South Carolina ILB Demetrius Knight.
OK, so, Joe is open-minded about this Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell.
Joe was fully driving the Campbell bandwagon until learning he had shoulder surgery just after the combine for a mysterious injury that may require eight months of rehab.
That means he may not get on the field until October, missing all offseason workouts, rookie camp, minicamp, underwear football and training camp.
So basically his rookie season could be a wash.
And if the Bucs are really going to try to make a Super Bowl run, which it sure looks like they are planning, wouldn’t you want your first-round pick being a major contributor?
So let’s say Campbell’s shoulder surgery scares off the Bucs. What then? Clearly they have a need at inside linebacker. Would this Demetrius Knight of South Carolina get the job done?
It seems Knight isn’t great in pass coverage. That’s where the Bucs need help. But one big thing got Knight on Joe’s radar:
The former high school quarterback had the [second-lowest missed tackle rate](https://x.com/CFBFilmRoom/status/1904201570927141101) of all SEC linebackers in his one and only season in the SEC after transferring from UNC-Charlotte. If you can play linebacker in the SEC, you can play in the NFL. And if Knight doesn’t miss tackles, that sounds like a linebacker Joe wants.
It appears the third round is the ceiling for Knight. Do the Bucs want to bank on a third-round pick to save the defense at linebacker?
https://twitter.com/ZachHicks2/status/1903847757615345860