BUCCANEERS 101

On the final day of the 2012 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continued to address their needs on the defensive side of the ball. After not having a pick in rounds three and four because they traded them away on Friday night to move up and select Nebraska linebacker Lavonte David, the Buccaneers added a pair of West Virginia defenders in the fifth and sixth rounds.

General Mark Dominik continued his trend of doubling up at the same position on Saturday. A day after selecting David, Tampa Bay drafted Mountaineer linebacker Najee Goode with the 140th overall pick.

Goode is a versatile defender and can play all three linebacker positions. He played inside and outside in West Virginia's unique 3-3-5 defense and started 25 games over the past two seasons.

The 6-foot, 244-pound Goode amassed 157 tackles, 22.5 tackles for a loss, eight sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles during his career at West Virginia. During his senior year, Goode was named to the All-Big East First Team his senior season after he had 87 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, five sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.

After selecting Goode, the Bucs selected his college roommate at West Virginia – cornerback Keith Tandy. Tampa Bay grabbed Tandy in the sixth round with the No. 174 overall pick.

The 5-foot-10, 197-pound Tandy was a All-Big East First Team selection in 2010 after he had six interceptions, 11 passes defensed, and one forced fumble as a junior.

He finished his West Virginia career with 188 tackles, 13 interceptions, and 24 passes defensed.

Tandy's strength is zone coverage because he isn't the fastest or quickest cornerback, which is why he fell so far in the draft. He will compete with the likes of Myron Lewis, E.J. Biggers, and Anthony Gaitor for the right to be the fourth and fifth corner on the roster.

Tandy will also likely be used on special teams where he was a standout at West Virginia.

Tags: Football, Keith Tandy, Najee Goode, NFL, Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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