2020 NFL Draft: Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round targets

Grant Delpit, S, LSU

As previously mentioned, the entirety of the Buccaneers secondary has lacked the top-end talent to support their front-seven. Keeping the trend of LSU safety products, Grant Delpit has impressed this season while being overshadowed by Joe Burrow and the LSU offense.

Physical and versatile, Delpit provides both versatility and dynamic athleticism to the back-end. NFL teams have become more interested in building from the back-end with players such as Jamal Adams and Derwin James. A player like Delpit is the perfect specimen to build around in a cover 3 or cover 1 coverage scheme, able to roam the middle and give free-reign over the field.

With current staples at linebacker in Devin White and Lavonte David, Tampa Bay has been able to acquire the same kind of dynamic pieces for the middle of their defense, but still lack that explosiveness in their secondary since (arguably) Mark Barron and Dashon Goldson. Delpit is a plug-and-play rookie who will make a difference from day one if given the proper responsibilities in the correct coverage scheme.

Delpit would most likely be paired alongside Jordan Whitehead, a physical safety who can play down in the box and provide the run support to allow Delpit to roam deep. If another true free safety is acquired to pair alongside Delpit, he is still able to move down and provide run support and slot-coverage similar to a high-tier nickel corner (ex: Justin Coleman, CB, DET).