Barring any last minute trades, the Bucs have wrapped up the 2018 NFL draft with their 6th round pick, 202nd overall, LB Jack Cichy from Wisconsin.
College Career
Cichy was a three-year starter at Wisconsin whose career was marred by injuries. When he plays, he’s a player, registering 121 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles.
What They’re Saying
Luke Easterling of draftwire.com describes him, “A talented prospect held back by injury, Cichy’s on-field performance will have far less to do with his draft slot than his medical evaluations. After missing a decent chunk of the 2016 season with a torn pectoral, Cichy missed the entire 2017 campaign after suffering a knee injury during preseason camp.When healthy, Cichy looked like a versatile prospect with the size and physicality to shed blocks and set the edge, with the awareness and instincts to hang in coverage. He’ll likely be a late-round pick due to his injury history, but if he’s somehow able to stay healthy at the next level, he could end up being a huge bargain.”
Pro Football Focus: “Has played just 737 defensive snaps over the past three seasons, and 388 over the past two. Injuries kept him sidelined entirely during 2017, but Cichy has big talent and could prove to be a late round steal if he can get healthy.”
NFL.com says, “It doesn’t take much tape work to be impressed by Cichy’s instincts and quickness to flow to the ball. It does, however, take a lot of searching to find what you need to study Cichy since he didn’t play in the Badger’s last 20 games due to injury. When healthy, Cichy’s intelligence and consistency are big attractions at the position, but his lack of explosiveness and durability concerns could hurt his draft stock. Cichy projects as an NFL backup who will help immediately on special teams.”
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DLT’s Thoughts
Always good to have some depth and help on special teams. Cichy seems like an effective player when healthy.