Florida Sentinel Bulletin

— Cornerback was one of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ prime areas of need entering the NFL draft. They were able to secure their man in former Wharton High and Florida’s  Vernon Hargreaves III, with an added bonus of gaining a fourth-round pick in the process after moving to No. 11 from No. 9 in a trade with the Chicago Bears.

      The draft momentum continues for general manager Jason Licht. A year after producing a standout class that featured Jameis Winston, Donovan Smith, Ali Marpet and Kwon Alexander, Licht gained a promising talent in the 5-foot-10, 204-pound lanky corner while securing the No. 106 pick in the trade with Chicago.

There’s not much to quibble about with this pick. The Bucs had targeted Hargreaves for some time, with Licht and coach Dirk Koetter both confirming they would have taken the cornerback if they had remained at No. 9. Koetter compared Hargreaves to four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Brent Grimes, and Licht said he considers Hargreaves’ “ego” a plus. The Bucs’ cornerbacks lacked bite last year under former coach Lovie Smith. The defense allowed an NFL-worst 69.87 completion percentage, so more aggression will be a welcome change.