20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue Boilermakers
The Buccaneers (along with the Kansas City Chiefs) were my breakout team going into the 2010 NFL Season. With a good offense and some smart picks on defense, Tampa Bay made good on my prediction and were a tough test for any team in the NFL. They spent two high picks on the defensive tackle position in the 2010 NFL Draft, but now they desperately need help on the outside. Teams can go right around Gerald McCoy and Co. in the middle, and then what?
And then they'll run into Ryan Kerrigan, a guy with a never-ending motor who fits perfectly on that defensive line. Maybe "perfectly" isn't the right choice of words, he's not the kind of speed-rusher that generally fits there, but I've been calling him "deceptively fast" for a few months now. Kerrigan had a great combine, and a similarly great Pro Day to his credit. He ran a 4.67 at the Scouting Combine, and to me, that's just fine for a defensive end in Tampa Bay.
Folks say that the Bucs are interested in Adrian Clayborn, and I don't dispute that. Clayborn would be a good fit and could very well be the pick, but Kerrigan was supposed to go before this point, and because he didn't, he's going to be the pick. He's got the instincts and intelligence to play the position well and stop anybody trying to bounce to the outside.