Draft Grade A Day: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

With the 2011 regular season freshly over it is time to go back and evaluate every team’s draft classes based on performance this year.  I will use a formula to grade each pick and calculuate a final grade for each team. The Tampa Bay Bucs are on the examining table this Friday of Senior Bowl week.

ROUND 1 – graded from a 0-5 scale
ROUND 2 – graded from a 0-4 scale
ROUND 3  – graded from a 0-3 scale
ROUND 4 – graded from a 0-2 scale
ROUND 5 – graded from a 0-1 scale
ROUND 6 & 7 – no scale, point awarded if player was productive
*I reserve the right to award a bonus point to any player who outperformed their draft position.*

FINAL GRADING SCALE

90-100 – A
80-89 -    B
70-79 -   C
60 – 69 -  D
0-59 -       F

 

2011 Draft Class

Round 1: Adrain Clayborn DE, Iowa – 42 Tackles, 7.5 Sacks, 3 Forced Fumbles
 Analysis: I got to admit, on Draft Day  I thought this was a reach.  I was dead wrong.  Clayborn was a monster for the Bucs and looks to be a ferocious presence off the edge for years to come.
Grade: 6/5

Round 2: Da’Quan Bowers DE, Clemson – 25 Tackles, 1.5 Sacks
Analysis: Bowers was okay, but the Bucs had to be hoping for more from their second round pick.
Grade: 2/4

Round 3: Mason Foster LB, Washington – 84 Tackles, 2 Sacks, 1 Forced Fumble, 1 INT
Analysis: Foster stepped up from day one and played so well no one missed Barrett Ruud one bit.
Grade: 4/3

Round 4: Luke Stocker TE, Tennessee – 12 Receptions, 92 Yds
Analysis: Stocker caught a few balls but not enough to earn equal value of a fourth round pick.
Grade: 1/2

Round 5: Ahmad Black S, Florida – 5 Tackles
 
Analysis: Black appeared in 4 games making a few tackles. 
Grade: .25/1

Round 6:  Allen Bradford RB, USC – 13 Rush Yds
Analysis:  Bradford ran for 13 yds, but he did this as a member of the Seahawks since the Bucs cut him.
Grade: 0/0

Round 7:  Anthony Gaitor CB, FIU - 5 Tackles
 
Analysis: - Gaitor made 5 tackles and appeared in 8 games, that’s a little more than expected from a 7th round pick.
Grade: .5/0

Round 7: Daniel Hardy TE, Idaho – No Stats
Analysis: Hardy was released by the Bucs and is now on the Saints.
Grade:  0/0

TOTAL SCORE:  13.75/ 15
FINAL GRADE: 92%  

Analysis:  The Bucs had a great draft class in 2011 but unfortunately for them it didn’t turn into many wins on the field.  Their defense was especially bolstered, as Adrian Clayborn is going to be a flat out stud for years, and the same can be said for third rounder Mason Foster.  They’ll hope Da’quan Bowers can peform a little better in year two as he was a bit underwhelming.   Stocker showed potential as a pass catching TE, and they also have some later picks in Ahmad Black and Anthony Gaitor that showed promise.