Reviewing The 2007 Draft

The draft is a few days away, and the promise of another new batch of youngsters rides with it. The draft is always an exciting time, one in which us fans get introduced to our future stars. Speaking of stars, how is the draft class of 2007 doing? Let’s look back at the draft, and see how these Bucs are doing.

Rd. 1 Pick: Gaines Adams

He was supposed to be the defensive savior for the Bucs. A slow first half of the season got people wandering. He finished the season strong with a great second half performance. He is a true pass rusher and is starting to like the run as well. In his rookie season, Adams played in all 16 games, and recorded 55 tackles, 6 sacks, and 4 passes defended. If his sophomore year can be like his second half, we will have a Pro Bowler on our hands.

Rd. 2 Pick: Arron Sears

Sears came on and anchored a young offensive line. A specialist on running plays, he started every game of the season at left guard. As a lineman, he didn’t have many stats to accumulate. That didn’t stop him from being named to many All-Rookie teams.

Rd. 2 Pick: Sabby Piscitelli

A promising player, Piscitelli did very little with the Bucs before being lost to injury. Playing only on special teams, he recorded two tackles in three games. In the pre-season, his play inspired talks of how he looked like a young John Lynch.

Rd. 3 Pick: Quincy Black

Black played all but one game on special teams, and had the third most tackles on the unit. He saw brief playing time at linebacker in the final two games of the season while the starters were resting. He had 9 tackles and 17 tackles on special teams.

Rd. 4 Pick: Tanard Jackson

Some people called him the steal of the draft. Jackson became the first Buccaneer rookie starter in over 12 years on defense. A unanimous All-Rookie team pick, Jackson had 78 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 12 passes defended. The Buccaneers secondary will be safe for some time to come.

Rd. 5 Pick: Greg Peterson

Peterson only got to play in 10 games before going on IR. He played extensively on kick returns, but got to see play on the defensive line. He recorded 19 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and had 1 pass defended. Injury kept us from seeing how Peterson could truly perform.

Rd. 6 Pick: Adam Hayward

Hayward played mostly on special teams coverage, but got extensive playing time at the end of the season when the starters rested. He had six tackles and eleven tackles on special teams. He could be the future of the linebacking corps.

Rd. 7 Pick: Chris Denman

Not much can be said about Denman. He was placed on injured reserve before the Bucs began the season. He didn’t play a down.

Rd. 7 Pick: Marcus Hamilton

Hamilton was the only rookie that didn’t make the Bucs in training camp. He was signed to the practice squad. 

Rd. 7 Pick: Kenneth Darby

Darby spent most of the season with the developmental squad, but did get to see playing time. He ran the ball twice for 7 yards. Darby is one of several running backs the Bucs have on their roster.

The 2007 draft class was a highly productive one. Injury befell the class, and most of them will make their true starts next season. If the 2008 class is this productive, the Bucs will have another great team on their hands.