By The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the 20226 draft with a clear mission.
-Re-establish a defensive identity
-Add speed and physicality
-Add overall depth to the roster
Let’s take a look at who the Buccaneers selected in this draft.
-LB Rueben Bane Jr. Miami
-LB Josiah Trotter, Missouri
-WR Ted Hurst, Georgia State
-DB Keionte Scott, Miami
-DT DeMonte Capehart Clemson
-OG Billy Schrauth Notre Dame
-TE Bauer Sharp LSU
For the Buccaneers defense, everything starts with Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., their first-round pick. Tampa Bay has lacked a consistent edge rusher over the last few seasons and desperately needs a consistent edge presence.
Bain Jr. will remind fans of Warren Sapp. He will bring explosiveness, power, and proven high-level production to the Buccaneers’ defense.
Even without an all-out blitz, Bain Jr. can collapse the pocket, which will fit perfectly in Todd Bowles’ attack defense.
In the second round, the Bucs continued to focus on defense, choosing linebacker Josiah Trotter from Missouri.
Trotter will step into the linebacker rotation immediately and could be a defensive signal caller down the road.
With these two selections, Tampa has effectively rebuilt its front seven, giving Bowles a solid defensive foundation to work with.
In round three, Tampa added depth to the wide receiver room, selecting Ted Hurst from Georgia State.
Hurst is 6-4, 206 pounds with 4.4 speed.
In round four, the Buccaneers went back to the defensive side of the ball, selecting CB Keionte Scott from Miami.
A versatile DB who will contribute immediately in sub-packages, especially the nickel.Has good blitzing ability, which Bowles will use quite often.
In the fifth round, the Buccaneers added to the DL by selecting DeMonte Capehart. He is a physical run-stopper who brings added depth to the interior of the DL. Still has work to do to be an effective pass rusher.
In round six, the Buccaneers added depth to the OL by selecting Billy Schrauth.
He was a wise addition as the o-line was riddled by injuries last season. Can play multiple positions along the o-line, and will also be a great leader as he was a captain on the Notre Dame football team last season.
In the sixth round, the Buccaneers added a pass-catching tight end as a developmental project, selecting Bauer Sharp from LSU.
Bauer’s strength is his pass-catching, but he will need work to develop as an NFL blocker.
Jason Licht hit a grand slam with this draft, and if these rookies develop and play close to their potential, it won’t be long before the Buccaneers are back in playoff contention.
Considering the shape the defense was in coming into the NFL draft, Licht resisted the urge to take the best available player on the board, and instead drafted for need to rebuild the roster.
The focus of this draft was to focus on the defense, and Licht did that by selecting four defensive players, of which Bain Jr, Trotter, and Scott could all be starters on opening day.
Instead of opting for the best players available, or making panic picks or major reaches, Tampa largely stayed on their board. It addressed the team’s most pressing needs: edge rusher, linebacker, and secondary.
This draft is a strong effort to reestablish their identity, which is a defense-first mentality.
Let’s give Jason Licht a solid B+ right now for this draft. But if Rueben Bain Jr. becomes the disrupter he is projected to be, the grade could jump to an A+, and be one of the best drafts, round one through round six of the Jason Licht era.
