With The 20th Pick In The 2008 Draft, The Buccaneers Select…

Aqib Talib!

The speedy and talented cornerback from Kansas is the Bucs first overall selection. To tell the truth, I’m surprised the Bucs went so heavy for a cornerback in the first round. As of Pick 24, DeSean Jackson, Devin Thomas, and Malcolm Kelly are still available.

While there have been some surprises already (Flacco and Mendenhall fell far, Brohm still not selected?), I believe this to be a big surprise on the Bucs behalf. Everyone expected a wide receiver to go first. A cornerback is no big deal, but why Talib? The character issues are a concern, and the Bucs seemed to like Mike Jenkins from USF. Talib has played limited time at wide receiver, but he is purely cornerback for the Bucs.

In 34 career games, Talib recorded 162 tackles, had 43 passes broken up, nabbed 13 interceptions, and returned them for a total of 322 yards. He was a key factor in Kansas’ Orange Bowl win over Virginia Tech. He runs the risk of either being a big star, or a complete bust. It may also be that the Bucs will have a talker on their hands.

While Talib takes too many risks and is inconsistent, he has excellent instincts and ball skills. The Bucs need a playmaking cornerback, and they hope he will be their man.