TAMPA, Fla. — With the NFL draft accomplished, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers gearing as much as maintain a two-day rookie minicamp beginning Friday, here is a more in-depth have a look at the Bucs’ draft class and the way every participant matches onto the roster.
Final yr’s rookie class noticed seven gamers earn a mixed 61 begins between the common season and two postseason video games, and the expectations are equally as excessive for this yr’s group.
First spherical
C Graham Barton, Decide No. 26
Coach Todd Bowles needed “extra beef” up the center and to maintain quarterback Baker Mayfield’s uniform clear by lowering the quantity of hits he takes — as 32 of the Bucs’ 54 sacks surrendered final yr have been attributed to the guard and middle positions. Heart Robert Hainsey, who gave up 11 sacks final yr, stepped in for Ryan Jensen, however he has bodily limitations, notably with lack of decrease physique mass.
“We’ve not had the majority in there since [Ali] Marpet [retired], clearly, and Ryan left and [Alex] Cappa left,” Bowles mentioned. “Bringing dimension in there, getting a little bit bit over 300, 305 [pounds], getting a much bigger man, a taller man, with some girth in there [and] attempting to not let individuals go up the center as a lot. I believe it’s going to assist us that approach.”
Barton, who’s listed at 6-foot-5 and 314 kilos, is predicted to start out at middle, with Hainsey competing there and likewise for the beginning left guard place (assuming Cody Mauch stays at proper guard). He performs with a powerful base and anchor and a “nasty temperament,” as basic supervisor Jason Licht put it, alongside together with his skill to get off the ball and play with leverage.
“To me, it is about making the correct block, displacement and violence — that is how the offensive line place ought to look, and I take numerous pleasure in ensuring I am doing that to one of the best of my skill,” Barton mentioned. “You possibly can solely play this recreation so lengthy, so it is like, why waste a snap? Each rep is foot on the gasoline. I believe that is type of why I play with that nastiness and that violence, simply due to the eagerness I’ve for the sport, how a lot I like it and simply how a lot I admire the chance to do that.”
Second spherical
OLB Chris Braswell, Decide 57
Not like Yaya Diaby, a 2023 draftee who got here in comparatively inexperienced and needed to rely extra on his skill, Braswell has numerous cross rush strikes already in his arsenal. He additionally has expertise dropping into protection, which the Bucs ask of their exterior linebackers. He had 10.5 tackles for a loss in his closing yr at Alabama, alongside together with his eight sacks and three pressured fumbles (he additionally had a pick-six in opposition to Mississippi State).
“He has a superb toolbox coming in,” exterior linebackers coach George Edwards mentioned. “He is a younger man that after we checked out him on a tape, he displayed the ability set of the whole lot we’ll ask him to do. So we had a transparent imaginative and prescient for what we have been getting with him coming in and what we’re asking him to do wasn’t going to be international.”
The Bucs liked his aggressive spirit when he got here in for a go to, selecting to stay at Alabama regardless of taking part in behind Will Anderson Jr. and Dallas Turner and solely beginning two profession video games.
“When he got here in right here and visited with us, it was, ‘You ever take into consideration leaving?’ ‘No, why would I depart? I picked Alabama. I like Alabama. I am not afraid of competitors. I imagine in myself. That is the place I need to be,'” assistant basic supervisor John Spytek mentioned. “He is bodily, he’s attempting to run by your face on a regular basis, he is gonna make you earn it each play. My expertise within the league has been that these guys are robust to dam, you get worn down after some time.”
Third spherical
DB Nickel Tykee Smith, Decide 89
The Bucs see Smith as a nickelback, with the expectation of competing for the beginning job straight away, however he’ll cross-train at security too, the place he had 4 interceptions and 9 cross breakups in two years at West Virginia earlier than transferring to Georgia. The playmaking, ball expertise and physicality stand out most in assessing his tape. In 51 faculty video games, he had eight interceptions, 5 sacks, 21.5 tackles for a loss and 140 tackles.
His 4 interceptions at Georgia have been tied for third most within the SEC final yr. He allowed 83 passing yards as the first defender final season, with a 3.0 passing yards per try allowed — fourth within the SEC amongst defensive backs with 200 or extra protection snaps. He allowed a 39.3 completion share on 28 cross makes an attempt final yr — tenth greatest within the SEC — whereas his 19.1 uncooked QBR allowed as the first defender was fifth within the SEC.
Spytek famous Smith’s psychological acuity saying, “[He] is approach forward of numerous children that will enter the NFL, in a protection the place we ask numerous our secondary specifically. They should know numerous issues, they should be versatile, they should suppose actually quick — suppose on the fly. To me that is all the time the most important hurdle. These guys you decide on Day 1 and Day 2, they’re normally fairly good athletes — it is the psychological stuff that’ll gradual ’em down.”
Final yr’s beginning nickelback, undrafted free agent Christian Izien, began and completed the yr on a excessive word, however did have a midseason lull, one thing the teaching workers famous, however they’re nonetheless excessive on him. He allowed a 71.7 completion share final yr — twenty sixth amongst nickelbacks with 80 or extra protection snaps, in line with NextGen Stats. Izien allowed 5.2 yards after the catch per reception final yr, additionally twenty sixth within the league. He’ll spend the spring coaching at security, the place Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jordan Whitehead are entrenched as starters, along with competing with Smith for the beginning job at nickel.
WR Jalen McMillan, Decide 92
ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. referred to as McMillian “a steal on the finish of Spherical 3” and his “favourite prospect in Tampa Bay’s class” and he is seen as a do-it-all receiver.
His 14 touchdowns over the previous two seasons have been tenth amongst Energy 5 receivers. He was notably efficient on crossing routes, the place his 26.67 yards per catch common was second most amongst Energy 5 receivers over the previous two years. Six of his touchdowns got here on put up routes over the previous two years — tied for probably the most of any Energy 5 receiver. In whole, he produced a 62.9 first down or landing share — thirteenth in Energy 5.
“On a workforce with two actually good receivers — clearly one which went within the high 10 (Rome Odunze) and one other one which went actually early within the [second round, Ja’Lynn Polk], it was nonetheless very easy to see him,” Spytek mentioned. “A whole lot of instances, I believe that man may be forgotten about. However his athleticism, the way in which he naturally runs routes — like he performs like the sport is smart to him. Like there is a smoothness and an easiness to his recreation that I believe that you just actually admire. He makes a few of issues that I believe are more difficult for the receiver place look pretty easy.”
With Chris Godwin transferring again to the slot and the Bucs utilizing extra 11 personnel beneath new offensive coordinator Liam Coen, McMillan can step in as a real No. 3 receiver and probably a future No. 2 with Godwin getting into the final yr of his contract.
Fourth spherical
RB Bucky Irving, Decide 125
The Bucs have had the league’s worst dashing assault over the previous two seasons (82.9 yards per recreation). A few of that may be attributed to an offensive line that struggled with its inside run blocking and a scheme change final yr. Rachaad White continues to be firmly entrenched because the starter. Nonetheless, the teaching workers would love to have the ability to spell White and provides him a breather, and so they could not try this final yr with Chase Edmonds out the primary 4 regular-season video games with an damage.
Whereas Irving’s 4.55 40-yard sprint time wasn’t notably spectacular (it was 14th amongst 20 operating backs that examined on the scouting mix), his tape exhibits an actual knack for evading defenders, breaking tackles and retaining his legs transferring. He broke or evaded an FBS-high 144 tackles from 2022 to 2023. On high of that, he led all Energy 5 operating backs with 413 receiving yards on 56 receptions final yr.
“We had him in on a go to, he instructed us that the primary man does not sort out him,” Spytek mentioned. “It is no secret that Bucky is not — he isn’t Christian Okoye, he isn’t gonna run by individuals’s faces on a regular basis. However you have a look at his manufacturing, whether or not it was at Minnesota or Oregon — he is 6.0 yards a carry, he is arduous to get on the bottom. And for a person that is lower than 200 kilos, while you do hit him, which is tough to do — he is arduous to knock off his ft.”
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The highlights from latest Buccaneer Bucky Irving
Take a look at the highlights from the Buccaneers’ latest operating again, Bucky Irving.
Sixth spherical
OG Elijah Klein, Decide 220
Klein will compete with Hainsey, in addition to free brokers Sua Opeta and Ben Bredeson for the beginning left guard job, together with Mauch on the correct facet as an awesome majority of his snaps got here at proper guard (2,664) at UTEP with 4 coming at left guard. The Bucs have wanted higher inside run blocking and the Miners ran a run-heavy scheme with numerous zone.
“I believe run blocking is my specialty,” Klein mentioned. “That is what I love to do. I prefer to be the hammer — not the nail. I do not prefer to be passive in any side of soccer so run recreation is one thing I actually pleasure myself on.”
His 1.3% blown run block share was eighth greatest in Convention USA final yr amongst guards with 500 or extra snaps. By way of cross blocking, whereas he might not have had the excessive variety of reps a few of his friends had due to the scheme he performed in faculty, he gave up one sack in all of 2023. In his 4 seasons at UTEP, he allowed simply 4 sacks — tied for sixth within the FBS amongst guards with 2,500 snaps or extra and he allowed simply 0.7% pressures in 2023 — second greatest amongst Convention USA and tied for twenty fifth amongst all FBS guards final yr.
“They’re getting a gritty, nasty dude,” Klein mentioned when requested what Bucs followers can count on. “I do not declare to be the lightest on my ft. I do not declare to play with probably the most finesse. However what I do love to do is put my head down and hit individuals as arduous as I can. In order that they’re anticipating somebody who’s dirty within the trenches.”
Seventh spherical
TE Devin Culp, Decide 246
Culp is the second Bucs tight finish to return out of Washington prior to now three years — they chose Cade Otton within the fourth spherical in 2022. He is smaller than Otton at 6-3, 230 kilos, however he had a time of 4.47 seconds within the 40-yard sprint, which is unusual for a good finish and would make him the quickest of the Bucs’ present group.
“Whenever you really feel him within the run recreation, he seems like a much bigger physique,” Spytek mentioned. “I believe we have been nearly shocked when he weighed in on the mix that he was what he was as a result of he strains to complete his blocks, he has energy by his core and in his ft and in his stability that enables him to stay on blocks — yeah he isn’t gonna displace the larger defensive ends in our league, however he stays connected to them and the pleasure that he has when he blocks jumps off the movie to you. … You type of count on that from greater guys, however you do not all the time count on that in video games which might be 230 or 240.”
He credit fellow UW grad and present Bucs exterior linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka for serving to him develop his cross blocking expertise. With the aim of Coen’s offense to get guys the ball in area, Culp’s choice is smart. He mentioned day-after-day he is been catching 100 balls per day, along with honing his footwork, hanging on luggage and enhancing his general energy for the blocking.
