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2015 NFL Draft: 5 players Tampa Bay Buccaneers should draft instead of Jameis Winston

By Andrew Garda

Dec 28, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith walks on the sidelines as the New Orleans Saints beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 28, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith walks on the sidelines as the New Orleans Saints beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 6, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Blake Sims (6) is pressured by Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Shane Ray (56) in the first quarter of the 2014 SEC Championship at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 6, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Blake Sims (6) is pressured by Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Shane Ray (56) in the first quarter of the 2014 SEC Championship at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /

Shane Ray, DE, Missouri

Losing both Michael Johnson and Adrian Clayborn to free agency is a problem, though Johnson was a misfire of a signing last year and Clayborn was hurt way too much.

The Buccaneers still need some more help at the defensive end spot, which really shouldn’t be as hard as it seems to have been for a team with Gerald McCoy at defensive tackle.

Missouri’s Shane Ray is an explosive athlete who uses his speed and quickness along with a great deal of strength to get after the quarterback and is relentless while doing so. Ray is used to a 4-3 base, so stepping into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense shouldn’t be much of a jolt. According to Lance Zierlein at NFL.com, Ray was used as a three-technique in some sub-packages in school as well, so he’s versatile enough to add a few wrinkles to the defense as well.

Ray has good power to overcome a stout guard or tackle if need be and there is no way most tight ends can slow him down, forget stopping him. If need be, he can even drop into coverage a little bit.

Why you stick with Winston:

The biggest negative for most analysts when it comes to Ray is his length, and that means he can get wrapped up a little bit because tackles can close on him and get a hold of his jersey. At times, he can get too wrapped up in his one-on-one battle and fails to get rid of the blocker in time to disrupt a pass play.

Ray also needs more pass-rush moves to really be a top-end pass rusher and worthy of the top overall pick.

Next: Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson

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