Receiver Michael Clayton, taken 15th overall, impressed coach Jon Gruden with his versatility at LSU.
By RICK STROUD
Published April 25, 2004
[Getty Images]
The Bucs wanted Michael Clayton, who had 2,582 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns at LSU, more than any other receiver.
TAMPA - Jon Gruden likes big receivers who do the little things.
They need to have a physical presence, run precise routes and be proficient blockers.
He'll overlook a slow time in the 40-yard dash for a player with some flash.
When Gruden put on a tape of LSU's Michael Clayton, he saw that and more. Much more.
"I've never seen a wide receiver run down on the opening kickoff in his final year of eligibility, splatter a man, make the tackle on the opening kickoff then turn around and play offense, hold for kicks and play in a national championship," Gruden said.
"The guy does it all."
There were more talented receivers in the NFL draft Saturday but, perhaps, none the Bucs believed were a better fit than Clayton (6 feet 31/2, 197 pounds), who was selected with the 15th overall pick.
Tampa Bay ignored a more pressing need at linebacker and passed on Miami's D.J. Williams, who went two picks later to the Broncos. Some pundits had predicted the Bucs would opt for Oregon State's Steven Jackson, whom the Rams made the first running back taken at No. 24.
General manager Bruce Allen entertained an offer to move down in the draft in exchange for a late second-round choice. The Bucs forfeited their second-round pick to the Raiders as part of the price for Gruden.
"We considered just about seven or eight guys," Gruden said. "You have to do that with the possibilities of someone engaging in a trade. But again, Michael Clayton was the No. 1 guy on our board at the time, and we didn't feel like parting with the rights to him."
The Bucs concluded the first day of the draft by selecting Washington inside linebacker Marquis Cooper with their third-round pick, the 79th overall. He is the first linebacker the Bucs have chosen since Nate Webster in 2000.
At 6-3, 227 pounds, Cooper was projected as a fifth-round pick by some scouting services, primarily because some teams saw him as a safety.
"We like his sideline-to-sideline ability," Gruden said of Cooper, who led the Huskies with 89 tackles last season. "I think he fits our scheme. We had him in here a few days before the draft, got to meet him personally and feel like he's a good pick for us.
"I wouldn't say we're done. Our eyes are wide open. There are other good players in this draft, not only at linebacker, but other positions."
Clayton, 21, led the SEC with 78 receptions and 1,079 receiving yards and scored 10 touchdowns as captain of the co-national champion Tigers.
And though he was one of the nation's elite receivers, he threw his body into harm's way by leading LSU with 15 special teams tackles.
"We need a guy who can do all that dirty work," Bucs receivers coach Richard Mann said. "That Z receiver is the guy that does a lot of that, the athletic moves, the stop-and-gos. He'll catch it to get the tough yardage and first downs."
In other words, he sounds a lot like the player the Bucs traded to the Cowboys for Joey Galloway. Clayshawn?
"He's a load," Gruden said. "He's a physical guy, and that's how the game is played. That's something that we need here. We lost a big, physical receiver. Obviously, it's been well-documented. And hopefully, we can inject a young, vibrant guy into our offensive football team."
A former ball boy for quarterback Steve McNair at Alcorn State, Clayton spent his fall Saturdays playing tackle football on the field during halftime of Southwestern Athletic Conference games.
"Growing up, I always looked at Jerry Rice," Clayton said. "My whole family is from southern Mississippi and played football in the SWAC. He was from the SWAC. So I looked up to guys like him. And I had a personal relationship with Steve McNair, one of the toughest guys in college football.
"I was able to see all the games because my uncle was a coach ... at Alcorn State. Being on the sideline and having him take the time out to throw the football when I was a ball boy - being in the locker room with those guys - it really set the tone for what it takes to be a successful football player."
For Clayton, that even has meant playing defense. As a sophomore, he played safety in the Cotton Bowl against Texas.
"He's a first-round draft pick as a receiver. If he played safety, he would be a first-round pick playing that," LSU coach Nick Saban said. "And somebody would love to have him just playing on his special teams. I don't think anybody can get a more complete guy than that."
In fact, the only knock against Clayton is his speed. But Gruden said the Bucs clocked him at 4.54 seconds in the 40.
"Some guys run fast at the combine," Gruden said. "Some guys run fast in shorts. This guy runs fast in a football uniform."
The Bucs will have six picks when the draft resumes today, one in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds and three in the seventh.
The Bucs wanted Michael Clayton, who had 2,582 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns at LSU, more than any other receiver.
