For Bucs, a fresh set of eyes on the draft

When the draft clock starts ticking, Buccaneers General Manager Mark Dominik will be ready, and this time he'll have new draft partner that will be sitting next to him: head coach Greg Schiano.

"We're still running the same type of war room. It's a very quiet war room, or draft room. Greg has the same philosophy that way. It's a business atmosphere in there and we're talking about football players. That's going to be the same," he said.

The change in coaching staff will bring some changes in how the Bucs draft.

"It's going to be a little different because this is a new staff ad they have different philosophies. Obviously Coach Sullivan has his philosophy that he's developed and maintained and grown through his years of being a coach in the NFL, and so offensively his players can look a little different or be asked to do different things. But I have liked the way our players currently under contract fit into both sides of the ball," Dominik said.

Inside Bucs team head quarters, the Bucs already know which player they'll select with the 5th pick. Predicting which four players will go ahead of them is easy this year, but that doesn't mean the Bucs decision is an easy one.

"I think it's a rare year where you know the first two picks. I think we all probably know the order, too, but I think it's rare that you know the first two picks in the draft, so that does make it a little different, but I don't think it makes it easy. I mean, there's a lot of work that goes into that to make sure you make the right pick. And the reality is you have to be prepared to not only move up, but to move back and what's that pick look like. So you have to think about not just what are we going to do at 5, but at six and 18 or 24 if you wanted to. So a crazy as it may sound, there's not any easy pick ever," Dominik said.

LSU's Morris Claiborne will be the Bucs choice unless a trade is made to disrupt the first five picks. He's been the projected choice for months, still the Bucs are ready to talk about why he's the best choice.

"I'm not going to get into individual analysis of football players. I don't want to help the Minnesota Vikings, the Cleveland Browns or the St. Louis Rams or whoever. I just don't like doing that because to me, all I'll say is there's a lot of talented players in this draft class. I do think it's a good draft class, and at the top I feel like its really talented spots. So I'm excited about it and I'm comfortable at five, and willing to explore in case there's something that does develop," Dominik said.

Their first choice is just hours away.