Buccaneers Select Kansas State Cornerback Josh Hayes in Round 6 of the NFL Draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have finally added a defensive back to their 2023 draft class.

Collin Haalboom | Apr 29, 2023

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With their first of two picks in sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft (181st overall), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected Kansas State cornerback, Josh Hayes.

Hayes is originally from Lakeland, Florida, and first attended North Dakota State before transferring to Kansas State for his final season. Listed at 5'11", 197 pounds, Hayes had 72 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 1 FF, 7 PBU, for the Wildcats last season, and spent plenty of time occupying the nickel cornerback position.

Hayes ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at the Kansas State Pro Day, and the assumption is that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would plan to develop him primarily as a nickel corner within Todd Bowles' scheme.

Pewter Report's Scott Reynolds — an avid Kansas State fan — described Hayes as a hard-hitting player, a good tackler, and a player with excellent "game speed". Reynolds went on to suggest that he had the potential to develop into a bigger-name prospect had he spent more than one season playing in a major conference like the Big 12.

Hayes was the 89th-ranked corner by Dane Brugler of The Athletic, so there isn't a ton of information regarding Hayes' style of play, or how his skills might translate to the NFL level.

Of all the positions added by the Buccaneers so far in the draft, the nickel cornerback position was the final obvious need that was yet to be addressed. There's no doubt that Jason Licht and his staff have made a conscious effort to fill those positions with great efficiency throughout this year's draft.

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Published Apr 29, 2023

COLLIN HAALBOOM

Prior to joining BucsGameday and Sports Illustrated, Collin's written content was provided through Bucs Banter, and NFL Draft Lounge. He is also the creator and host of the Bucs Banter Podcast. He is a graduate of the Communication Studies program at McMaster University, where he was also a varsity basketball player, and later an advanced scout. He lives with his wife and two children in Hamilton, ON. You can follow Collin on YouTube and Twitter.