TAMPA, Fla. -- Cornerback was one of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' prime areas of need entering the NFL draft. They were able to secure their man in Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves III, with an added bonus of gaining a fourth-round pick in the process after moving to No. 11 from No. 9 in a trade with the Chicago Bears.

My take: The draft momentum continues for general manager Jason Licht. A year after producing a standout class that featured Jameis Winston, Donovan Smith, Ali Marpet and Kwon Alexander, Licht gained a promising talent in the 5-foot-10, 204-pound lanky corner while securing the No. 106 pick in the trade with Chicago.

There’s not much to quibble about with this pick. The Bucs had targeted Hargreaves for some time, with Licht and coach Dirk Koetter both confirming they would have taken the cornerback if they had remained at No. 9. Koetter compared Hargreaves to four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Brent Grimes, and Licht said he considers Hargreaves' "ego" a plus. The Bucs’ cornerbacks lacked bite last year under former coach Lovie Smith. The defense allowed an NFL-worst 69.87 completion percentage, so more aggression will be a welcome change.

Hargreaves' addition will bolster what should be a more sound secondary under new defensive coordinator Mike Smith. As long as Hargreaves stays disciplined in his coverage as he develops, he should be a fine fit in the Buccaneers’ evolving defense.

Tampa ties: Hargreaves hasn’t strayed far from Tampa in recent years. He played at Wharton High School in the city before signing with Florida, where he earned first-team All-SEC honors in each of his three seasons with the Gators. Football runs deep in Hargreaves’ family. His father, Vernon II, played at Connecticut and is now the linebackers coach at Arkansas.

Hargreaves’ local connection should play well throughout Tampa Bay. He isn’t shy about sharing his love for the area. He wore custom cleats that read “City of Tampa” at the NFL combine and at his pro day workout.

Hello, defensive help: It’s fair to wonder what Lovie Smith is thinking now. The former Bucs coach, known for his defensive reputation, saw Tampa Bay draft only one defensive player of the 13 selections in his tenure before he was fired in January. Three months later, the Buccaneers’ shift to finding impact defensive talent for the future has begun.

Hargreaves represents the first of what should be more defensive draft picks ahead for Tampa Bay. Defensive end remains a need for the Buccaneers, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them take a safety or a defensive tackle as well. The days of offense-dominated drafts for Tampa Bay seem to be over for now.

What’s next: Look for the Bucs to eye defense again Friday. Tampa Bay owns the No. 39 overall pick in the second round and the No. 74 overall selection in the third. The second round was kind to the Bucs last year, when they took Donovan Smith (No. 34 overall) and Marpet (No. 61).