NFL Releases Bucs’ Slot For 2022 Draft
January 24th, 2022
“Where do I draft again?“
Yesterday, Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians said the “finality” of the end of a season is “a b!tch.”
And nothing slams the door on a football season like knowing where the Bucs will draft. So, apologies from Joe for offering up the information.
The Bucs will pick No. 27 in Round 1. Of course, Dan Parr and Chase Goodbread of NFL.com offered up what the Bucs should be targeting.
Biggest needs: OL, WR, CB
There are far too many potential free-agent losses to know exactly how the Bucs’ draft needs will line up come April, but there will be a major void in Tom Brady’s protection if C Ryan Jensen and RG Alex Cappa — who have started in every regular-season game Brady has played as a Buc — are not re-signed.
Let’s assume Tom Brady comes back. If Brady leaves, everything and Joe means everything, is thrown out the window. You could see a total overhaul. You could see a rebuild. If Brady retires, there are a bunch of veteran free agents you can cross off your roster.
Joe thinks the Bucs will sign or franchise Ryan Jensen. If Cappa leaves, Joe is confident the Bucs will keep Aaron Stinnie and move him to right guard. You will remember when Cappa got hurt against Washington last year in the playoffs, Stinnie started the rest of the way and you didn’t really notice Cappa was out.
So drafting offensive line seems a bit of a reach or overreaction.
Wide receiver? Perhaps. If Brady returns, Joe thinks the Bucs can get another wide receiver in free agency. Brady will just do a couple of FaceTimes and all will be good.
Cornerback? Damn right Joe would draft a cornerback. Even if Carlton Davis returns Joe isn’t sold on the cornerbacks after they terribly regressed as a unit this season. And given how that defense collapsed when any of the top three got hurt, it is a must the Bucs get better depth there.
January 24th, 2022 at 6:32 am
Joe weren’t you raving about Dean’s play this season??
Dean improved late in the season and surely he was a quality third-round pick. Joe was writing here more about the position group from top to bottom. –Joe
January 24th, 2022 at 6:39 am
Joe…..”Cornerback? Damn right Joe would draft a cornerback. Even if Carlton Davis returns Joe isn’t sold on the cornerbacks after they terribly regressed as a unit this season. And given how that defense collapsed when any of the top three got hurt, it is a must the Bucs get better depth there.”
This speaks for many fans of the team, simple present reality of the secondary.
GO BUCS!!!!!
January 24th, 2022 at 6:39 am
Dean sucks always has and always will. They have not leadership back there.
January 24th, 2022 at 6:42 am
Every time news outlets talk about the Bucs weakness they always say the same thing “SECONDARY” is suspect.
January 24th, 2022 at 6:48 am
The list is long, but these are MUST signings or find replacements:
Godwin,Gronk,Jensen,Gholston,Whitehead,David,Suh,JPP
….another cap miracle needed.
January 24th, 2022 at 6:49 am
*Davis not David
January 24th, 2022 at 6:51 am
CB has to be a top priority. D-line needs an upgrade too.
January 24th, 2022 at 6:54 am
Heck Draft 2 dbs.
Need dline imo. Got to get younger there
January 24th, 2022 at 6:57 am
CB, OL, WR in this order. Even if we need some resigns, some players should absolutely go and free cap space, for example: Howard, Johnson…
January 24th, 2022 at 7:01 am
Everything falls into place when TB decides. In free agency, will be easy to get a veteran WR and a few OL. Need to pursue a better CB in Free Agency, and some DL. As Tryon showed, draft will not fill a hole.
Darden should be cut.
January 24th, 2022 at 7:09 am
I think a TE is a possibility in rounds 1-3……
January 24th, 2022 at 7:15 am
Maybe well draft a cb or a wr instead of a 3rd string qb in the 2nd rd
January 24th, 2022 at 7:16 am
I agree we need a CB, but I would suggest we also draft a DT, middle LB, and TE.
January 24th, 2022 at 7:16 am
DT and ILB. David needs to have an heir in place. Suh is likely done, and isn’t Gholston a FA? Yea. DT is no1
January 24th, 2022 at 7:18 am
Easy to second guess but what if Tampa had drafted different in rounds 1 and 2 got some help for this year ? Trask didn’t help us maybe receiver or cornerback could have ?
January 24th, 2022 at 7:23 am
Joe, I believe we need a new S.T.’s coach, I’d put secondary coach on that list too. Both units have been weak links on this team, and I don’t see that changing no matter who we draft.
January 24th, 2022 at 7:41 am
Defensive line, OLB, ILB
January 24th, 2022 at 7:46 am
Trask was (and probably will be going forward) a worthless 2nd round pick. There are no “luxury” picks in Round 2. Darden is undersized and useless. Bruce loves his Liliputien wide receivers from small schools like John Brown. Maybe draft some new coordinators and medical staff. Licht has got his work cut out for him.
January 24th, 2022 at 7:47 am
26 free agents 10 starters 22 mil to spend. Its going to be an issue.
January 24th, 2022 at 7:47 am
Need a wr and cb
January 24th, 2022 at 7:57 am
the corners played pretty well last week with SMB out and safeties at slot. SMB is the weakest link with only 3 pass defenses and 0 INT’s all year his coverage skills are in question. Davis in 12 games, had 12 pass defenses , 1 INT, 38 solo tackles, and 2 stuffs.
Dean in 15 games, had 10 pass defenses,2 INT’s, 56 solo tackles, a forced fumble, and 3.5 stuffs.
SMB in 10 games, had 3 pass defenses, 0 INT’s, 32 solo tackles, a forced fumble,
and one stuff.
January 24th, 2022 at 7:59 am
We 100% need to fire the ST. Coach been saying this for a while now. Darden doesn’t belong anywhere on a NFL field. Corner is a need but it does no good to get press corners and then have them line up 6-8yds off. I’m sorry but we’re just not physical enough with WRS off the los. Dline needs some youth but they also need to let Vita play. His rotation is RIDICULOUS.
Offensively everything hinches on if Brady comes back but I’d love to see our playback opened up. We need a shifty type of WR to go with Evans and I’m assuming Godwin gets resigned.
January 24th, 2022 at 8:14 am
Would bring in a proven vet corner
January 24th, 2022 at 8:40 am
It all depends on Brady. All of it. W/O Brady they will be the yuccaneers again.
January 24th, 2022 at 8:48 am
Hate to say it but we need a game changing DE
January 24th, 2022 at 8:52 am
They need pass rush. You can never have too much pass rush – not that they are close.
January 24th, 2022 at 8:55 am
If Brady retires Gronk does also. Lets see then we need a qb, te, cb, dl, rb, wr, ol, and edge other than that we are in pretty good shape.
January 24th, 2022 at 8:55 am
Perhaps another qb in the 6th round at #199. Hey, it’s been done before you know.😁
January 24th, 2022 at 8:59 am
I think we have shot and missed drafting enough at CB. Get a proven one from Free Agency. Time to work on Defense and Replace Darden!!
January 24th, 2022 at 9:01 am
Brady rides off it’s a total rebuild, which seems to be j lichts approach in his time here outside the Brady years.
I’m looking at our draft class last season and didn’t see any contributors. Also secondary how many picks have the team spent on corners!
We need a young DE to build up a ferocious pass rush with Vita
January 24th, 2022 at 9:30 am
Dline Seema more a need than oline. Vea and Shaq seem the only guys that may be here that have proven to be starter quality.
January 24th, 2022 at 9:38 am
If the 6’9″ OT from Minnesota is available when we pick Licht woukd be crazy not to take him. If not then an LB/DT. Whichever is best.
January 24th, 2022 at 9:52 am
Apparently they didnt watch the Bucs pass rush this weekend.
January 24th, 2022 at 9:57 am
CB, LB, DE, WR I would think.
January 24th, 2022 at 10:07 am
I could have sworn I did not see a pass rush against the Rams. Did anybody else see one? DE/CB/WR
January 24th, 2022 at 10:13 am
I would add running back to the list. Currently K. Vaughn is our only RB on our roster…
Even if Fournette returns I would still draft a RB in round 2-4…
I would draft a WR or CB in round one. We also need TE, DLine and Oline help…
January 24th, 2022 at 10:19 am
Hopefully licht doesn’t have another atrocious draft. Last year seems to be a waste. I won’t close the book on JTS after just a rookie year, but he needs to get stronger to go with the speed, and he did miss a year of football also.
January 24th, 2022 at 10:38 am
To many needs to draft all. Those needs go up if TB12 leaves. Might be a rebuild year even if Brady stays. The dline outside of vea is old suh jpp goldston also lvd is getting long in the tooth. Secondary needs a lot of help. Smb n dean should be back ups. I think if we could find starters to replace smb n dean and then have them be back ups I think we would be set. Safeties isn’t really a issue with whitehead Winfield n Edwards. JL will get this ship right again.
January 24th, 2022 at 10:42 am
No need to worry…
We have a GM so good they named a stadium after him. Ask Joe… he’ll tell ya.
January 24th, 2022 at 10:59 am
1st pick is corner or wideout depends on who is left
January 24th, 2022 at 11:33 am
This is the part of the year that sucks when you lose. All of the speculation and noise.
There are a few things we know for sure and that’s the positions groups that were problematic all year showed up on Sunday. Missed opportunities and communication issues in the secondary. Technique lapses on the OL and intermittent pass rush.
Those are facts and not speculation.
January 24th, 2022 at 12:09 pm
I don’t agree on corner. Corner is a dead position until they change the pass interference – contact downfield rules. Its all about pass rush and tackling now. Even Deion couldn’t cover these guys without touching anyone. The NFL is just handing the game over to Mahomes and the rest and wants NBA games with NBA finishes. Corner is just a guy that tackles a WR 20 yards downfield. Look at Ramsey vs Evans… the supposed best guy out there, and he got toasted.
January 24th, 2022 at 12:52 pm
Hasn’t anyone considered our secondary susceptibility is due to us blitzing more than any team in the NFL? I’d love to see a breakdown of our CBs performance with and without blitz calls.
January 24th, 2022 at 1:04 pm
Bucs will need to be very active in FA . The low draft pick order will yield maybe 2 impact players next year. I would prioritize Jensen and Cappa if you want Brady to return…
January 24th, 2022 at 1:37 pm
CB – SMB won’t be re-signed
TE – OJ won’t be re-signed, Gronk leaves when TB12 leaves, Brate may be traded
OLine – Jensen or Cappa, probably can’t afford both
DE – JPP won’t be re-signed
DT – Suh or Gholsten, can’t afford both; McClendan retires
WR – AB replacement maybe unless Bucs are confident in Miller, Grayson or Perriman
Re-signing Davis III, Godwin, Fournette, Bernard, Whitehead
Won’t be re-signed – Rojo, Griffin
Some of the other needs and the above will be addressed through FA.
January 24th, 2022 at 1:40 pm
@ Bucs guy
SMB is not a free agent until after next season…
January 24th, 2022 at 1:43 pm
Weak DT class, probably need to address in FA.
DE maybe in 1st rd; CB more likely. Could address one of these in FA.
OLine in 2nd and TE in the 3rd or flip them – depending on value of available players.
I believe a number of either or choices will need to be made due to the cap and age of some players on the roster.
January 24th, 2022 at 1:45 pm
My mistake Marine Buc. Good catch.
January 24th, 2022 at 2:22 pm
@ Bucs Guy
No worries. I agree with the rest of your take.
January 24th, 2022 at 4:22 pm
Get us a pass rusher 1st 2nd a DB 3rd a wr
January 24th, 2022 at 9:46 pm
I agree with ‘View 132’. Corners are so shackled by today’s NBA-type stupid rules, it’s ridiculous. I’ve always hated the idea of pass interference putting the ball at the spot of the foul. I think it should go back to being a 10 yd penalty, and I want all defenders to be able to hit and play football again.
Draft priorities, yes, depend on Brady. But edge rushers, D line, CB at the top, WR, RB (need a legit feature back for the long term), OL after.
January 24th, 2022 at 10:47 pm
I don’t think that we can go wrong drafting any position since we need help everywhere, but a couple of corners would be wonderful.