In what has to be a major disappointment for Da’Quan Bowers, the clearly talented defensive end finds a home in Tampa Bay. The Bucs have already went with the defensive line in this draft with Adrian Clayborn in the first round, but there’s just no denying the talent available at this point in the draft.
The larger medical questions loom over Bowers knee and whether he’ll be able to come in and play at full speed or whether he’ll need surgery soon. Yet even if the Bucs have to wait, Bowers holds the type of pass rushing talent that’s hard to develop and difficult to draft, so it’s still a nice play for the Buccaneers. After all, Bowers had 16 sacks last season at Clemson.
In the second round, Bowers is a great value for Raheem Morris’ club and he teams with nice young defensive line talent taken last year like Bryan Price and Gerald McCoy, last year’s third overall choice. It’s clear the defensive line has now been completely remade in just two off-seasons. Better yet, even with Bowers health issues aside, you have a young crew under contract who can grow together.