PFF Tribe Slaps At Bucs’ 2024 Rookie Class
April 9th, 2025
“Graham, that’s a bunch of BS, man.”
The Bucs last season had an impact from a rookie class not often seen in these parts.
Let’s do the math: The Bucs found a starting center, one of the best running backs in the league and a starting wide receiver on the NFL’s third-best offense.
That right there seems to tell Joe that the Bucs had a helluva rookie class.
Then you add starting nickel corner Tykee Smith, man, four starters on a playoff team with 10 wins. That’s a helluva rookie class, right?
Not in the eyes of the PFF tribe.
The same outfit that has to slap a dumbarse grade of every GD thing did the same for the Bucs. Bradley Locker decided to rank every team’s rookie class. The Bucs, in Locker’s eyes, were barely in the top ten.
And when Joe means “barely,” as in Locker ranked the Bucs’ rookie class from 2024 as No. 10.
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Snaps Played: 4,414Despite beginning the season as a backup, running back Bucky Irving was sensational … first in yards after contact per attempt and eighth in missed tackles forced (62). Additionally, versatile defensive back Tykee Smith impressed … largely fueled by a stellar run-defense.
The back half of the season featured a breakout from third-round receiver Jalen McMillan. Altogether, five Buccaneers rookies played 500 or more snaps, including Graham Barton and Chris Braswell.
Well, Joe hates to say it, but Braswell of all the rookies was the worst. Joe doesn’t like to prop up rookie edge rushers much because historically they rarely make an impact. Still, 1.5 sacks was exactly 1.5 more snaps than you and Joe put together.
When the Bucs even got production from seventh-round pick Devin Culp, Joe isn’t sure how the hell one could only rank the Bucs as having the 10th-best rookie class.
April 9th, 2025 at 12:27 am
That’s an absurd ranking. No way that class last year was outside the top 5 and it was prolly top 3.
They clearly don’t factor a lot of things, they just look at class size, snaps and individual stats and if you drafted a QB.
If they factored those snaps and stats into the whole… 3 rookies getting significant playing time on a top 3 offense would damn near take the cake every year.
Imagine if Licht had 10-11 picks instead of 6 like some of these other teams.
Wash prolly super high on the strength of Daniels and going 2nd round… great a team was so bad they had a top QB fall in their laps, congratulations on your great draft! Rams had a good draft… Verse and Fiske and whoever else… did they help make the Rams a top 3 D? Didn’t think so.
April 9th, 2025 at 12:43 am
And the nine other teams rank ahead of us? Did a few have multiple 1st and 2nd round picks? Did they have such a lousy season in 23′ that they were picking in the top ten in All rounds?
I mean who are we comparing our draft picks to? We have 5 of the seven that had significant impact last season. And that’s not counting Braswell or Klein.
I’m guessing that there’s maybe a bit of favoritism from the “evaluator” but with so many truly contributing from our 2024 rookie class (some towards the back half of the season ), and to think that we did so poorly?
Multiple rookie success stories from so many more than us? HUH?
April 9th, 2025 at 12:50 am
I’ve always said no matter what the team does it’ll always get crapped on.
April 9th, 2025 at 1:17 am
Stupid is as stupid does, Mr. Locker
April 9th, 2025 at 1:30 am
Yeah realistically I don’t see how you can do much better than we did. Imo only a couple times actually did arguably. Anytime you get basically four starters who already more than home their own that’s pretty rare.
April 9th, 2025 at 2:00 am
Locker obviously looked at stats to do his list.
April 9th, 2025 at 2:40 am
Screw them….watch this rookie class thats about to occur….we got this
April 9th, 2025 at 3:14 am
Hard to tell if this is anything or just a big nothingburger without looking at who is ranked above.
And even if it isn’t a nothing burger, it kinda is (because who cares, PFF only has any sort of relevance in lineman discussions).
April 9th, 2025 at 3:27 am
To be given a ranking of 10 out of a total of 32 teams that also had a rookie class of draft picks is probably fair. The draft is truly a crap-shoot as you never really know how that college player is going to do in the NFL right? Hasn’t it been said in general and on this site that you will never really know how the picks in a draft class will turn out until 4-5 years down the line? It seems already that we had some picks do well plus I particularly like flying under the radar and proving the critics wrong. I’m fine with being ranked 10.
April 9th, 2025 at 3:31 am
10 is definitely disrespectful, I don’t see how anyone with eyes and knowledge of the game of football can put us lower than 6.
The only teams that you can say definitely had a better rookie class than us are the Commanders and Rams, spots 3-6 are just a toss up and would depend what sort of positions you personally value high.
April 9th, 2025 at 5:02 am
Are our boys playing for wins or for internet fame from a “writer” no one has ever heard of? Who cares. We are clearly passing thru the football desert right now.
April 9th, 2025 at 5:26 am
We wasted time last year allowing JTS the opportunity to earn a second contract, he didn’t. Those wasted snaps could’ve, should’ve gone to other players. Braswell if given more snaps, and just would’ve been asked to just rush the passer, would’ve done better. You can blame the player, but Edwards did a lousey coaching job last year also. Hopefully Foote can do better.
April 9th, 2025 at 5:50 am
Why does any of this bother you?
We know we had a great contribution from rookies last season. The Bucs players know it, and the front office and ownership knows it.
If it bothers the Bucs rookies, so be it. They’re no longer rookies so it’s impossible to improve on their rookie season.
The only way to get respect in this league is with a 12-13 win season and/or a deep playoff run.
Do that and the scribe ink will dry more favorably, and rookie evaluations will benefit from the ride.
April 9th, 2025 at 6:43 am
Agreed Joe! Not sure how the stat geeks manage to tweek the stats to get us down at 10!
Was looking at the 2019 class just yesterday.
Devin White
Sean Murphy-Bunting
Jamel Dean
Mike Edwards
Anthony Nelson
Matt Gay
Scotty Miller
If Diva and Gay had not imploded, this class would have been pretty dang good. Even so the rest of these dudes have all made some pretty solid contributions while here.
Go Bucs!
April 9th, 2025 at 8:54 am
PFF never rates the Bucs as good. As a national media type they are clueless Bucs haters
April 9th, 2025 at 10:18 am
@Joe
Just curious when you’re out working big events at the combine or other big events do you ever personally come across the PFF guys? Do they get out of their offices or are they just computer/tape/stat geeks.
If you do see them are they aware of the disrespect (earned btw IMHO) you have for them?
April 9th, 2025 at 10:46 am
His top 10 is 70% big market teams, aka as teams he actually watches.
April 9th, 2025 at 11:04 am
I read an article on this last week from another Bucs publication and they explained it better. It was done by your rookie snap count. Some of our rookies didn’t get to start until later in the season like Bucky and Macmillan. Teams like Washington and Philly had good drafts too and started their guys early on. 10th is really good. Especially for a team that wasn’t completely rebuilding.
April 9th, 2025 at 11:06 am
Hodad expressed my biggest bitch of last year. That being the snaps wasted watching JTS easily and CONSTANTLY get pushed out of the play by ANY OL. Would have been nice to see if Braswell has any talent. I guess we’ll find out this year. If we knew now it would surely effect our draft priorities. Is he a late bloomer or ANOTHER bust- -like JIS?
April 9th, 2025 at 11:54 am
Bucky and Barton should put us in the top 10,,, starting center and RB1,, if you can add 2 like this every year I’d be happy,,,
April 9th, 2025 at 2:19 pm
bucky
barton
mcmillan
tykee
everything on top of that is pure gravy
April 9th, 2025 at 7:18 pm
Oh yes. It is quite interesting. 🙂