Speed Theme Continues With Drafting Of SirVocea Dennis
April 29th, 2023
No shortage of speed on the 2023 Bucs defense.
Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht said adding speed was a focus this offseason, and they weren’t kidding.
In Round 1, they handed in a card for a quick-twitch, speedy terror of a defensive tackle in Calijah Kancey. Then after drafting guard/tackle Cody Mauch, they chased an athletic freak of an edge rusher in YaYa Diaby out of Louisville in Round 3, a guy who runs a 4.5-second 40-yard dash and has a 37-inch vertical leap with a giant wingspan.
Next up was today’s fifth-round pick of Pitt linebacker SirVocea Dennis. He’s way undersized but lightning fast, an 11-sack guy last season at 6-1, 226 pounds.
Is there a speedy running back or tight end to be had with Tampa Bay’s next fifth-round pick?
April 29th, 2023 at 2:56 pm
You’re at the point of the draft where these are all very much lottery tickets. I really don’t know why people think they need a RB, they got White, they signed Chase Edmonds, Vaughn in limited snaps looked like he could play if needed. Thompkins showed plenty as a returner and gadget player.
The Bucs do need a 3rd TE, and at this point, maybe you look for someone, but you’re generally getting big blockers at this point.
I’d look for another offensive lineman myself, there seems to still be some decent players out there that might make a roster. Also, I’d look at WR, to see if there’s any high upside projects available.
April 29th, 2023 at 2:57 pm
Ran 4.63 40. Hardly lightning fast. Owen Pappoe LB out of Auburn runs in the 4.3’s, great instinct and solid tackler. Still on the board so wondering what’s up.
April 29th, 2023 at 3:00 pm
If you want a TE with speed, how about going with Elijah Higgins. He’s a 6′ 3″ 235 pound WR – just put 10 pounds of muscle on him and you got a TE.
If you keep him at WR, his workout numbers mirror Evans, but at 2 inches shorter and without the length.
He’d fit my profile as a lottery ticket project who could payoff. Maybe he’d be a Tim Wright type of guy.
Pure dart throw from 5 mins of research…
April 29th, 2023 at 3:02 pm
They must think our offense has speed, because that’s where we really lack speed (and special teams)
April 29th, 2023 at 3:02 pm
40 times are deceiving.
It’s one thing to put your hand on the line and the timer starts when you move your hand.
It is something else entirely to add reaction time on the field, and your movement is not necessarily in a straight line.
A quick-reaction 4.6 is faster than a slow-reaction 4.3, not to mention football skills included.
I recall Quincy Black was a speed demon…but not at all an effective LB.
We shall see,
April 29th, 2023 at 3:03 pm
While Joe agrees 10,000 percent (yes, Joe knows that’s impossible, thanks math nerds), he knows someone that thinks 40 times are biblical verses.
April 29th, 2023 at 3:05 pm
7 sacks last year not 11. and lightning fast at 4.63? Better check ya sheet.
April 29th, 2023 at 3:07 pm
Maybe he runs like Tarzan but tackles like Jane.
April 29th, 2023 at 3:12 pm
Dennis is not “fast” – but he IS very quick/sudden/explosive in shorter spaces. Overall a high end athlete with a 41.5″ vertical and a 10′-5″ long jump.
April 29th, 2023 at 3:12 pm
And supposedly he is an excellent tackler
April 29th, 2023 at 3:13 pm
No one can tell the diff between 4.63 and 4.53 on the field… some football players play way faster in the game vs other straight line track stars.
Pretty sure the tape is good enough for scouts. They saw him while they watched the 1st rounder.
I bet they went to Pitt for the pro day too.
Someone said there was a 4.3 LB available… well, did that LB have 11 sacks and 94 tackles?
April 29th, 2023 at 3:18 pm
There’s a guy still on the board named Zack Kuntz. Draftable guy JUST for his name (sake).
If he has kids, Licht would say, “Welcome to the Bucs! How is the Misses and all the little Kuntz doing?”
Perhaps a reach at a bad joke…
April 29th, 2023 at 3:18 pm
I’m really liking our draft.
Got that TE.
April 29th, 2023 at 3:19 pm
DRok,
I think he has a brother named Harry
April 29th, 2023 at 3:19 pm
Just got us Payne Durham, TE, from Purdue.
April 29th, 2023 at 3:20 pm
Well, there goes the speed theme. Got a big slow TE who is a mediocre blocker. Congrats people who were demanding a TE, you got one!
April 29th, 2023 at 3:20 pm
Doosh,
BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Thanks for “supporting” my crude and bad joke. Hey, it’s humor….
April 29th, 2023 at 3:22 pm
We have another pick coming up.
Trice
April 29th, 2023 at 3:23 pm
Durham has great hands. All Purdue did last 5 years was throw the ball. A younger version of Cam Brate.
April 29th, 2023 at 3:24 pm
Like the pick
April 29th, 2023 at 3:25 pm
Come on Joe… the pick is in… write article already…lol. Use ChatGPT.
Payen Durham!
April 29th, 2023 at 3:27 pm
Cam Brate was an UDFA for a reason, he was slow and couldn’t block either – but he did have amazing hands, and knew how to get open vs zone defenses. If he’s Brate, fantastic. They’re all lottery tickets at this point, so who knows.
April 29th, 2023 at 3:27 pm
seems like a mistake if you passed on owen pappoe for this guy
April 29th, 2023 at 3:29 pm
maybe he can become a thumper at safety?
April 29th, 2023 at 3:42 pm
Adam why don’t you root for the Giants or Jets ?
April 29th, 2023 at 3:43 pm
Pappoe was gone and he sounds like a smaller Diva
April 29th, 2023 at 4:39 pm
Yep we need speed, where’s the speed in O because it was a glaring weakness last year. Swift will be available, he was a player at UGA and has been effective for Detroit. 3rd rounder?
April 29th, 2023 at 5:07 pm
Timed speed is a decent indicator of football speed. Lots of fast LBs ran 4.7 range (Julian Peterson, David at 4.65).
BTW, Quincy Black was exceptionally fast on the field. His instincts weren’t good. As some analysists have said, fast with bad instincts ox worse than slow with bad instincts because they won’t run as far in the wrong direction. That’s supposed to be a joke, I think. But Black’s exceptional speed is the one reason he was able to fashion a half decent NFL career.
April 29th, 2023 at 10:44 pm
In a draft where the talent at LB was questionable, this is a great pick at this point in the draft! Love it!
April 30th, 2023 at 5:20 am
Speed is a great thing …but we just got alot smaller with the defensive guys.
Hope this works.