Impact Wideout Could Be Had At No. 20 If you saw what Bucs executive vice president Joel Glazer had to say at the owners' meetings last week, you know that the playmaking wide receiver the team is looking for likely will come via the draft. It's not like they have much choice. The first and best wave of free agency already has crested, and the Bucs pretty much ignored the receivers who were available. You get the feeling that was part of the plan. Though attractive wideouts were available in free agency, signing them to big contracts would have gone against the grain of the Bucs' blueprint for success. That blueprint, Glazer said, calls for the Bucs to build primarily through the draft, which is great. It's a far more financially sound approach and if you employ the patience it requires, it also can be rewarding. There's just one problem. The Bucs, regardless of the architect, have failed miserably in recent years to build a viable corps of wide receivers through the draft. Since 1998, the Bucs have drafted 10 receivers, including three with their first pick. Every one, including first takes Jacquez Green (1998), Marquise Walker (2002) and Michael Clayton (2004), have been colossal disappointments. Free agency, meanwhile, has proved a far more fruitful marketplace for the Bucs, even if it has only yielded Bert Emanuel (remember him?), Keenan McCardell and Ike Hilliard. There's reason to believe, though, that drafting a wideout in this year's draft finally will result in the Bucs getting the kind of impact player they've long been looking for. For starters, the crop of receivers is said to be one of the best in years. The Sporting News gives the group an A grade despite the fact it doesn't list even one among its top five players overall. It's also a very deep crop, with at least eight players considered first- or second-round worthy, according to most scouts. Though they pick 20th overall, the Bucs still could get one of the top receivers. And with so much depth, it wouldn't be out of the question for them to add two or three wideouts during draft weekend. For now, though, let's focus on that first-round selection and see who may be there when the Bucs' first pick comes around. Some of the names you're about to read may actually surprise you: •LSU's Early Doucet. He is ranked first among receivers by The Sporting News' War Room scouts, but several draft projections have him available when the Bucs' first pick comes around. He wouldn't be a bad choice. He has good size, very good speed and excellent route-running skills. The only concern is Doucet's health; he battled injuries last year and that may cause him to drop to the second round. •Cal's DeSean Jackson. He has excellent speed, very good size and the ability to return kicks and punts. That latter trait may be the thing that attracts him to the Bucs, but there is concern among scouts about a "me-first" attitude. That could cause Jackson to fall to the second round, but don't count on it. His varied talents are rare. •Michigan State's Devin Thomas. Several mock drafts, including the latest posted by ESPN.com and The Sporting News, have the Bucs taking Thomas. Size is probably the biggest reason. At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Thomas could really push Clayton and Maurice Stovall for playing time at flanker. He also could push Mark Jones for the kick returner's job. Thomas is a player on the rise, but he's seems to be more of a risk than several other candidates, largely because he's only played one year at the Division I level and because he tends to lose focus on the field. Considering their past and their stated blueprint for success, the Bucs may opt for a safer option because they are quickly running out of options in terms of adding playmakers. Roy Cummings, The Tampa Tribune 6 April 2008