Draft Preview - The Defensive Line There is some debate over who is the top defensive tackle in this draft is but for my money it’s Amobi Okoye (Louisville), while I’m quite sure that Michigan’s Alan Branch will be the first tackle off the board, there is so much to like about Okoye’s game. Coming into his senior year he was missing a good pass rush well if the senior bowl is anything to go by he has done some serious work on that part of his game. Okoye was playing in a BCS conference as 16-year-old true freshman. He is very strong, very young and very talented. Alan Branch (Michigan) is just basically massive (6’6, 330lbs+), with Branch you know what your getting, a big tackle that can stuff the run, can take on multiple blockers and is a more complete tackle now than Okoye (although I think Okoye has a higher ceiling) Branch was part of statistically one of the best rushing defences in all of college football. He still lacks the pass rushing skills that many look for although he certainly can collapse a pocket, could go in the first 10 picks. For me the real interesting pick here is Marcus Thomas (Florida) early this year Thomas was playing his way into a top 10 pick, but following a number of incidents that resulted in his expulsion from the University of Florida his character has obviously come into question, what can’t be questioned is that he is a very talented tackle but it really is anyone guess where he lands in the draft, if your willing to gamble Thomas could be an excellent pick up for any team and may even be available on the second day, this still is a case a buyer beware. Other tackles that are certainly interesting are Quinn Pitcock (Ohio State), Justin Harrell (Tennessee) and Tank Tyler (NC State). Some feel that Pitcock might sneak into the back end of the first round and while he looks a solid tackle he still doesn’t rush the passer well but should be good value somewhere in the second round. Harrell is a great talent but has durability issues, he played with a ruptured bicep tendon against Florida… so I’m quite sure his toughness isn’t in question, he is also a touch undersized but certainly could play defensive end in certain defensive schemes. There is a lot to like about Tyler, he has a lot of tools that NFL teams look for but he requires a lot of work, takes too many plays off and I’m not sold on the recent NC State defensive lineman (3 first round picks last year) cant see that Tyler is better than any of them. The defensive end position is absolutely stacked, for me this is the deepest position in the draft (but the wide receiver class is close). There might be at least 10 high profile defensive ends in this draft, last year it looked like a run on defensive backs was going to happen in the first round and push a few second rounds corners into the 1st round… this year it could be the defensive ends. I think the defensive ends that will go high in the first round are really not going to be on the Buccaneers radar, there are a number who could be top 10 prospects but I see the top DE’s just a notch below who you would take with the 4th pick in this draft. Gaines Adams (Clemson) has long been considered the premier end in this draft based purely on his athletic ability and a natural ability to get after the quarterback and while he will be a high pick his major drawback could be his size, but when it comes to production there are not many better than him in the nation. He however might not be viewed as the top end in the draft anymore that honour could belong to Arkansas' Jammal Anderson, he could be Gaines Adams with the required size. Anderson is still very raw and lacks starting experience, he will be off the board early. Behind Anderson and Adams in the draft are a bunch of ends with a very good chance to all be gone by the time the Buccaneers draft in the second round, these Include Adam Carriker(Nebraska), Charles Johnson (Georgia) and Jarvis Moss (Florida) if any of these were available early in the second round I think we should jump at the chance to grab one of them, but I doubt they will be available. There are however ends that are probably set to go somewhere near the middle of the drafts first day, some of which could get serious consideration by the Buccaneers for at least of the 2nd round picks. Victor Abiamiri (Notre Dame) Some feel that he is a first round pick, but a lack of size and the fact that a lot of his best games have come against the service academies offensive tackles doesn’t help, he is one of many ends that could end up as a 3-4 linebacker. Quentin Moses (Georgia) Another one some like a first round pick, but I just don’t like him, another natural pass rusher who may not have the size for defensive end in the NFL, he was looked at as one of the best prospects for this draft at the start of his senior year, he certainly didn’t live up to expectations, was passed by team mate Charles Johnson on many draft boards and just looked like he was trying not to get injured while waiting for his NFL pay day. Other defensive ends that will be worth looking for especially in the first day include Tim Crowder (Texas), Ray McDonald (Florida), Anthony Spencer (Purdue), LaMarr Woodley (Michigan) and Jay Moore (Nebraska) most of these have question marks next to them in regards to either size or injury history but all have more than enough talent to make this a very deep class. Wayne Maw, 2 March 2007