Bucs pick Rutgers guard in third round

The Bucs selected Rutgers guard Jeremy Zuttah in the third round Sunday. He also could play center or tackle.

The 6-foot-3, 306 pound Zuttah played all three positions during his four-year career with the Scarlet Knights, starting 28 straight games at right tackle.   

The selection of Zuttah continues the Bucs commitment to building the offensive line. He graduated in December with a degree in economics.

The Bucs likely expect Zuttah to be a swing player who can start at multiple positions. Tampa Bay already has two high round picks at guard - Davin Joseph (first-rounder in '06) and Arron Sears (second-rounder in '07). The Bucs signed Saints free agent Jeff Faine in the off-season.

""I'm very physically mature but I'm only 21-years old,'' Zuttah said. ""I'm strong, I'm fast, I think I'm physically ready. It's just how fast I can learn the system. That's also one of my strengths, my intelligence, so I can learn it quickly. I guess the speed of the game will be different, too.''

(Photo: Jeremy Zuttah, bottom right, did not allow a sack over his final two college seasons. AP Photo. Click to enlarge.)

Comments

[Joe]

Every pick made by the Bucs was a great value I thought. They did a very good job of addressing their needs and didn't reach for anyone. Kurt makes a great point concerning the job they did in acquiring 2 more picks which, in turn, allowed us to address the backup QB and RB positions. Quality draft I felt. More competition breeds success.