Why did Tampa Bay pass on a quarterback in the draft?
Tampa Bay is very much a team in flux, any team would be after losing a first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback to retirement as the Buccaneers did with Tom Brady making it official in February of this year. The team believes it has both a short-term and long-term solution at the position in Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask, respectively. While there are undoubtedly concerns surrounding the upside of either of these players, Tampa Bay opted to pass on this class of quarterbacks, perhaps looking forward to, what looks to be, a bumper crop at the position next year.
Who did the Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft in the first round?
The Buccaneers, instead, opted to target players with upside at positions of need with hopes they live up to, and even exceed their draft position in terms of production. The first such selection, at the 19th overall pick, was interior defensive lineman Calijah Kancey – Pitt, a defender that bears an uncanny similarity to that of three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and seven-time All-Pro Aaron Donald. Like Kancey, Donald also attended Pitt before being selected in the first round by the Rams. Both defenders sported smaller, compact frames for a defensive lineman, each standing 6’-1” tall with Donald weighing 285 pounds to Kancey’s 281 pounds. Yet, both were lightning fast with Kancey claiming a 4.67 second 40-yard dash time, ever so slightly edging that of his fellow Pitt alumni Donald who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.68 seconds. This explosiveness is exactly what the Buccaneers are hoping to capitalize on after the team opted not to re-sign defensive end William Gholston. Gholston went all season without a single sack, only the second time in his career he went sackless, and the first time since the 2017 season. Despite being unable to collect a single sack last season, Gholston did post his best statistical season in seven years and his third-best season of his career. Nonetheless, Tampa Bay opted to get younger at the position as opposed to signing him to a short-term deal. Look for Kancey to start immediately and, almost certainly, outperform Gholston as early as his rookie season.
#GoBucs https://t.co/rpDZzkLJq0
— Calijah Kancey (@Ckancey8) May 14, 2023
Who did Tampa Bay draft in day two of the 2023 draft?
With the Buccaneers’ second pick of the draft, selection number 48 overall, the team found almost the complete opposite player to Kancey, offensive lineman Cody Mauch – North Dakota State. Mauch is an oddity, in more than one way but, specifically, in that he could, and likely should, be played at offensive tackle but, Tampa Bay, at least initially, intends to start him at guard. The 6’-5” and 302-pound Mauch is quite the sight to behold as his massive frame sports bright red, shoulder-length hair with several missing teeth in the middle of his top row. He definitely leans into this uniqueness, sporting a full smile in every photograph you can find of him. Not only is his look a bit unorthodox, his path to the NFL is, let’s say, a path less traveled, as well. Playing tight end in nine-man football throughout his high school career, he walked on to small school North Dakota State, also seeking to play tight end, before converting to offensive tackle in his freshman season. This path, and the relative newness of the position, could be why the Buccaneers appear poised to start him at guard initially, allowing him to potentially gain valuable experience before, possibly, moving him to tackle down the road.
With their second pick of Day Two, the 82nd overall selection, Tampa Bay shifted back across the line of scrimmage to select edge rusher YaYa Diaby – Louisville. To start his career, Diaby figures to back up Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, the Buccaneers first round pick from 2021, although he could, ultimately, replace the aging edge rusher on the opposite side of the line, Shaq Barrett, as soon as next season when Barrett’s contract creates the opportunity for Tampa Bay to move on from him. Diaby was a minor reach as I had him graded coming off the board firmly in the middle of Day Three, however, his speed and explosiveness present solid upside and could make him a pass rush specialist that could be leveraged to create pressure on the pocket on clear passing situations. All said, his upside and appeal lay beyond his rookie season and his true value may not be known until then.
TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 02: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Linebacker Shaquil Barrett (58) rushes the passer during the regular season game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 02, 2022 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire)
Did Tampa Bay draft any skill position players?
The Buccaneers then went on a significant hiatus between picks without a selection occurring until the 153rd selection, that being linebacker SirVocea Dennis – Pitt, with half their picks coming from that university up until this point, followed by tight end Payne Durham – Purdue (pick 171), cornerback Josh Hayes – Kansas State (pick 181), wide receiver Trey Palmer – Nebraska (pick 191), and linebacker Jose Ramirez – Eastern Michigan (pick 196). The two biggest values out of the Day Three group are, hands down, Palmer and Dennis, in that order. Palmer should get immediate snaps in four wide receiver sets and could easily fill in for any of the three starting wide receivers in the event of an injury. Additionally, Palmer was an accomplished kick returner throughout his college career so he could see some immediate work in just such a role as a rookie. Furthermore, all three starting Tampa Bay wide receivers could be working on the last year of their contract, due to the way each contract is structured and the possible savings the team could gain if they moved on from one or more of the players. In the event this occurs, Palmer would, almost certainly, be the next player up and could be in line for a starting role by his second season.
With regard to Dennis, he will find himself behind current starter, Lavonte David, in his rookie season but, David is set to become a free agent at the conclusion of the current season, giving Dennis a clear path to a possible starting role. His draft capital is such that the prospect of this occurring is, quite literally, a 50-50 possibility. Nonetheless, his upside is an aspect of his game that I raved about in the ORANGE Report and I could see him stepping into a starting role with impressive results.
What grade did the Tampa Bay Buccaneers get for the draft?
Taken as a whole, I believe the Buccaneers were drafting much less for this season as they are for the future. The selections they made in the first two days of the draft are centered, as I mentioned previously, on upside and potential. If two or more of these players perform at, or above, their draft value, Tampa Bay will look like geniuses. However, if the opposite is true, this too may achieve their long-term aims, positioning them for an early draft pick that they could use to draft a franchise quarterback that they can depend upon for the next decade. Given this view, I would grade the short-term value of this draft class as a B-. I can see very few scenarios under which any of their selections rank among the top ten at their position in the first season or two of their careers. Long term, the Buccaneers get a grade of a B+. Tampa Bay drafted several players with significant upside beyond their rookie season. Additionally, several players could be starters for them long-term with as many as half of their class falling into this category. Overall, if you are a Buccaneers fan, hold tight, help is coming, maybe just not this season.
