Grading each selection of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2021 NFL Draft

Jaelon Darden, Wide Receiver, North texas

Grade: C

Another piece that was added to the special teams and future depth in the wide receiver room was speedster Jaelon Darden of North Texas in the fourth round.

The Bucs gave up a sixth-round pick to move up and grab Darden, who to be honest, I had no idea about. This pick is similar to the previous picks, adds depth but not necessarily needed to replace or fill in for a starter. He will challenge last year’s return man Jaydon Mickens for the starting returner role. At 5’8, he isn’t the biggest wide receiver but his speed and the ability to make plays when the ball is in his hands is what attracted the team to make the move for him.

The Bucs receiving depth chart is loaded with future Hall of Famers and excellent technicians which means Darden will not be pushed into the rotation early unless injuries or a great preseason come into play. This could be the end for Justin Watson, a fourth-year wideout who was a special teams player last year.

I didn’t like the team giving up a pick for him when they could have gotten a better returner in Avery Williams in the fifth round. I also felt like they could’ve used their fourth-round pick on an interior defensive lineman instead of a special teams player.