Who Is The Bucs’ “Best Value” Draft Pick In The PFF Era?

Value can be a tricky thing to determine. But Pro Football Focus has been doing it since 2006, working with a mixture of basic metrics, advanced analytics and a whole lot of film study. This week, PFF’s Michael Renner named each NFL team’s best-value draft pick in the site’s 16 years of grading. And it’s hard to argue with his choice for the Bucs.

Tampa Bay has done an increasingly good job with drafting since 2006. Its best run of drafts in the last 16 years has come in the Jason Licht era. Licht and his staff have some misses on their record, but they’ve largely done a fantastic job since arriving in 2014. However, the Bucs’ best-value draft pick in the PFF era doesn’t belong to Licht. Instead, it belongs to Mark Dominik. That pick, of course, is veteran linebacker Lavonte David.

Bucs LB Lavonte David – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs drafted David in the second round of the 2012 Draft — No. 58 overall — out of Nebraska. Ever since, he has proven to be an incredibly valuable presence in Tampa Bay’s defense. Even on some bad teams in the 2010s, he was a bright spot. And when the Bucs finally returned to the playoffs and won Super Bowl LV two seasons ago, it was hard not to feel especially good for David.

Here’s what Renner had to say about David being the team’s best-value draft selection of the last decade and a half:

“A Hall of Fame-caliber linebacker (in my opinion), David was taken in the same draft class as Kuechly; yet, he’s still playing elite football. Last season, he allowed only 395 yards in his coverage for the second-highest coverage grade among NFL off-ball linebackers.”

Renner mentions Kuechly because he and David are somewhat tied together, given that they were both in the 2012 linebacker class. Plus, Renner chose Kuechly as the Panthers’ best-value pick in the very same article. What’s more notable about Renner’s justification for choosing David, though, are his first few words.

David’s Case For The Pro Football Hall Of Fame

David has spent his entire career being one of the most underrated players in the NFL. So, talk of his Pro Football Hall of Fame prospects might take some people (not Bucs fans, let’s make that clear) by surprise. But if you look at his body of work, it’s not hard to see why Renner believes the 2012 second-round pick is a Hall of Fame-caliber player.

Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

David’s consistency has been incredible. He has topped the 100-tackle mark in eight of his 10 NFL seasons. He’s one of just 16 players in league history with three seasons of 100-plus solo tackles. He’s also the only active player with multiple seasons of 100-plus solo tackles. And while the splash plays haven’t come as frequently now that he plays a different role in Tampa Bay’s defense, his overall numbers are still there. He has 26 sacks, 26 forced fumbles (a franchise record), 17 fumble recoveries (another franchise record) and 12 interceptions in his career.

Not to mention, he has 133 tackles for loss in 149 career games. Add in 59 quarterback hits as well. You look at all of those numbers and you see a player who is making Pro Bowls and All-Pro teams on a regular basis, right?

For whatever reason, David still hasn’t received the notoriety that he has long deserved during his 10-year career. He finished fifth in AP Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2012. His only All-Pro season came in 2013, then his only Pro Bowl season came in 2015. He earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2016 and 2020, but that unfortunately won’t move the needle much.

Getting a Super Bowl ring two seasons ago helped his case. But voters love looking at Pro Bowl and All-Pro seasons. Those are glaringly absent from his resume. He has a few more years to strengthen his case, but given that Ronde Barber of all players is having a hard time getting the call, David may unfairly be a long shot.

Here’s the good news: his Bucs teammates and coaches appreciate David. He certainly isn’t overlooked by the Tampa Bay faithful either. That’s why he’s a shoo-in for the team’s Ring of Honor inside Raymond James Stadium. And considering his status as a second-round draft pick, it’s really an understatement to say the Bucs got a good value when they drafted him back in 2012.

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