General Manager Jason Licht discusses a pivotal draft aligning with the needs of his Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Every NFL draft is important, but for a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that's looking to reclaim the NFC South, this one is especially pivotal.
The team's general manager likes what he sees in this year's class.
Jason Licht had an exclusive interview with team reporter Casey Phillips this past Wednesday, and in that interview, he said this year's draft "matches with what our needs are very well.
"Now, that doesn’t mean you’re going to be assured to get one of those players," Licht said. "It can be a little bit of a daunting task. You never know when your players that you like are going to be taken, but it does match up well."
Indeed, the draft doesn’t always go how people expect.
Last season, not a lot of people thought the Bucs would draft WR Emeka Egbuka with pick No. 19, but that’s what happened.
This year, the general thought from the mock draft world is that the Bucs will draft an edge rusher. Popular names coming up have been Auburn’s Keldric Faulk, Texas A&M's Cashuis Howell and Miami’s Akheem Mesidor. But there’s always a chance that the go another route, perhaps Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq to give Tampa the impact tight end it’s been missing since Rob Gronkowski retired after the 2021 season.
If Sadiq goes to the Bucs, Baker Mayfield will be throwing him the ball next season, and the issue of Mayfield’s contract is something Licht says the Bucs must consider when drafting.
Mayfield is currently making $33.3 million, but in 2027, that number could go up to above $50 million, which, of course, goes against the salary cap and makes signing outside free agents more of a challenge.
Licht said that this does limit what the Bucs are able to do, but it does emphasize the need for the Bucs to draft well.
“We’ve had a lot of success lately with the draft,” he said. “We’re signing a lot of our own players, which is why we’re in that position and that’s the goal.
With Mayfield being an exception, a lot of the Bucs starting offense is home grown.
The Bucs drafted starting running back Bucky Irving in the fourth round back in 2024. Aside from guard Ben Bredeson, each of Tampa’s projected starting offensive linemen was a draft pick.
Starting tight end Cade Otton -- who the Bucs just re-signed -- was the team’s fourth-round pick in 2022.
Each of the team’s three projected starting receivers -- Chris Godwin (2017), Jalen McMillan (2024) and Egbuka (2025) -- were drafted by Licht.
Licht is headed into the 13th NFL draft as the general manager for Tampa Bay.
Licht’s first draft pick as Bucs GM was Mike Evans, who ended up playing 12 seasons in Tampa.
Some of Licht’s top picks, such as Evans and offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (2020), have been home runs.
Others, such as CB Vernon Hargreaves (2016) and TE OJ Howard (2017) haven’t gone according to plan. Others have been Jamies Winston.
If the Bucs get this year’s draft right, it could be the difference in reclaiming the NFC South.
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