NFL Mock Draft: Full 1st round action

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DeForest Buckner – DE – Oregon

Why?: Because this worked out great for them.  Buckner is the perfect fit for what the Bucs need, so pulling the trigger here is a pretty simple decision.

Buckner offers an edge rush that is effective against both the pass and the run.  He’s the kind of player that can force the opposing offense to change their gameplan if he’s having a good day.

Some secondary help: The only reason to not take Buckner is if he isn’t there, but if that’s the case then the Buckner-less Buccaneers could turn to the secondary by going after William Jackson III (CB – Houston) or Mackensie Alexander (CB – Clemson).  I like Alexander a lot more than Jackson, but either could realistically be the pick here.

10. New York Giants: Ronnie Stanley – OT – Notre Dame

Why?: Over the past couple of seasons, the Giants have been building one of the best young offensive lines in the league.  Ereck Flowers, Justin Pugh, and Weston Richburg have turned into very promising players early on.

Adding Ronnie Stanley to this mix should help set the team up for future success by giving Eli Manning a strong pocket to work from.

Or attack the opposing QB: The Giants are in need of a boost to their outside pass rush.  Darron Lee (OLB – Ohio State) is still sitting on the board and would also be a quality addition to the roster.

Ideally, he would play behind Jason Pierre-Paul who is not the same player now that he has only half of a hand.  JPP would still command enough attention that Lee should be able to use his speed to get to the QB.

Next: Picks 11-12