The Buccaneers have finally addressed the defensive secondary, using their last two second-round picks Friday night to draft North Carolina cornerback M.J. Stewart and Auburn cornerback Carlton Davis.
Stewart, selected with the No. 53 pick overall, left as the Tar Heels' all-time leader with 47 passes defensed, with six career interceptions, though none in the last two seasons.
Davis, selected at No. 63 after the Bucs traded down seven spots, was a first-team All-SEC selection, running a 4.53 40 at the combine. Davis has just three career interceptions but had 11 breakups this past season.
Asked for his strengths as a defensive back, Stewart cited his versatility _ he had five tackles for loss and two sacks this past season. At the combine, he ran the 40 in 4.54 seconds, with a 35-inch vertical and 18 reps at 225 pounds in the bench press.
The Bucs took their third second-rounder and traded down, dealing to the Patriots and sliding down seven spots to No. 63, picking up a fourth-rounder (117th overall) as part of the deal.
