A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough Bucs question. This week’s prompt: Who is your 2025 NFL Draft crush?
Scott Reynolds: It’s Hard Not To Love Edge Rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku
Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku – Photo by: USA Today
If you know me, you know I love watching the defensive side of the ball, especially in the trenches. I love guys that can get to the quarterback, and one of the most prolific sack artists in this year’s draft just happens to be a player that the Bucs have a strong interest in – Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku.
While he’s not the biggest edge defender at 6-foot-2, 248 pounds, he’s an inch taller and a few pounds heavier than new Tampa Bay outside linebacker Haason Reddick, who would serve as a great mentor to Ezeiruaku, should the Bucs draft him with the No. 19 pick.
What I like about Ezeiruaku’s game is that he is such a diverse pass rusher with a whole toolbox full of moves. It’s all there – speed rush, long arm, cross-chop, club-rip, inside spin, ghost step. Ezeiruaku had 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss last year for the Eagles, but also tallied 80 tackles and proved to be a very solid run defender.
Not only did Ezeiruaku have a big year in 2023, but he also had an 8.5-sack season as a sophomore in 2022, which shows me he’s not a one-year wonder. A team can never have enough good pass rushers, and Ezeiruaku could provide some insurance in case Chris Braswell doesn’t pan out and Reddick, who turns 31 in September, isn’t as good as advertised coming off a one-sack season in New York last year.
I loved his interviews at both the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine, where he formally met with the Bucs. Throw in the fact he’s a ballhawk with eight career forced fumbles, including three last year, and it’s hard not to fall in love with Ezeiruaku’s game.
Matt Matera: Cobee Bryant Is The Next Starting CB For Bucs
Kansas CB Cobee Bryant – Photo by: USA Today
Cobee Bryant has great zone instincts and ballhawking ability, which is all that Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles is asking for. He is a tough and willing tackler, and had 13 interceptions in four years at Kansas. That includes two pick-sixes, along with 22 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, including one for a touchdown.
Bryant also loves to trash talk, which this defense might need. There’s a specific reason why Bryant is a big fan of Jalen Ramsey and it’s all about getting in the heads of opponents. He plays tight coverage and and is always chirping at the receiver he’s guarding. If a player is going to trash talk at the cornerback position, he needs to back it up. Bryant at least has the confidence to do so.
During his podium session at the NFL Scouting Combine, Bryant was very self-aware about the fact that he needs put on more weight on his body at just 180 pounds. But he was also upfront that the Bucs were his favorite formal interview in Indianapolis, so he’s already taken a liking to the staff.
Bryant may not start in his first season if Tampa Bay were to draft him, but as a former receiver he is instinctual and knows how to jump routes and take the ball away. His 4.53 time in the 40-yard dash is a bit concerning, especially with his slight frame, but Bryant a great fit for the Bucs cornerback room due to his ball skills and confidence.
Bailey Adams: Wherever He Ends Up, RB RJ Harvey Is Going To Be A Steal
UCF RB RJ Harvey Photo by: USA Today
It’s a homer answer for me, but it’s the truth. Considering he starred for UCF, my alma mater, from 2022-2024, there’s not a player in the 2025 NFL Draft who I’ve watched more than RJ Harvey. And even if I make an attempt to remove my black and gold glasses for this, I still believe Harvey is going to be an under-the-radar pick on Day 3 – or even late on Day 2. Matt Miller recently called him “this year’s Bucky Irving,” and I can see the parallels.
Harvey is coming off a 2024 season in which he ran for 1,577 yards and 22 touchdowns, averaging 6.8 yards per carry while catching 2o passes for 267 yards and another three touchdowns. This was after a 2023 season that saw him run for 1,416 yards and 16 touchdowns, which he paired with 238 yards and two more receiving touchdowns.
By the time he played his final down for the Knights, he had broken Kevin Smith’s program record for career touchdowns (47). He had 17 100-yard rushing games at UCF and proved he could be a workhorse-type running back.
Harvey is a smaller back at 5-foot-8, 205 pounds, but he’s shifty and has great contact balance. UCF’s offensive line was solid over the last couple of years, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have to be a creator. He had 802 yards after contact in 2023 with 74 missed tackles forced, then he followed that up with 897 yards after contact and 69 missed tackles forced in 2024.
If the Bucs weren’t already three-deep at running back, I’d have done more pounding the table for them to add Harvey to the mix. But as it stands, some other team is going to get a real steal if they decide to pull the trigger on drafting him.
Was hesitant to put this out there, but what the hell.
This year’s Bucky Irving (Day 3 pick that becomes a starter) is RJ Harvey.
I love his game. Productive. Shifty. Decisive. Good receiver. Make you miss ability is a dream.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) April 3, 2025
Josh Queipo: Kevin Winston Jr. Is The Best Safety In This Class
Penn State S Kevin Winston Jr. – Photo by: USA Today
Penn State safety Kevin Winston Jr. is one of the least-hyped players in this class because he suffered an injury in Week 2 and missed the rest of the season. But that 2023 tape is better than anything else any other safety, including Georgia’s Malaki Starks has out there. Winston is an explosive, downhill player who almost never misses as a tackler due to his quality mechanics and long arms, but can still deliver bone-crushing hits.
Winston didn’t miss a single tackle in 2023, per Pro Football Focus and allowed just 0.45 yards per coverage rep. The timing of his torn ACL, assuming his recovery is on schedule, means he should be ready for training camp and could have the explosiveness that is a hallmark of his game back by the start of the regular season. I’m not sure if the Bucs are interested in Winston or not, but they should be if they’re interested in a playmaking safety.
Winston, who has the entire package, is likely going on Day 2 of the draft despite him being one of the 32 best players in the class. Sign me up.
New for @The33rdTeamFB: It’s time to stop ignoring Kevin Winston Jr. pic.twitter.com/Z0fgxCb5mp
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) April 2, 2025
Adam Slivon: Shavon Revel Jr. Is The Perfect Size-Speed CB For Bucs
East Carolina CB Shavon Revel Jr. – Photo courtesy of ECU
While Shavon Revel Jr.’s 2024 season was cut short by a torn ACL, that does not take away from the talent he possesses and the production he had at East Carolina during his last two years there. Revel, standing at 6-foot-2 and 194 pounds, is a long, lanky cornerback with plus speed that shows up on film. His feet do not stop moving, and that aids him closing in on defenders and footballs.
Revel’s blend of size and athleticism make him a tantalizing option to mold as he enters the NFL, and the Bucs would be one of the best places for him to land.
What is admirable about Revel’s journey to the NFL is that he has taken a circuitous route to put himself in this position. He grew up playing on makeshift fields and worked overnights shifts at Amazon with his dad during his time at Louisburg College. He only transferred to East Carolina after he tried out at their prospect camp – on one hour of sleep.
Describing his upbringing and process to get into a bigger school in a recent feature story on ESPN, the young cornerback said, “You don’t make excuses. You don’t blame what’s happened to you in life. You go get it. You take it. No one’s going to feel sorry for you.”
That mindset has carried over to the football field. Although Revel played in just three games last year, he was well on his way to a dominant season. He recorded eight tackles, two interceptions (including a pick-six), and two pass breakups. He is sticky in coverage and has a nose for the football, looking the part of a ballhawk Tampa Bay’s secondary needs.
Revel is one option for Tampa Bay to consider at No. 19 based on how the board falls, or at No. 53 if injury concerns cause him to fall into the second round. Regardless, if the team believes his injuries are behind him, Shavon Revel Jr. would be the perfect cornerback to mold on the outside next to Zyon McCollum long-term and ultimately replace Jamel Dean. He has the size, speed, and work ethic to be great.
