The NFL Draft is coming up at the end of the month, and the Mock Drafts around the Internet are starting to come a little bit more into focus. The guys at Walter Football are doing full Mock Draft. I can imagine how exhausting that is, so we're just going to focus on the first two rounds, where they have the Bucs addressing their biggest need. Because it becomes even more of a guessing game as the draft wears on.
In the first round, they have them taking Georgia defensive end Justin Houston, and they seem to be pretty sure about it.
The Buccaneers are desperate at defensive end. They need two upgrades at the position. They'll probably take the pass-rusher they have highest on their board. Thanks to a very reliable source, I now have reason to believe that Tampa Bay will target Justin Houston in the first round.
Houston might be closer to an outside linebacker than he is a defensive end, but he can still get after the quarterback which would help the pass rush. I'm not sure where he would play, but Houston would be a good fit for the Bucs, even at outside linebacker. In the second round they have the Bucs taking a more traditional defensive lineman in Miami's Allen Bailey.
The Buccaneers double dipped at defensive tackle and wide receiver last April. They could do the same at defensive end in the 2011 NFL Draft considering how much they need help at the position. Tampa likes Allen Bailey enough to have him in the discussion at No. 20. I have to believe he'll be the pick in the second round if he's available.
Bailey has as a ton of talent, but his motor has been questioned. But in the second round, he is probably a risk worth taking.
The Bucs need defensive ends badly, but I don't know if it is bad enough to take them with their first two picks. There might be other players on the board who could help at other positions. But if they really like Bailey that much, they won't hesitate too much before pulling the trigger.