This is a case of the Bucs taking a chance on a great athlete.  Hayward is 6′0″, 235 pounds and he runs a 4.48 40 which makes him fast enough to play safety or linebacker at the NFL level.  Hayward played in 22 games (11 starts) at Portland State and he made 123 tackles, had 11 sacks, 19.5 tackles for a loss, forced 4 fumbles, recovered 1 fumble and broke up 7 passes.  Even if Hayward isn’t a contributor right away on the defense he could be a special teams assassin.

This was a pick for depth by the Bucs as Peterson will be a project for the future.  He’s a tweener as he’s a little small for tackle and a little too big for end.  He is 6′5″, 286 pounds and he runs a 4.73 40 which is pretty quick for a man his size.  He has problems fighting through double teams in the running game and that could be a huge problem for him in the NFL if he’s playing at tackle.  Peterson dominated at North Carolina Central but he will need time to adjust to the gigantic leap in competition that the NFL will have waiting for him.  Peterson played in 24 games at North Carolina Central and he made 104 tackles, 25.5 tackles for a loss, had 10.5 sacks, forced 3 fumbles, recovered 2 fumbles, batted down 2 passes and intercepted one. 

Tanard Jackson came to the right place when he was selected by the Buccaneers.  Jackson doesn’t have great speed (4.55 40) but the Bucs run a lot of zone and that should protect him against the pass.  Jackson is very strong for his size (6′0″, 192 pounds) and he packs a wallop on run defense as he often tries to drive right through the ball carrier.  Jackson played in 45 games (34 starts) for Syracuse and he made 167 tackles, broke up 12 passes, had 5 interceptions (43 return yards), forced 2 fumbles and recovered 3 fumbles.  Look for Jackson to play in nickel and dime coverages as a rookie.  He will also help out on special teams early in his NFL career.  He should be a starter down the line for the Bucs and he was an outstanding pick.

The Bucs have re-signed safety Kalvin Pearson to a 1-year contract.  Pearson was a solid backup last season for the Bucs as he played in all 16 games and made 35 tackles, defensed 1 pass and forced a fumble.  Look for him to have the same role this season for the Bucs.

The Bucs focused on their defense early in the draft and Quincy Black certainly is a good enough athlete to help.  He’s on the small side at 6′1″, 226 pounds but he’s really fast as he runs a 4.66 40.  If the Bucs can keep blockers away from Black he can make plays in space because of his superior athletic ability.  But if linemen get to him he is out of the play quickly.  He played in 36 games (23 starts) at New Mexico and he made 195 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, had 1.5 sacks, broke up 9 passes and had 4 interceptions.  Look for Black to compete for a starting job and to help out on a lot of the special teams as a rookie for the Bucs.