Sterling Shepard Is “In Play”
April 8th, 2016
You’ll find Joe offering sacrifices to the football gods and buying friends whiskey if the Bucs draft Sterling Shepard later this month.
America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, deserves fortification of his thing receiving corps, in addition to the electricity, great hands and the fantastic complement Shepard could bring.
Helmet Hair draft guru Mel Kiper, in a recent behind-a-pay wall mock draft for BSPN, says the Oklahoma wide receiver Shepard is “in play” as a potential second-round pick.
Joe likes Shepard’s eye-popping pedigree that includes 233 catches at Oklahoma. Per NFL.com, he only dropped eight balls in college through all those targets. Shepard’s father was an NFL receiver, and his older brothers played at Oklahoma. Joe likes those legacy guys. They’re usually fundamentally sound.
Yes, the Bucs need a standout defensive end as much as Joe needs the comforting embrace of a cheerleader, but they also need more talent around Jameis. He deserves it. Bucs fans deserve it. And Joe has yet to see a team go wrong drafting a franchise quarterback and loading up with offensive talent.
Keep in mind Jason Licht tried to draft a slot receiver/No. 3 receiver in 2014 (Robert Herron, sixth round). And he arguably did it again in 2015 (Kenny Bell, fifth round). Perhaps this is the year Licht gets very serious about it.
April 8th, 2016 at 1:59 pm
I’d like him too with the 2nd pick…..but I like Doctson more. I feel he will be the best WR in this year’s draft. And we could probably trade back mid teens and still land him. Ogbah will probably be there in the 2nd (may have to trade up a few spots for him).
Too many what if’s with our Receiving corp right now. Best to fix it asap, then we can go all D after that.
April 8th, 2016 at 2:16 pm
Yes, the Bucs need DE. And yes, they need another CB. I personally feel it is all about JW. He needs another top notch received. We have 2 good ones today. The rest are camp meat or injured. Bucs, it’s all about JW. Get him the weapons he needs.
April 8th, 2016 at 2:20 pm
“Joe has yet to see a team go wrong drafting a franchise quarterback and loading up with offensive talent.”
Ask Dan Marino if he wishes the Dolphins had paid more attention to and/or been more successful at shoring up the defense at any point during his many years in Miami.
April 8th, 2016 at 2:26 pm
Shepard in round 2 would be excellent. I think 4 WRs go round 1, and hopefully Shepard or Boyd is there at #39. Both guys would be weapons as rookies in the slot and then be able to take over for Jackson as the #2 opposite Evans. Both guys While lacking size and the ability to win deep, have excellent hands and tremendous RAC ability to complement Evans Red Zone and down the field ability.
April 8th, 2016 at 2:28 pm
I like this guy, but I like Tyler Boyd better. He’s my vote for who will end up being the best receiver in an arguably weak WR class.
April 8th, 2016 at 2:32 pm
I LOVE this kid. He’s right there with Carl Nassib as my favorite player in the draft. If anyone hasn’t seen the story of his father and how the Oklahoma football program brought him up as one of their own since he was a little kid, it’s worth youtubing. He seems like a great kid with a winner’s mentality and a tireless work ethic. I would be overjoyed if they picked him.
April 8th, 2016 at 2:39 pm
I am all in on drafting a WR in the 2nd round. We have some talent with Ayers, Gholston and Jaq, and maybe Hayes can get them up to perform at an even higher level. We also added talent in the secondary and added a good secondary coach and what I am 100% will be a better scheme so I am not as worried about either of those spots. That being said. 1st rd – CB/DE. 2nd rd – WR. 3rd rd. CB/DE (whichever we didnt get in rd 1.) 4th rd – Oline or BPA. Rest of Draft – BPA
April 8th, 2016 at 2:41 pm
We should absolutely look at this guy… I hope JL drafts the heck out of some offensive support for JW…
I want 2WR 1OL 1TE 1FB/RB and complete the process of building a contender… After that do the same thing to the D the next couple seasons and become the team to beat for the next decade!!!!!!!!!
April 8th, 2016 at 3:02 pm
There isn’t a single player in the draft I want to see wearing pewter and red next year more than Sterling Shepard.
It’s not just his quickness (which is excellent), his hands (which are excellent), his route-running (which is excellent), or his big play ability (which is excellent)
I’m hopped up on Sterling Shepard because of his attitude and competitive nature which from everything I’ve read is just off the charts. I think you need to surround Jameis not just with playmakers, but with young men who share his desire to win no matter the cost. Shepard fits that bill to a T
April 8th, 2016 at 3:13 pm
Well said Creamsicle
April 8th, 2016 at 3:44 pm
I’m a big fan of Shepard and Boyd but Boyd is going to be really good from day 1 in my opinion.
April 8th, 2016 at 4:13 pm
Cream I haven’t paid enough attention to this young man. But anyone with that JW fire I’m a fan of. I think Doctson and Boyd will both be great. But if this guy has that unyielding will he is who I now hope we grab also bro. I love that 🔥 chit..
April 8th, 2016 at 4:25 pm
I would LOVE this guy in the 2nd. Another guy to look at in the late rounds is Jakeem Grant from Texas Tech. He has to be the shiftiest(is that even a word? Lol) guy in the draft. Would be a great return man.
April 8th, 2016 at 5:46 pm
Kenny Bell is going to be the man. He’s got hands, he can get open, he can stretch the field. The guy got hurt for the first time in years and everyone is doubting him before he even has a chance.
Can’t say the same for any of the DE’s on the roster. But like Ive been saying all along this team has been drafting for need for the past decade and look where it has gotten us. TAKE THE BPA regardless of position. In Five years we will be at the top of the league as long as licht and cuter stay in place.
Could have given Lovie a decade and his choice of draft picks and it would have went nowhere!
April 8th, 2016 at 6:40 pm
I want to see the draft play out like this:
1st rd DE
2nd rd RT
2nd rd DE (from glennon trade)
3rd rd WR
4th rd Kicker
5th rd CB, LB or S
In that order.
April 8th, 2016 at 6:41 pm
@Kevin Schmidt
I agree about Bell. No one really knows him yet, but they will.
April 8th, 2016 at 6:42 pm
@Kevin Schmidt
According to everyone here, Licht fully controlled the drafts. So which is it?
April 8th, 2016 at 7:23 pm
Bonsai
Sort of looks like my wish list. Definitely like 1st, 2nd,and 3rd rd. Not sold on Glennon trade. I think we can find WR value in the 3rd. Sort of intrigued with Braxton Miller,( being a Woody Hayes era grad) think he would be a project and for that reason he may fall to us in the 3rd.
April 8th, 2016 at 7:25 pm
Agree, Bell is a big ? at this point.
April 8th, 2016 at 7:33 pm
@Bonzai
Thats IF we get a 2 for MG.. I say best we get is a 3, especially now that the Jets have like 9 mil of free Ferguson cash to pay Fitzpatrick.
Kap had to take a pay cut and still only got a “mid round”..
1 DE
2 WR
3 DE/DB
3 DE/DB
4 Re draft Kwon
April 8th, 2016 at 8:36 pm
Sorry, this WR looks sluggish, slow, and has bad route running. Is he projected 5th or 6th?
April 8th, 2016 at 8:39 pm
His highlight reel is horrid.
April 8th, 2016 at 10:25 pm
Horrid highlight reel?!?!?!?!
Find me another WR in this draft class that fights and claws for every inch on the football field like this kid does
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd5Qvh-Bp30
April 8th, 2016 at 10:28 pm
Better video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXCw9SqzcZA
April 8th, 2016 at 10:37 pm
LIKE. Not a bad pick. Sterling ‘Super Slot Machine’ Shepard.
April 8th, 2016 at 11:07 pm
Kenny Bells got hands? He struggled in camp last year dropping the ball. It just doesn’t seem like Koetter is to high on Bell. I wouldn’t count on him. Josh Doctson probably will not be there in the second and its to early to draft Tyler Boyd. The only things I don’t like about Shepard is his size and I wish he had a bit more speed. All though he certainly isn’t slow, and ran a 4.48 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. If we plan on helping Jameis with a playmaker WR we need to draft one in the first or second round. Shepard has what it takes to be that player. His elusiveness sets him apart and there are a lot of comparisons with Tyler Lockett. His start and stop burst make him so difficult to cover. Good hands, just four drops from 89 catchable passes thrown his way. We will be lucky to get him with our second pick. We have to draft a DE and DT in the first and third rounds. If we can get Andrew Billings, Sheldon Rankins or Chris Jones in the first then Carl Nassib or Charles Tapper along with Shepard and I will be happy.
April 9th, 2016 at 1:58 pm
@godzilla13
Like most rookies, those drops happened early in training camp…when he was trying to get his sea legs. His injury took him out and that was the last we saw of him.
While I will always agree we should not put all our eggs in one basket, I still suggest people not “give up” on Bell just yet. You may just be surprised.
At the very least, he could become an all-star returner.