2019 NFL Draft: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7 round mock draft
By Joe Romano
Round 3 – Pick 70
Juan Thornhill, S, UVA
In the third round, Tampa Bay would be smart to stick to the defensive side of the ball. That unit was exposed time and time again for the Buccaneers. They could not get a stop and it showed. This is a team that was historic in passing the ball but is still picking inside the top five in the draft. Their defense needs some major upgrades.
A critical spot for them to address would be the safety position. In the third round Virginia’s Juan Thornhill provides excellent value. Thornhill is a long time contributor for the Cavaliers defense playing all over. This past season he showed excellent ability when near the box but also made strides on the back end. He is not the over-the-top player that is desired by the NFL but his skill set is valuable and he can contribute there. Thornhill is the type of player that can line up against tight ends and hold his own. He’s rarely bodied and shows good instincts with the ball in the air.
Tampa is losing Chris Conte to free agency this year which leaves a hole at safety. That shows how desperate this team must be for safety help. Getting Justin Evans back from injury should help. Evans and Thornhill would give Tampa Bay a dynamic pair of safeties that compliment each other well. Evans can patrol the deep parts of the field and let Thornhill or last year’s draft pick Jordan Whitehead play the underneath. This would also help the corners that Tampa has struggled to develop. There just was not one of value who deserved to be selected here over Thornhill.