Bucs taking a closer look at a draft prospect who could help answer a major question plaguing Todd Bowles' defense
Why have the Tampa Buccaneers had such a difficult time generating interceptions over the last several years? That's been something that many fans have asked, and for which Todd Bowles has been trying to find answers. It looks as though Bowles, Jason Licht, and the Bucs' brass is taking a closer look at a draft […]
Why have the Tampa Buccaneers had such a difficult time generating interceptions over the last several years? That's been something that many fans have asked, and for which Todd Bowles has been trying to find answers.
It looks as though Bowles, Jason Licht, and the Bucs' brass is taking a closer look at a draft prospect who could help them turn this franchise shortcoming around.
As my colleague Evan Winter reported on Wednesday, the Bucs are meeting on Wednesday with California CB Nohl Williams.
Williams measured at the Combine at 6'0", 199 pounds and ran a 4.50 second 40-yard dash. He led the nation in 2024 in interceptions with 7. That earned the senior, who started his career with UNLV, consensus first-team All-America honors. Williams has been projected by experts as a likely mid-draft (rounds 3-4) selection.
The Bucs have stacked up poorly with the rest of the league in intercepting passes over the last few years. Their 10 picks in 2022 were tied for 24th in the NFL. They inched closer to league average in 2023 with 13 interceptions, good for 18th in the league. However, they pulled down just 7 in 2024. That checked in at a tie for 26th in the league. Only 3 teams had fewer (Jaguars, Giants, and Browns).
Bowles has been vocal in his criticism of starting cornerback Jamel Dean's inability to come down with the football, with Dean having had some key drops in opportunities to make impact plays. Bowles also talked at the recent owners' meetings about Dean's absence due to injury and needing to have better availability and find a way to be healthy more often.
As such, if the Bucs see Williams as a durable player with the ability to deliver more picks, then perhaps he could be an option on day two of the draft for the Buccaneers, which gets underway on April 24 in Green Bay.
Bucs took a closer look at an SEC standout in an area they need to address long term ahead of the 2025 NFL Daft
Tampa Bay is looking for an answer to a significant roster question down the road
