Bucs’ Round 1 Mysteries
April 24th, 2025
Bucs GM Jason Licht has behind-the-scenes considerations.
Fans and Joe have blubbered about the Bucs’ draft for weeks. But nobody is playing with a remotely full deck.
So much is known only to those inside the walls of One Buc Palace. There’s too much mystery to make a bet-your-life-on-it prediction in tonight’s first round.
That reality has prompted Joe to rattle off mysterious keys to this Bucs draft in no particular order:
*When is Chris Godwin expected to start playing, and expected to be at the top of his game? There has been no definitive word from the Bucs and Godwin trashed his ankle more than six months ago.
*The Jamel Dean/Todd Bowles relationship. Dean said last year that he’s closer to Bowles than any player on the team. Bowles has treated Dean like a son and acknowledged their bond. Bowles also has said Dean is now the Bucs’ “1b” cornerback and the head coach wants competition in that unit. It’s unclear how tightly Bowles is clinging to Dean and how much he still believes in him.
*The Plan: Good teams like the Bucs have multi-year roster plans. A draft doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht has referenced “cycles” as it relates to certain years of drafting. Licht has implied that the defensive cycle has arrived in 2025, but what does that really mean? Last year the Bucs picked defensive players in Rounds 2 and 3.
*Logan Hall: What matters is how he’s viewed at One Buc Palace, not what dudes say at your local Hooters or in the price-gouged seats at The Licht House. The stats say Hall is on the rise and became a playmaker last season on the defensive line.
*Haason Reddick: The going rate for a top-7 edge rusher is at least $28 million per season. Reddick will earn half that this season on a one-year contract. If he has the year the Buccaneers hope for, is there any chance Tampa Bay pays Reddick the market value he will command next season? That’s got to be in the algorithms at One Buc Palace when the team assesses need. “Hey, Mike Evans, we’re going to break the bank for Haason but expect you to take the usual hometown discount.” Joe would bet a few bucks Lavonte David is more likely to be a Buccaneer in 2026 than Reddick.
*Team Glazer: Sage of Tampa Bay Sports Ira Kaufman always notes that Team Glazer has a voice in big decisions, which include first-round draft picks and huge contracts. Whether Team Glazer exercises that voice and to what extent is always unclear.
*Jon Spytek: Licht’s former right-hand personnel guy is gone to the Raiders. Licht always slobbers over his staff and expresses their greatness. What a great boss. Maybe Licht exaggerates, maybe not. Regardless, it’s unclear how Syptek’s absence might alter the Bucs’ approach.
*Offensive line: Licht loves his offensive line. And history says he loves drafting offensive linemen and does it often. Rightfully so. The starting line is loaded with young talent but depth is suspect. Plus, Licht has a starting right tackle with a scary concussion history entering a contract year. Joe could totally see Licht being tempted to draft a third-round tackle after two picks on defense.
Joe could go on and on. Let the games begin!
April 24th, 2025 at 12:56 pm
That’s a lot on content and context Joe.
April 24th, 2025 at 1:03 pm
So excited about this draft!!!
This roster will be loaded.
Bucs NFCS Champs x5!!!!!
April 24th, 2025 at 1:11 pm
WELCOME TO TAMPA BAY, COLSTON LOVELAND (TE).
April 24th, 2025 at 1:14 pm
“Good teams like the Bucs have multi-year roster plans”
Joe says that, and then Joe says we shouldn’t draft Jihaad because he might miss some games this year.
“Multi-year includes Year 1. See the story of Myles Jack. And Joe has heard that Campbell has other injury flags beyond his shoulder.–Joe
April 24th, 2025 at 1:22 pm
^ Same thing about CB Revel, Joe. I’d stay away from both…and I wanted Revel at first.
April 24th, 2025 at 1:28 pm
I just heard CB Will Johnson also has health concerns….he’s dropping, even out of the 1st rd in a popular mock.
April 24th, 2025 at 1:32 pm
Given their history of success I trust the Bucs braintrust.
Aside from KC, Buffalo and perhaps Cleveland and Detroit? which fans have had it better than the Bucs over the past five years?
A SB then 4 straight visits to the Playoffs with a first round win in one of them all the while trying to recover from the damage created by mortgaging the cap to win the 2nd SB. Well worth it obviously but still a major challenge.
And unlike many here I didn’t with to see guys like Funderburk and other no name rookies guarding NFL talent on pass routes. How abused do we think the Bucs secondary would have been guarding NFL targets with the hodgepodge than ended up in the back seven.
AW gets healthy, young guys got experience, at least one benefit of having to play inexperienced guys. The Bucs score big over the next few nights and the the team is ready to challenge and have yet to peak!
April 24th, 2025 at 1:34 pm
LMAO talk about brain cramps…and I’m totally straight and sober.
Cleveland? Was supposed to be Philadelphia!
Ok I can get out of this. I’ll pull a Pee Wee Herman and say I meant to do that just to see if you’re paying attention.
April 24th, 2025 at 1:51 pm
LB with bad shoulders, serious pass. FA always has value at LB.
April 24th, 2025 at 1:53 pm
Oh well soon the mystery will be solved. I can wait an see.
April 24th, 2025 at 2:00 pm
Give me a trench player or a trade back. Not worried about either side of the ball, but really hope not for a Trench player that can make a difference for on the line of scrimmage. The bigger, the sexier!
April 24th, 2025 at 2:10 pm
Sidney Sweeney, TE – Utopia
April 24th, 2025 at 2:20 pm
Just hope Jason builds the defensive trench’s this year like he did with the Oline last year. We need more wide bodies up front on the D.
April 24th, 2025 at 2:24 pm
Like Joe, I will be curious if they pick a tackle in the 3rd or 4th round — to me it means they are concerned about Goedeke’s long term future.
April 24th, 2025 at 2:31 pm
Good article, Joes. Those are the critical question marks, and how the draft plays out rounds 1-18 will determine how the Bucs choose.
Cheers.
April 24th, 2025 at 2:33 pm
I remember last year’s draft, almost everybody thought we would take Barton. We took Barton. I’m glad we did, our run game being one of the best in the NFL has a lot to do with him.
That being said, I just looked at SI’s final mock roundup for the Bucs… not all Campbell anymore.
One picked Golden, one Green, one Starks… one Johson… one Hairston.. there were a couple Ezeiruaku… a couple for Baron… couple for Stewart.
There were a couple still for Campbell but the general consensus has changed since 80% of them were picking him just a couple weeks ago.
What that means? There is no fully guessing this pick tonight. This should be exciting and fun!! Last year day two and three were more interesting. 😆
April 24th, 2025 at 2:37 pm
We signed Heck to backup Goedeke.
The first 5 picks are very important.
We must add 2 corners and 2 defensive lineman in the 1st 4 rounds.
5th round: ILB, Safety or WR.
April 24th, 2025 at 2:38 pm
6th and 7th?
OG practice squad guy and freaky fast CB who dropped bc he’s small.
April 24th, 2025 at 2:49 pm
75% Bucs stay at 19 and take a DB or JC if he is there and they are completely comfortable with his shoulder.
24% Sanders, Dart or both are still available and the Bucs trade down.
1% lottery scratcher, almost too dumb to say but just for fun, Micah Parson is a Buccaneer before the night is over.
April 24th, 2025 at 3:32 pm
So many injured players – the Bucs need a team of docs to evaluate these guys. With focus on the defense, you can bet Bowles will heavily influence the picks this year.
April 24th, 2025 at 4:00 pm
Excellent article, Joe(s).
Some real food for thought.
Overall, I’m still leaning toward an all-defense draft.
Luke is absolutely a concern with the concussions. We never should have let Justin Skule go especially after Tristan sang his praises the way he did on that recent podcast. I know, Justin got hammered by Aidan Hutchinson, but… he is Aidan Hutchinson, after all.
Even with Charlie Heck, our O-line ranks are thin. If we can trade down and grab an extra pick, I’d be in favor of drafting an O-lineman. But, only if we get an extra pick.
Same thing with WR. We all want Chris back on the field as soon as possible. There is no way the Bucs will let him near the field until he’s fully healed, no matter how long it takes. And Mike has absolutely earned the right to kick back on the verandah with an adult beverage or two and watch the games on TV on Sunday afternoon.
If we can somehow grab another pick this weekend, I’m all in on drafting a WR.
For the life of me, I can’t imagine anyone taking Jamel as part of a trade deal to move up or down. I’m slowly changing my position on trading/cutting him after the draft. Doing so would still leave us thin at CB. Let’s keep him and draft one this weekend. Lots of good ones available this year.
Moving Jamel into more of a rotation may keep him healthier (and on the field when we really need him).
Hopefully Hassan goes gangbusters this year. But, if he wants to stay beyond this year and expects top dollar, we may have to say thank you and farewell. There’s no way Jason Licht would pay him top dollar after Baker, Mike and Chris all took team-friendly deals.
Jason isn’t that crazy and there would be mayhem amongst the fan base if that happened.
Logan isn’t progressing as fast as any of us hoped. But he is progressing. It’s pretty clear the powers that be like him.
I still want to see us draft a DT/NT in the top rounds. A beastly Vita-clone would be ideal.
Whatever happens over the next few days, it’ll be interesting to see!
GO BUCS!
April 24th, 2025 at 4:05 pm
Just pray that JL doesn’t get another bust at DE.
He’s absolutely putrid at picking that position.
Save the wasted pick for the late rounds.
We need CB, LB, Safety, and WR the most.
April 24th, 2025 at 4:06 pm
It is very deep at DE at the top. Hope we grab one!
April 24th, 2025 at 4:12 pm
Rd 1 Nolan or Golden
Rd 2 Thomas or Porter
April 24th, 2025 at 4:13 pm
I mean Nolen mb. If he’s not there Golden,
Or an Edge
April 24th, 2025 at 4:15 pm
‘Joe could go on and on. Let the games begin!’
In other words, none of us have a clue what the Bucs will do. My guess is that JL has outlined at least 19 ‘options’, maybe more. His approach is surely influenced by what the 18 teams in front of us do (any 1 of those 18 selections MIGHT be our pick at #19 IF the other teams have passed on them).
Our Rnd 1 pick is certainly critical (better be a starter soon enough), but our Rnds 2 & 3 picks are almost as important (and at least one of them better become a starter this year, and the other become a key rotational player).
April 24th, 2025 at 4:37 pm
We dont have a 6th…unless we acquire one with a trade…. who still thinks we have a 6th?
19
53
84
121
5TH 157
7TH 235