SR’s Post-Draft Bucs Scoop And Analysis

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers completed their 2024 draft haul and did quite well from the perspective of acquiring very talented players at positions of need. Tampa Bay addressed the interior offensive line by drafting a center and guard, got help at outside linebacker and nickel cornerback, as well as adding depth at running back and tight end.

The only positions that really weren’t addressed in this year’s draft were defensive tackle, inside linebacker and outside cornerback – in addition to offensive tackle and quarterback, which weren’t really needed.

Bucs general manager Jason Licht, head coach Todd Bowles, assistant general manager John Spytek and the team’s scouts and front office have done an incredible job of acquiring talent through the draft, especially after the past three seasons – including 2024 – to position the Bucs as a perennial playoff team and possible Super Bowl contender.

Here is some inside scoop along with my analysis of Tampa Bay’s 2024 draft class.

SR’s Post-Draft Bucs Scoop

Here is some Bucs-oriented post-draft intel I was able to uncover during and after the 2024 NFL Draft.

• Tampa Bay really liked USC running back MarShawn Lloyd and was hoping to draft him in the third round as well as Georgia defensive back Tykee Smith. But the Packers drafted Lloyd one pick before and the Bucs went ahead and drafted Smith at No. 89 instead. Smith was a player the team coveted and was one of Todd Bowles’ favorites in this draft class.

• The Packers also stole a prospect right in front of the Bucs in the seventh round. Tampa Bay was contemplating drafting Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt in the seventh round. Pewter Report had Pratt as a Bucs Best Bet, and the Bucs wound up drafting Washington tight end Devin Culp instead.

• Pewter Report had Boston College guard Christian Mahogany as a Bucs Best Bet and most draft analysts had him with a third- or fourth-round grade. Mahogany wound up sliding to the sixth round where he was drafted by the Lions. The word is that he didn’t interview well. I’m not saying he has bad character, but he wasn’t just a good fit personality-wise with the team. Other NFL teams apparently got the same impression.

• That’s also part of the reason why the Bucs preferred Graham Barton over Jackson Powers-Johnson in the first round – locker room fit. If Barton was off the board at No. 26 the Bucs were poised to take Illinois defensive tackle Johnny Newton instead of Powers-Johnson – despite the interior offensive line being a more pressing need. Tampa Bay was determined to draft the best player available in the first round.

• The Bucs wanted to draft a defensive tackle early and nearly did with Illinois’ Johnny Newton, a St. Petersburg native. But there was a massive run on defensive tackles in the second round where seven were selected from pick No. 35 to No. 54.

The Bucs were very high on Clemson defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro, a Pewter Report Bucs Best Bet, who went to the Falcons at No. 35 – one spot ahead of Newton, who was drafted by the Commanders. Now they’ll have to face Orhorhoro twice a year within the division.

• Tampa Bay is in the process of adding just over a dozen undrafted free agents as the weekend concludes. The three UDFA signings that the Bucs are immediately high on are Toledo cornerback Chris McDonald, Mississippi State cornerback Marcus Banks and Florida State linebacker Kalen DeLoach.

DeLoach is undersized at 5-foot-11, 210 pounds, but he ran a 4.47 and had seven sacks last year as a blitzer at FSU. He might get a look at strong safety. Banks only had one interception and five pass breakups at Mississippi State, but McDonald, who had five interceptions over the last three years, is an undersized cornerback at 5-foot-9, 189 pounds. He will get a look inside at nickel.

SR’s 2024 Bucs Draft Pick Analysis

ROUND 1 – Duke OL Graham Barton

Barton has the makings of being a future Pro Bowl interior offensive lineman whether that’s at center or guard. I’ve called him Ali Marpet 2.0 because his grip strength, technique, tenacity and play style are reminiscent of the former Bucs Pro Bowl guard and team captain. Barton even looks like Marpet and talks like him when he discusses his professional approach to the game of football.

Barton’s personality and demeanor will make him a sure-fire fit in the locker room and the O-line room. At 6-foot-5, 313 pounds he brings the size and strength the Bucs have missing at the center position since Ryan Jensen last played the pivot. Dallas will regret trading down to No. 29 and letting Barton fall to Tampa Bay at No. 26. The Bucs did not think Barton, a Pewter Report Bucs Best Bet, would be there when they were on the clock, and this is both a draft steal and an absolute home run pick.

ROUND 2 – Alabama OLB Chris Braswell

As I reported on Saturday, the Bucs were going to pass on Western Michigan pass rusher Marshawn Kneeland even if Dallas hadn’t drafted him one spot ahead of Tampa Bay at No. 26. They loved Kneeland the player, but some late intel about Kneeland the person prompted the Bucs to move Braswell higher on their draft board. Braswell is also a faster athlete with a 4.6 time in the 40-yard dash, including a 1.59 10-yard split, which is faster than Kneeland’s 4.75 time and 1.66 10-yard split.

Braswell played behind two first-round picks in Will Anderson Jr. and Dallas Turner and had to bide his time. But when he emerged as a starter in 2023 he erupted for eight sacks and three forced fumbles. Braswell came in for a Top 30 visit that went really well and he’s a team-oriented player with some untapped potential as a pass rusher. The Bucs love the fact that when he gets to the QB he finishes, unlike Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, and Braswell is a violent hitter with strong hands. He plays with the ability to generate speed-to-power and has a wicked long-arm move.

ROUND 3 – Georgia DB Tykee Smith

One of my absolute favorite players in the 2024 NFL Draft and one of my “draft crushes,” Smith just screamed “Todd Bowles-type DB” on film when I watched him. He’s a “chess piece” guy due to his versatility. He played safety his first two years at West Virginia where he notched 111 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, intercepted four passes, including a pick-six, broke up nine passes, had a sack and forced a fumble. Then Smith transferred to Georgia where he missed virtually the entire 2021 season before returning to win a national championship in 2022.

Smith, a Pewter Report Bucs Best Bet, played more in the box for the Bulldogs, as well as a lot of time in the slot as a nickelback. He posted 101 tackles at Georgia, 11 tackles for loss, four sacks, four interceptions, three pass breakups and forced a fumble. Smith will get the first crack at nickel where he’ll compete with Christian Izien and Tavierre Thomas, but could also rotate with Jordan Whitehead and Antoine Winfield Jr. at safety due to his versatility. He had 21.5 tackles for a loss, which is a lot for a defensive back and speaks to his sharp instincts and clutch tackling ability

ROUND 3 – Washington WR Jalen McMillan

McMillan is a steal in the third round because a knee injury during his senior season hampered his production. He caught 79 passes for 1,098 yards (13.9 avg.) and nine touchdowns as a junior at Washington and had more catches and touchdowns than Rome Odunze (75 receptions for 1,145 and seven touchdowns) in 2022. Had McMillan stayed healthy in 2023, he would’ve been a second-round pick like Ja’Lynn Polk.

McMillan had six 100-yard games in his Huskies career and had four other games with over 90 yards receiving. His best attribute is his route-running ability and his knack for getting open. McMillan will be a factor in the slot where he mostly played at Washington, but he’ll also see time outside as he has enough size at 6-foot-1, 192 pounds. The Bucs drafted Chris Godwin in the third round in 2017 and McMillan gives off some Godwin vibes.

ROUND 4 – Oregon RB Bucky Irving

Irving is a big back trapped in the body of a small back. At just 5-foot-9, 192 pounds, Irving is an angry runner, and that’s just the kind of back Jason Licht prefers. Incredibly hard to tackle, Irving had 743 yards after contact in 2023, which was the 24th-most of any running back in the country. His yards after contact average was 3.99, which ranked 23rd, and his 69 missed tackles forced was tied for 10th. Irving was incredibly productive at Oregon over the past two years with a healthy 6.5 average and back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

He also scored 16 touchdowns for the Ducks on the ground, including 11 last year, and his 56 catches was the most by any running back in college football last year. Irving, who is a tough kid from the South side of Chicago, posted 87 catches for 712 yards (8.2 avg.) and five touchdowns as a receiver out of the backfield. His play style is reminiscent of Rams running back Kyren Williams, who was a Pro Bowler last year with 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns. Don’t be surprised to see Irving included in the competition for the Bucs’ kick-return duties.

ROUND 6 – UTEP G Elijah Klein

Klein broke Jason Licht’s streak of drafting nothing but college offensive tackles when selecting offensive linemen at 10 with the selection of Klein, a guard at UTEP. Since the selection of former Tennessee State guard Kadeem Edwards in the fifth round of the 2014 draft, Licht has always drafted athletic offensive tackles to either play tackle in Tampa Bay or move inside to guard or center.

Klein isn’t overly athletic, but he’s smart and tough and his personality fits in the Bucs offensive line room. He’ll immediately factor into the competition at left guard for the starting spot but ultimately might need to redshirt during his rookie season. Klein needs to get stronger in the weight room to battle NFL-caliber defensive tackles. It’s a big jump from a smaller school like UTEP to the NFL.

ROUND 7 – Washington TE Devin Culp

As Bucs assistant general manager John Spytek said on Saturday after the draft concluded the team just can’t help itself when it comes to drafting Washington players. Culp joins former Huskies Vita Vea, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Greg Gaines and Cade Otton in Tampa Bay, in addition to entering the league alongside Washington teammate wide receiver Jalen McMillan. Although undersized at 6-foot-3, 231 pounds, Culp plays bigger in the run game as he’s a sticky blocker who gives it all he’s got at the line of scrimmage.

He’ll need to add some more size and strength in an NFL weight room, but the Bucs don’t want him to lose his speed. Culp clocked 4.47 at the NFL Scouting Combine, which was the fastest tight end time this year. Culp split time with Jack Westover at tight end, and with a trio of stud receivers at Washington, he didn’t get the opportunity to produce much in the passing game. But Culp can make contested catches and has good run-after-catch potential with his speed. He’ll be a Gerald Everett-type F tight end in Liam Coen’s offense, often split out and matched up with a safety or linebacker in isolation.