Now that the Bucs 2024 season is over, it is to begin looking ahead to the future and what next year’s team will look like. As Tampa Bay looks to build out the next iteration of its roster, it can do so with plenty of young building blocks throughout the roster.
The work they did in the 2024 NFL Draft is a large part of that, as they extracted value on what appear to be four promising plus-starters in center Graham Barton, defensive back Tykee Smith, wide receiver Jalen McMillan, and of course, running back Bucky Irving. Not to mention, outside linebacker Chris Braswell and tight end Devin Culp showed flashes on the field, and offensive lineman Elijah Klein worked behind the scenes to improve and potentially factor in the equation as soon as next year.
Bucs fans should be very excited about this group of young talent and what each of them will accomplish over the next few seasons.
Graham Barton Led The Bucs’ Draft Class And Held His Own
Let’s start with the man who led the Bucs’ 2024 draft class – first-round pick Graham Barton.
After a “wild ride” of a rookie season, Barton started 16 games and held down the starting center spot as a rookie, which is no easy task. As expected, he went through his share of ups and downs but flashed enough potential to be optimistic about his ceiling. At his peak, Barton should be among the top centers in the league if he can build on his first year and display similar growth that right tackle Luke Goedeke and right guard Cody Mauch have in each of the past two years.
Barton entered the 2024 NFL Draft as one of the top interior offensive linemen, and comparing him to how they fared, it’s safe to say he was one of the better ones. Determining who will have the better career after just one year is futile, but he displayed enough flashes to prove worthy of being a first-round pick.
Week after week, there was “that” clip where if you didn’t know if he wasn’t wearing red and pewter, you might mistake Tampa Bay’s No. 62 for Jason Kelce, who also wore that number and just capped off a Hall of Fame career with the Eagles.
Against the Giants this season, Barton absolutely manhandled none other than Giants Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence on one rep.
Graham Barton certified freight train. pic.twitter.com/o1QhUUdYPK
— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) November 25, 2024
I pointed out Kelce above, and how Barton can climb and showcase his athleticism is reminiscent of what the seven-time Pro Bowler often did in Philadelphia.
Every week there is at least one climb rep from Graham Barton that makes me go “Yessss!” pic.twitter.com/6rFG6rmyDX
— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) October 31, 2024
Third-Round Picks Tykee Smith And Jalen McMillan Were Great Finds
After hitting on their first-round pick, the Bucs made two nice selections on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft in Tykee Smith and Jalen McMillan. While Smith battled injury and missed four games this past season, he was a much-needed playmaker for Tampa Bay’s secondary.
He is a physical tackler who makes the most of his 5-foot-10, 202-pound frame, and pairs that with a knack for the football, forcing three fumbles and recording two interceptions in his rookie year.
Smith has shown enough already to think that he can develop into one of the better nickelbacks in the league at his peak. He reads and recognizes routes well, a product of his high football acumen going back to his final year with the Georgia Bulldogs when he was asked to play all over the field.
He graded out seventh among all rookie cornerbacks and 25th among the 117 cornerbacks Pro Football Focus graded. Looking at only nickelbacks though, the only rookies who fared better playing primarily in the slot were Andru Phillips of the Giants and Cooper DeJean of the Eagles. Smith was not far behind and provided surplus value relative to being selected 89th overall.
McMillan started the year off slow, but by the end, one could put him among the better wide receivers from his draft class. Marvin Harrison Jr. (fourth overall), Malik Nabers (sixth overall), Brian Thomas Jr. (23rd overall), and Ladd McConkey (34th overall) were no doubt the best of the bunch, but he compared favorably to the other ten wide receivers drafted ahead of him.
Yes, that’s right, McMillan was the 15th wideout off the board but has a strong case for being in the top half, especially with the way he finished the season with a historic run at finding the end zone.
McMillan’s five straight games with a receiving touchdown is the second-longest streak by a rookie in NFL history, trailing only Randy Moss (7). https://t.co/7mCTCJ0Hbc
— Buccaneers Communications (@BuccaneersComms) January 5, 2025
Compared to his two former Washington Huskies teammates each selected over 50 spots ahead of him, he more than held his own.
Rome Odunze (9th overall by the Bears): 17 games, 101 targets, 54 receptions, 734 receiving yards, three touchdowns
Ja’Lynn Polk (37th overall by the Patriots): 15 games, 33 targets, 12 receptions, 87 receiving yards, two touchdowns
Jalen McMillan (92nd overall by the Bucs): 13 games, 58 targets, 37 receptions, 461 receiving yards, eight touchdowns
Like Smith, McMillan provided surplus value and one could argue he would be a Top 50 pick in hindsight.
Bucs Got Their Bucks Worth With Bucky Irving
Graham Barton, Tykee Smith, and Jalen McMillan have shown every indication of being great draft picks by Bucs general manager Jason Licht, assistant G.M. John Spytek and the front office. On Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft though, Licht pulled off an absolute heist after selecting Bucky Irving with the 125th overall pick.
Irving was nothing short of sensational during his rookie year and one of the best non-quarterback offensive rookies in the NFL. There is no denying he was one of the best running backs, either.
Bucky Irving in his rookie season
⭐ 90.8 PFF Grade (4th among RBs)
⭐ 1,597 total yards
⭐ 38 explosive plays
⭐ 82 missed tackles forcedNot bad for a 4th round pick 💪 pic.twitter.com/V40miup9Pj
— PFF (@PFF) January 16, 2025
Tampa Bay has now secured its running back of the future, and he was a big reason why the run game finally got off the ground after finishing the previous two seasons dead last. Irving was the spark plug of the offense, electrifying the unit and fans alike with his big runs that have quickly made him a fan favorite.
There is no argument that he was the best rookie back of his class, leading the way with 207 carries, 1,122 rushing yards, and eight touchdowns. He was also an efficient receiver out of the backfield, hauling in 47 receptions for 392 receiving yards.
The teams that picked Jonathon Brooks, Trey Benson, Blake Corum, MarShawn Lloyd, and Jaylen Wright ahead of Irving probably wish they would have taken the former Oregon Duck instead – and he would have gone much earlier.
What About The Rest Of The Bucs’ Picks?
That brings us to the final three Bucs’ draft picks not discussed yet – outside linebacker Chris Braswell, guard Elijah Klein, and tight end Devin Culp. Each of them could still factor into the team’s plans in the coming years as they continue to develop.
They may not be considered “hits” yet, but it’s way too early to call any of them “busts.” Players do not always grow at a linear rate, and they still possess plenty of untapped potential that can be harnessed.
Starting with Braswell, he failed to break out during the second half of his rookie year like outside linebacker Yaya Diaby did the year before. He finished with just 18 total tackles, eight quarterback hits, and 1.5 sacks playing in all 17 games as a backup. His playing time decreased down the stretch, but there were still flashes of the physical force Tampa Bay saw when they took him 57th overall.
Buccaneers rookie EDGE rusher out of @AlabamaFTBL Chris Braswell is putting some good stuff on tape. A quick get off combined with good hands and the speed to get the edge. His hard work paid off with a sack! And he even flashed playing inside against the run. #Bucsfilm2024wk17 pic.twitter.com/iFxljth2fS
— Steven Cheah (@StevenCheah) December 31, 2024
Klein was the team’s sixth-round pick, and with the additions of center Graham Barton and left guard Ben Bredeson in free agency along with left tackle Tristan Wirfs, right guard Cody Mauch, and right tackle Luke Goedeke holding down the other three starting spots, he was not expected to play. This allowed him to spend a year developing in offensive coordinator Liam Coen and offensive line coach Kevin Carberry’s system. That should benefit the stout 6-foot-4, 319-pound offensive lineman going forward.
While he played primarily at right guard during his college days at UTEP, he appeared at right tackle during the preseason and also got practice reps in at center and left guard. There may not have been a spot for him before, but with Bredeson, swing tackle Justin Skule, and center Robert Hainsey each a free agent, he may carve out a role as soon as next year as a quality depth piece or even as the starting left guard.
Culp was inactive most of the year before – like Jalen McMillan – he finished the year off on a high note. He made his first NFL catch in Week 17 when he had three receptions for 52 receiving yards. He followed that up with a two-catch, 36-yard performance in the regular-season finale over the Saints.
Culp stretched the field at the tight end position, with a brief sample size of 17.6 yards per reception far away better than Cade Otton (10.2) or Payne Durham (10.5). With a full offseason to continue making strides, he could see the field more and provide quarterback Baker Mayfield with another lethal target.
Check out my accompanying video below on the Bucs’ stellar 2024 draft class on our PewterReportTV YouTube channel.
The post Bucs Got EXTREME VALUE Out Of 2024 NFL Draft appeared first on Pewter Report.
https://www.pewterreport.com/bucs-got-extreme-value-out-of-2024-nfl-draft/
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