The Buccaneers made sure to get both pieces that fueled the defensive edge back into the building in Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett. Barrett is still a young buck but JPP isn’t getting any younger and there may not be a better time than now to go out and get another body to groom alongside.

One of the early options in this upcoming draft for the Buccaneers is a Southeastern Conference stand out in Nick Coe out of Alabama. Let’s take a look at his collegiate career and see how Coe may fit here in Tampa Bay.

Nick Coe’s Collegiate Career

Before stepping foot onto Auburns campus, Coe was already a champion. The obvious thought would be that Coe was a high school state champ, and you are right... if you guessed that it was as a 285 lb wrestler as a senior in high school. A two-sport athlete, Coe took his talents on the gridiron down to Auburn.

After red-shirting a year, Coe earned SEC All-Freshman notice after appearing in 14 games. As a sophomore, Coe really started coming along as he racked up 7 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. Coe’s sophomore campaign would be cut short after injuring his right wrist that required surgery.

Coe’s junior year raised more questions than answers as he couldn’t retain his starting job and struggled to produce. The physical traits are there but the production and consistency while rotating in and out in 2019 just wasn’t evident.

Pros

Coe fits the bill physically, standing 6’5” and weighing in at 280 lbs. His body looks the part of an NFL defensive end and holds his position well off the edge. When lining up with a tight end Coe showed the ability to easily work his man over and come free. Functional strength is a plus at first contact and he sets the edge well against the run.

Coe has played all across the line in various techniques throughout college, being well versed will be a big plus for teams looking for versatility out of a young guy. Coe plays with solid extension and did a decent job using a chop move to get around the edge.

Cons

Despite having good size and strength, Coe tends to play very narrow and struggled to win one on ones with guards. When a lineman gets his hands on Coe, Coe struggled to disengage effectively and due to this, will be a liability if used inside.

Coe doesn’t have a great first step or reaction time, often leaving him a hair behind after the snap and getting hands on his guy. Going along with the lack of reaction time, Coe has some struggles moving laterally. Despite a really good sophomore campaign, consistency as a pass rusher leaves something to be desired.

Coe needs to improve his hand usage and placement in order to find his way as a pass rusher. Without elite get off and bend, Coe will need to refine his technique in order to win at the next level.

Why The Buccaneers Need Nick Coe

The team needs a player like Coe simply for the depth and versatility. Coe offers a similar profile to that of William Gholston in that he can be a plug and play guy in a rotation from an early part of his career. Coe fits best in a 3-4 defense and here in Tampa Bay, would have several very good players to learn from.

Coe has the building blocks of being a very good role player with starter potential and for a team that is invested in the now, his ability to step in and do some grunt work is a necessity. Coe’s strengths should all be put to use in a Todd Bowles defense where his length, extension and strength can all be used up front.

Should It Happen?

Here is the interesting part when it comes to Coe... the jury is out and it’s not close when it comes to where Coe’s stock really is among NFL teams and talent evaluators. I’ve seen Coe projected as high as late first round and top three at his position, to as low as a fourth round pick. realistically, Coe looks like a round 2 to early round 3 selection given his inconsistency in college and lack of natural burst.

That said, if Coe is there, late round two or early round three, it would make sense to get a role player like him that could potentially develop into a starter down the road. If you want to win now, you need players like Coe on your team.