Rankings Of The Rookies
February 24th, 2023
Best Bucs 2022 draft pick?
Look, when a team is on top of the hill, rarely does it have a home run draft.
So with the Bucs being one of the best in the NFL in 2020 and 2021, that meant they were drafting near the bottom of the draft. There is a reason teams invest capital to trade up. Because the better players are available earlier.
So it didn’t make Joe want to stomp on a dead soldier (empty can of Big Storm Brewing beer) when Nick Shook of NFL.com slapped a C+ grade on the Bucs’ 2022 draft class, worst grade in the NFC South. It’s tied to the slimy Saints, the Stinking Panthers and the Dixie Chicks selecting players before the Bucs in each round.
Still, Joe sort of agrees with Shook.
Joe will briefly go through the 2022 drafted rookies that saw action:
Logan Hall: MIA. Joe’s not going to kill the guy because he was a rookie. But Bucs coaches and Hall himself need to find a way to get him on the field more and find ways for him to make more of an impact in games.
Luke Goedeke: Struggled too often. Joe knows the team isn’t giving up on him. Hey, Alex Cappa wasn’t any good his rookie year and looked how he turned out. Joe knows Goedeke came into the league with a lot of chatter about how he’s a mean SOB and won’t back down from anyone. Cool, that may get you likes and flags but worry about the fundamentals first and the ‘tude later.
Rachaad White: Showed flashes and Joe loved his game against Seattle in Munich. But at the end of the day, White was still the RB1b on the worst rushing team in the NFL. So let’s not get our briefs all bunched up if the Bucs ponder drafting another running back. White, you have the power to force the Bucs to keep you on the field. Don’t worry about anyone else.
Cade Otton: Flashed in the passing game with 42 catches but faded down the stretch. Joe hopes Otton hits the weights hard this offseason. Joe wasn’t overly impressed with his blocking. Still, rookie tight ends don’t normally do much.
Jake Camarda: Best punter in the game? Maybe. Best player the Bucs drafted in 2020? So far, yes.
Zyon McCollum: Joe was shocked he had more snaps on defense than special teams. McCollum was overmatched on defense most of the time. As a gunner, he’s fantastic. Right now he’s Ryan Smith II and Joe’s typing that as a compliment.
Ko Kieft: Love how he owns linebackers. Love his attitude. Underrated hands. If he works on catching the ball, Kieft will become a steal. (Joe had a Bucs fan gripe to him that Kieft can’t block defensive ends. Most tight ends can’t. So guess what? Don’t have him block defensive ends!)
And for the Devin Thompkins fans out there, don’t be surprised to see Thompkins log more snaps on offense this year.
A “C+” for this draft class is more than fair in Joe’s eyes. But if a punter is the best player in the draft class, well, that’s all you need to know.
That’s not a knock on Camarda, who was a damn good pick. There just isn’t a general manager alive whose draft goal is to have a punter be the best pick in a draft.
And yes, Joe understands it’s unfair to grade a draft class until the players have logged three seasons in the NFL.
Ira Kaufman Talks Dave Canales Philosophy, Who Will Choose The Starting QB, Mike Evans Trade Talk And What Drives It, And Says Sources Tell Him Donovan Smith Will Not Return, And More
February 24th, 2023 at 1:55 am
The Toadster would find a way to coach down Darrelle Revis to play like Myron Lewis.
The players are fine. The coiching? Criminally bad.
February 24th, 2023 at 5:49 am
Can Camarda kick FG’s?
February 24th, 2023 at 5:58 am
It is often not what you did , but what you did not do that gets you in trouble. Jason Licht traded back with the Jags , but what he did not do was take the best available player at a position of need which was Devin Lloyd at LB who the Jags of course selected. Licht knew that Lavonte David was 32 and he knew he would be a FA after the season , but he passed on a rock solid LB in Lloyd who had a very nice season with 115 tackles and showed excellent coverage skills with 3 INT’s. Unnecessary and glaring mistake moving back to get Hall (who was a total non factor| knowing that you should be grooming LVD’s replacement.
Lichts’ draft was well below par and if he has another draft loke it this year – Licht should be seeking employment elsewhere.
February 24th, 2023 at 7:00 am
Honestly sounds like most of Licht’s drafts. And if it were not for Tom Brady selecting to play for Tampa Bay, Licht would have been blown out the door long ago. But Brady picked Tampa and brought with him great Free agents that wanted to play and win games with Brady. Now licht and company are back on the hot seat as the fans will have to watch the terrible product that licht has assembled on the field this year.
February 24th, 2023 at 7:13 am
Rachaad has no power to force anyone’s hand no matter how good he looks in practice. If the top pick is Robinson, there is a new sheriff in town and white will be spot duty while Fournette will either be cut or sulking on the bench
February 24th, 2023 at 8:54 am
The only impact Logan Hall made last season was knocking out All Pro Jensen at the start of training camp which obviously had a huge negative impact throughout the season. Camarda could have been Buc MVP last season.
February 24th, 2023 at 8:58 am
Lots of typos lately. Anyhow, I like this draft class. I can see every guy sticking around for a while and making serious contributions. Unfortunately none of them will be superstars which you just have to have, obviously, to do some real damage. Another draft like this and we can have a good solid mid level team. Get one or two stars and now we’re talking.
February 24th, 2023 at 9:15 am
I guess you have to give Hall the credit for our extra 2 picks from Jax……Cade Otten was one of them……
February 24th, 2023 at 9:21 am
We need to trade our second round pick every year since Licht can’t get that round right
February 24th, 2023 at 9:52 am
The only difference between top and bottom in tge draft is the one top pick.
Those are iffy anyway.
Too early to tell, sounds like most players has a path to improve, that’s more important than a premature grade
Except the punter. Very high mark on him.
February 24th, 2023 at 9:58 am
Ssssshhhh! (Whispering… Antoine Winfield, Ali Marpet, Donovan Smith…)
February 24th, 2023 at 10:50 am
Much too early to really grade them, especially with the dysfunctional team that hit the field last season.
With a year under their belt’s and, hopefully, a real, working offense, we might see a lot more.
Rookie linemen that excel are rare, second year linemen fare much better.
February 24th, 2023 at 11:42 am
What a joke! Highest pick is critical. A total of ZERO positive contributions from that pick indicates a maximum of a “C” grade for the draft. The fact that, other than White, the contributions from the rest were marginal condemns this draft to a “D” at most.
Sure, maybe someone will eventual shine and the grade could be upgraded. Until then this draft is a solid “D” at best.
February 24th, 2023 at 11:44 am
Jake Camarda was must watch TV.
February 24th, 2023 at 1:34 pm
I’d say a C is about right. Better than the disastrous 2021 draft, that’s for sure.
February 24th, 2023 at 1:44 pm
Re the comment on Luke Goeddeke. I agree 100% Not only did Cappa play poorly his rookie year, Ryan Jensen was lost on the Ravens roster moving around until they finally found his spot…Center in year 4!!! Then he blossomed.
Again Goeddeke’s college experience was against second rate DL. He started out at UW-Stevens Point. The competition there was against teams like Mayville St. University, St. Norbert College, Simpson College…etc. There are high school teams in Florida and Texas with better DL competition than those squads!!! And that’s not hyperbole!
Oh but then he made the big jump to Central Michigan where he faced the intimating DL’s of Bucknell, Toledo, Ball State with ONE game against Penn State as homecoming fodder..they lost 33-14 last year.
Bottom line…Goeddeke came out of college as a PROSPECT based on his physical skills. He MAY have played out position, PERHAPS a better tackle?
His collegiate experience definitely left him a RAW MEAT rookie in the NFL. Let’s see how much he learned! He may need another 2-3 years just like JENSEN.
February 24th, 2023 at 1:58 pm
How about Nick Leverett, joes? Why has he missing here? He was as good if not a bit better than Goedeke.
February 24th, 2023 at 4:33 pm
I don’t care who runs their mouth but it is fact that any round in the draft aside from the very first round does not warrant a grade until at least 3 seasons have passed. The only round that should have any positive impact is the first in modern football. These players have to have time to develop even if it’s only one season of play. Instant impact is not common and considered a luxury.
February 24th, 2023 at 7:16 pm
Proudbucsfan – Amen brother!
February 24th, 2023 at 7:57 pm
@ProudBucsfan
Shhh, these guys don’t wanna hear that, as it challenges their understanding of how scouting and drafting works. Shhh they should all be starters and you should hit on every selection you make otherwise you’re a failed GM even if you’ve built an SB roster with dealing with hits and misses.