Rondé Barber Says Wide Receiver Is A Need
April 24th, 2025
The chorus continues.
Year-round draft guru insider Peter Schrager, now of ESPN, and NFL Network draft guru Daniel Jeremiah, have chosen a receiver for the Buccaneers’ first-round pick tonight. That’s what they believe will happen.
Is receiver a need for Tampa Bay? Well, that depends on how one defines need.
Do the Bucs need a receiver to win a Super Bowl this season? Absolutely not.
Most teams fantasize having a receiving corps like the Bucs’. But the draft remains a team-building exercise, one rooted in balancing the short-term and long-term, as well a position’s value. It’s easy to forget that’s how it’s perceived by the front office.
That reality had Bucs legend Rondé Barber calling receiver a Bucs “need” on his WFLA-TV show yesterday. In fact, later Barber said the Bucs will not let University of Texas receiver Matthew Golden get past them in Round 1 tonight.
“You heard me say wide receiver … that’s with having Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan. You can never have enough [receivers], Barber said, before applying the same logic to the cornerback position.
A lot of fans might scream if the Bucs draft a receiver, but Licht has proven adept at picking receivers and Joe doesn’t know of a team that ever says it has too many great ones.
Plus, Joe knows casual Bucs fans would be ecstatic at a receiver selection, and the folks who sell tickets at One Buc Palace would love a new stud receiver in the house a lot more than, say, a defensive tackle or an inside linebacker.
Joe is confident Licht sticks to his treasured draft board when he picks tonight. That means there’s at least a chance the Bucs have a shiny new offensive toy in 15 hours.
April 24th, 2025 at 8:11 am
Xavier Restrepo in Round 4.
April 24th, 2025 at 8:14 am
Not thinking a receiver is the smart thing at 19 but if we had to pick a receiver at 19, I say Golden over McMillan (all dependent on who falls of course).
Simply, I can’t handle the confusion of two McMillan’s on the same team. Golden, on the other hand, has a name you could make all kinds of puns and jokes with. He will be the Golden Boy right off the bat if he plays well.
J/K
… McMillan is a poor man’s Mike Evans. I don’t want to replace Mike Evans with somebody skinnier and slower. But we have nobody like Golden on the team. He’s like a bigger, stronger, faster Palmer. The only real problem with Palmer is his size… plus his hands are no where near as reliable as Golden’s.
Two cents submitted
April 24th, 2025 at 8:20 am
I’ll say it once again. If you can’t get an opponent off the field on 3rd or 4th downs, it doesn’t matter how many weapons you have on offense. Keeping opponents from scoring points is just as important as scoring points. D, D, and more D tonight, please!
April 24th, 2025 at 8:33 am
Glad to see a Restrepo reference!
All the guy does is get open and make plays!
April 24th, 2025 at 8:46 am
Hard to disagree with Ronde about anything, so I may look stupid in the future, but I would be unbelievably upset if we went offense in round 1. Last season proved that the offense is not the problem. Yes, I’m thinking short term, but we are a super bowl calibre team with a few upgrades on defense (optimistic, yes, but not unrealistic). CB is shallow but young, linebackers are shallow and older (really only LVD that I am confident in), safety is shallow but in a better spot than corner, DL is ok (I love CK and hope Vea is a career buc), but when you look at the offense we are relatively solid and deep.
I want all defense in the draft, I think it sets us up for success now and in the future.
I also think that so many people are counting out Trey Palmer at WR4. The kid is a baller and he has the guys above him to help him continue to improve on the things he lacks, eventually I see us having another 1-2 duo with JMAC and TP into the future and they’re already in the building.
April 24th, 2025 at 8:51 am
It is a need. Jayden Higgins in round 2.
April 24th, 2025 at 8:54 am
I want us to draft edge first or DT. Then secondary then LB. Then gamble on a receiver.
I look at the roster though and for this year we need either a slot corner or safety as the other positions we have players for starting line up.
I think more of that edge, receiver, inside linebacker, are and defensive tackle or positions where we could benefit from some depth but that we actually have pretty decent players at the starting positions. But with Mike Edwards and Jordan Whitehead gone we have zero depth at safety and slot corner.
The only way I would take one in the first round would be if it would be a guy like Baron who could play inside and outside or if the top address shirt and tackle is gone and Starks or Emmanwori are there as best player available.
April 24th, 2025 at 9:04 am
Of course you can’t have enough wide receivers. You can’t have enough RBs, DBs,DEs, etc. Taking a WR4 Day 1 or Day 2 with all the defensive needs would be crazy.
April 24th, 2025 at 9:51 am
A need ,but, not a day one need. I can justify a day two or even day three pick in this instance. This defense needs all the help it can get this year. if you see a guy and you want him. Go get him. Doesn’t feel like a great draft for depth this year.
April 24th, 2025 at 10:19 am
Based on the talent pool, I the draft will go like this …
1. Edge (not many elite)
2. LB (position of need)
3. DT (a deep draft)
4. DB
April 24th, 2025 at 10:25 am
Duh, of course it’s a need. That’s not even a controversial statement.
April 24th, 2025 at 10:31 am
Golden is the best receiver in a week class, but still a 1st round talent. With our roster it should be BPA, with minimal focus on need. If Golden is rated higher on the Bucs board than the Edge, DB, DT, LB’s that are there at 19 then pick him. It’s not like we have no defense and after Abdul Carter the edge rushers are best guess as to who will be an NFL star…trust your board.
April 24th, 2025 at 12:19 pm
Matthew Golden