Husky Stadium. Washington won 44-6. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

Budda Baker, Safety

Washington Huskies

Junior, 5’10” 192 lbs.

Ok, I’ll admit, part of the reason I put Budda Baker on this list is because I love the name. The other part is because this guy is the kind of football player the Buccaneers need on their roster, and they’ll have their chance to grab him if they want him.

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After being named a 2016 Sporting News All-American Baker’s draft stock is sure to experience a bit of a boost, but I don’t see him entering the back-end of the first round just yet, and he should be available for the Bucs to move up and grab if they see the value in his potential.

Sidney Jones is the popular name in the Huskies’ secondary, but Washington has a dynamic duo with Jones teaming up with Baker to form their own collegiate version of Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas.

By the end of the regular season Baker had more than 60 tackles putting his run support ability on full display many times in the year.

His versatility in the secondary is what makes him such an attractive prospect though, and his two interceptions with four passes defended show his range in pass coverage as well.

In 2016, the Buccaneers made some fans moan when they traded up to draft Roberto Aguayo out of Florida State and passed up on safety prospect Vonn Bell from Ohio State who subsequently went to the New Orleans Saints.

In the upcoming draft, Jason Licht has a chance to make amends – not that he really needs to – and trade up to get a safety who will either push the likes of Chris Conte to produce consistently, or replace him altogether by mid-season next year.

Projected Draft Position: 2nd Round

Next: A CAM FOR TB

Sep 3, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; USC Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman Cam Robinson (74) in action during the game against the USC Trojans at AT&T Stadium. Alabama defeats USC 52-6. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Cam Robinson, Offensive Tackle

Alabama Crimson Tide

Junior, 6’6” 327 lbs.

Donovan Smith has been bearable as the Buccaneers left tackle since being drafted two years ago out of Penn State, but anyone who thinks he’s the long-term answer at his current level just isn’t paying attention.

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One of the most effective players on the field when Alabama takes on Washington in the Peach Bowl will be offensive tackle Cam Robinson from the Crimson Tide, and NFL franchises looking to protect their quarterback will be keeping a special eye on the Junior as they await his decision after the season on whether or not he’ll enter the NFL Draft.

Smith looks better suited to move to right tackle, and Robinson is a great left tackle who may be one of the more pro-ready prospects to come out this off-season. However, as talented as the young man seems to be, his draft position is highly diversified as he currently ranges anywhere from the middle of the first round to the early parts of the second.

Wherever he goes he’s going to be an immediate impact player, and only a bad playoff performance or injury could hurt his first-round draft status in my mind.

For a Buccaneers team which has seen a significant drop in their run production, only part of this can be attributed to running back injuries. Even with Doug Martin back in the lineup this running game simply isn’t what it was a year ago, and the reduction in effectiveness on the offensive line needs to shoulder some of the blame.

Injuries, inexperience and the retirement of Logan Mankins have taken their toll on this front line. Drafting Robinson would be a great step forward to building a great one moving forward.

Projected Draft Position: Mid-Late 1st Round

Next: DESEAN JACKSON 2.0

December 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Washington Huskies wide receiver John Ross (1) runs against Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Chidobe Awuzie (4) during the third quarter in the Pac-12 championship at Levi

John Ross, Wide Receiver

Washington Huskies

Junior (RS), 5’11” 190 lbs.

Mike Evans has had three straight 1,000-yard seasons and already has more catches this year than in any other during his young career.

He’s done all this despite being the lone target for most of his time with the Buccaneers, it’s almost scary to think what he might be able to do if opposing defenses have to worry about any other receiver on the field like they do with Evans.

December 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Washington Huskies wide receiver John Ross (1) during the third quarter in the Pac-12 championship against the Colorado Buffaloes at Levi

John Ross of the Washington Huskies could be the guy to bring this image to reality if the Bucs pull the trigger on this prospect in the 2017 NFL Draft, and he will definitely get plenty of attention by all 32 franchises when he and his teammates take on the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Since returning from a knee injury which cost him all of 2015, Ross has done nothing but impress.

In his 208-yard performance against USC, Ross confirmed his playmaking ability in big games as he averaged nearly 20-yards per catch in the rivalry game.

In late November with their conference title hopes on the line, Ross again stood-out in big game moments bringing in 12 catches for 95-yards in a win against the Arizona State Sun Devils. This was much more of a possession game as Ross averaged just 7.9 yards per catch and had a long of just 14-yards on the day.

No matter who he faces the redshirt Junior finds ways to impact his offense, and significantly opens up space underneath the safeties as they fall back to keep him from blowing the lid of their defense.

Ross is climbing the boards and may climb even more with a good performance in the college football playoffs, but if he’s there when the Buccaneers pick you can rest assured the fans would love to see him join Evans and quarterback Jameis Winston for the 2017 season.

Projected Draft Position: Mid-Late 1st Round

Next: THE EXCEPTION

Oct 15, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Eddie Jackson (4) celebrates his punt return for a 79yd touchdown against the Tennessee Volunteers during the fourth quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Eddie Jackson, Safety

Alabama Crimson Tide

Senior, 6’0” 194 lbs.

Players who suffer significant injuries in college are always risks to take in the NFL Draft. For every Todd Gurley – the current Los Angeles Rams’ running back who tore his ACL in his final collegiate game and went on to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in his rookie season – there is a Jadeveon Clowney who struggled to get on the field at all in his rookie year trying to heal from injury suffered at South Carolina.

Eddie Jackson suffered a broken leg late in October against Texas A&M and will not return at all in the remainder of the 2016 football season. This makes him an exception on this list as he will obviously not be playing at the Peach Bowl, but has the talent necessary to avoid being ignored here.

Thought of as one of the top – if not the top – safety prospect in all of college football coming into the season Jackson was able to tally 24 tackles and an interception with two passes defended before going down near the end of his team’s eighth win of the year.

In his 15 games during the 2015 season, the Crimson Tide safety had 46 tackles along with six interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns.

Nick Saban went on record saying he didn’t think the injury would effect Jackson long-term, but you can guarantee all eyes will be on the Senior’s medical evaluations when the combine convenes before next year’s draft.

The Buccaneers could certainly use some talent at safety as the position has been in turmoil for much of the past two years under the Chris Conte and Bradley McDougald era. The duo has improved as of late, but it’s doubtful the two have convinced the front office they are the safties of the future in Tampa Bay.

Jackson’s return ability sweetens the pot as it allows the team to find productivity out of him even if he doesn’t immediately step into a starting role in the secondary.

Projected Draft Position: Mid-Late 2nd Round

These are just a few of the names who will be playing in the Peach Bowl, and Eddie Jackson will certainly produce much conversation despite never stepping on the field during this year’s college football playoff.

For the Buccaneers this bowl season, as is the same with every bowl season, they’ll be looking to identify young talent who can perform against some of the best competition in the nation and step it up when the lights turn on.

What do you think of the guys named here, and who else are you looking forward to seeing when the Alabama Crimson Tide and Washington Huskies take the field on New Year’s Eve?

Let me know in the comments below or contact me on Twitter to talk it out.

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