The only reason Joe is posting the following is because it comes from a former NFL general manager and a high-ranking limb of the Bill Parcells tree, on which Bucs coach Todd Bowles has a branch as well.
Mike Tannenbaum, the former Jets GM who worked in the front office of the Dolphins when Parcells ran their show, decided to do a mock draft. Whoopee! But Joe puts credence in this mock because, again, Tannenbaum has a long resume and worked with Parcells.
Since Tannenbaum tries luring NFL teams to farm out their personnel work to him via his 33rd Team outfit, Joe has a hunch Tannenbaum won’t put out complete BS as he wants work (read: revenue).
(Joe is going to start referring to mock drafts from non-NFL insiders that are published over a week before the draft as “schlock drafts,” because that’s what they are: schlock. There is no need to try to play war games with the draft like you’re preparing for the Battle of Midway. Real, knowledgeable football people don’t have 20 mock/schlock drafts each spring.)
Even though it was learned that stud Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell had surgery to repair a torn shoulder labrum after a mysterious injury, a lot of folks are not dissuaded. They believe Bowles and the Bucs will still draft him at No. 19.
> **19\. Tampa Bay Buccaneers**
> **Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama**
>
> I thought about Michigan tight end Colston Loveland. I also scanned the offensive line and cornerback boards. But re-signing 35-year-old Lavonte David doesn’t completely satisfy the linebacker need, and Campbell is a potential star. He fits what Todd Bowles looks for on defense — tough, instinctive, productive and durable. Campbell is a classic three-down ‘backer who can cover, blitz and tackle against the run. I love his size (6-3, 235 pounds), too. And Campbell had 112 tackles and five sacks last season. Sign me up.
Joe has zero idea why anyone would think the Bucs would draft an offensive lineman at No. 19. The Bucs have one of the best offensive lines in the game. They’re all young and all signed and all coming back.
Now with the return of the second-most popular backup on the team (second only to Kyle Trask), [this Sua Opeta](https://www.joebucsfan.com/2025/03/bucs-re-sign-sua-opeta/), where is exactly the need for an offensive lineman to be drafted so high — unless Tannenbaum knows something the rest of us don’t (trade winds blowing?).
Joe believes Bucs’ trainers will influence whether the Bucs draft Campbell at No. 19. How long will he be on the shelf post-surgery?
For a rookie to miss all spring/summer workouts and underwear football and possibly training camp, that’s usually means a wash of a rookie season.
Yes, of course, the Bucs need an inside linebacker. More important, they need an inside linebacker on the field, not in street clothes wearing the dreaded floppy hat.