SB Nation Writers Mock Draft: Round 1, Pick #19

Mar 31, 2009, 4:00 PM UTC

No. 19

TAMPA BAY
BUCCANEERS
Pick by Buc 'Em

Larry English
Defensive end
Northern Illinois

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more thorough blog in the SB Nation than Buc ‘Em. Head man JScott checks in with his pick thoughts.

Basically we need help on defense, specifically the defensive line and linebacker positions. Peria Jerry though a beast, doesn’t present the size and/or run stopping abilities that new defensive coordinator Jim Bates seeks in his defensive tackles. When new head coach Raheem Morris broke the news that future Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks had been released we were all intrigued (and disgusted) to see what his replacement plan entailed. Once the free agency smoke dissipated, we realized ‘The Plan’ never materialized as we learned that safety Jermaine Phillips had gained 20 pounds in order to make the transition of replacing Brooks. We are going to take from a strength to field a position that wasn’t much of a weakness last season.

With the lack of a second round pick we had to keep an eye on two positions at once. With defensive end Gaines Adams leading the team in sacks last season with 6.5, we clearly need more production from that position, especially with Bates requiring his pass rush to come from the end positions. Larry English can step in and provide that rush. With Adams making the move to the left side of the line, that should help English fit right in. Morris stressed toughness this offseason and English defines that attribute to a ‘T.’ He has a non-stop motor and likes to finish each play with authority.

In the event that English’s lack of size catches up to him on the d-line he can still try his luck at linebacker considering our need at the position. We did sign former Bills linebacker Angelo Crowell, but he missed all of ’08 with a knee injury so who knows if he can withstand the rigors of a full NFL season. This move would also allow Phillips to remain at safety where he’s wreaked havoc and would also eliminate his propensity to get injured with the increased hits he would have endured at linebacker. English’s past health issues scare us, but it’s the risk you’ll inevitably have to face with a player as physical as he is.

With the lack of ability to trade in this year’s mock draft this isn’t the ideal situation for us as we would have liked to trade back to get English while acquiring a second-round pick. With Percy Harvin, Mark Sanchez and Beanie Wells still available this was a tough, tough decision. The defense collapsed last season and so it has to be addressed since it was ignored in free agency. We’ve polled the fan base to exhaustion this offseason and they appear to want a Harvin or Jerry selection, so this pick won’t sit well with the majority of them, but it is what it is.

MTD thoughts: This is a tough call. With just one pick on the first day (barring a trade), Tampa needs to hit on this pick. Should the team still want a good pass rusher, Michael Johnson might be a better fit than English. It's also interesting to pass a receiver to line up opposite Antonio Bryant.