How Much Will Dave Canales Be Involved In The Bucs’ Draft?

Every year during the draft process there are players that coaches and coordinators will lobby for their general manager to select.  The Bucs are no different in this matter and offensive coordinator Dave Canales will get his first chance to share his opinions.

We all have an idea of what Canales’ offense can look like based on his time in Seattle, the coaches he worked under, and his own comments from his introductory press conference in February. But until we can visibly see it work out, there is still some guess work involved. The Bucs will obviously have to have a strong idea about the type of players he wants in the 2023 NFL Draft.

So how much will Canales be involved? Will he bang on the table and plead for Jason Licht to draft his guy? Licht addressed Canales’ involvement during his pre-draft press conference earlier this week.

Dave Canales Has Voiced His Draft Thoughts

Bucs GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Matt Matera/PR

“We just finished up meetings with the coaches yesterday,” Licht said of Canales. “[I] met for a few days with them and he dove in, he watched every offensive player. The guy works extremely hard, and we have constant talks with him about how he feels about one player compared to another, even crossing over positions, so he’s had his say.”

On each day of the draft, will he be in the war room? Let’s just say Licht has his own kind of style when it comes to doing this.

“Now, the draft room, I kind of operate it a little differently than having everybody in there,” Licht said. “It will be Coach [Todd Bowles] and I, and then my scouts and owners. But they’re always on call to ask them questions.”

There will be some curiosity over the types of players that Canales favors, especially at the skill positions. We know he likes violent runners, and Tampa Bay in general is looking to get faster.

The Bucs will add a tight end as well, as Licht has called this class the deepest he’s seen in at least 10 years. The Bucs have a decision to make on if they want Rachaad White to be the number one guy at running back, and who is the proper tight end to compliment with Cade Otton and Ko Kieft in this type of offense. Tampa Bay could also use another offensive tackle to replace Donovan Smith.

Jason Licht Describes Bucs’ War Room Process

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and GM Jason Licht – Photo courtesy of the Buccaneers

Some fans think what happens in the NFL draft is the way it was depicted in the 2014 movie “Draft Day,” starring Kevin Costner. While Licht said it’s not like the movie, he did give some insight on what goes on behind the scenes and how they get through it.

“I would say it’s a lot different than that,” Licht said. “There are some similarities to the movie you’re referencing. I kind of like that movie; it’s fun. It makes it looks like we’re doing more than we are. The work is done. You’ve got the boards set, you know who you’re targeting, you know who you might move up for and when you might move up.

“So it’s just kind of, you wait and let it fall and see what happens, because it never goes exactly the way you think it’s going to, obviously. Every draft is different, every draft the way it falls, there’s always surprise players, but you just kind of let it come to you.”