What is your 2024 draft grade

[Babeinbucland]

USA Today - 24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (B-)

Like the Ravens, they keep winning … so they keep drafting late. But first-round OL Graham Barton (Duke) and second-round OLB Chris Braswell (Alabama) arrived at the intersection of need and value. Round 3 Washington WR Jalen McMillan could be the relative sleeper who delivers nicely.



Charles McDonald
NFL writer
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Overall grade: B+

Really solid draft for the Buccaneers. Graham Barton is one of the cleanest prospects in the draft and can play all five positions up front. This is a terrific player to pair with Tristan Wirfs on the offensive line. They also grabbed a solid wide receiver prospect in Jalen McMillan and a quality running back in Bucky Irving. How Chris Braswell and Tykee Smith develop will be important for the overall impact of this draft class, but this is a nice haul for the Buccaneers.

Favorite pick: Graham Barton, OL, Duke (26th overall)

Graham Barton is a stud. He checks off every box a team could want in a versatile offensive line prospect and comes ready to start Day 1. Not too much to say on this one, it’s a home run prospect at a position of need. It’s never a bad idea to bolster your offensive line!

Least Favorite Pick: Chris Braswell, Edge, Alabama (57th overall)

Chris Braswell is solid, but this felt a bit early for him. Braswell is a jack-of-all-trades edge defender that projects more as a rotational player than a core piece of a pass rush group. Even then, it can’t hurt to add a well-rounded player like this to your edge group. He offers solid run support and has some experience in coverage.




Bleacher report A-
Round 1 (No. 26): IOL Graham Barton, Duke
Round 2 (No. 57): Edge Chris Braswell, Alabama
Round 3 (No. 89): S Tykee Smith, Georgia
Round 3 (No. 92): WR Jalen McMillan, Washington
Round 4 (No. 125): RB Bucky Irving, Oregon
Round 6 (No. 220): IOL Elijah Klein, UTEP
Round 7 (No. 246): TE Devin Culp, Washington
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did the sensible thing at No. 26 and took Duke interior lineman Graham Barton. While fans may not get excited about picking a center, Barton has the tools and the technique to be a stalwart at the position.
"Barton is a stubborn, sticky blocker with the short-area quickness, play strength and competitive toughness to make a successful transition inside and become a solid, dependable starter right away at guard or center in a multiple run scheme," Thorn wrote.
By grabbing Barton, the Buccaneers have likely found their long-term replacement for retired center Ryan Jensen. Given the commitment Tampa has made to Baker Mayfield and its offense as a whole, taking him was a logical decision.
Tampa filled another need in Round 2 by grabbing Alabama edge-rusher Chris Braswell. While Braswell needs to work on his run defense, he should contribute early as a situational edge-rusher and can help fill the void created by Shaquil Barrett's departure.
In Round 3, the Bucs took versatile Georgia defensive back Tykee Smith. With an ability to play safety or in the slot, Smith should boost the back end of Tampa's defense, possibly as early as Week 1 of this season.
Washington wideout Jalen McMillan will give Tampa another reliable receiving option in 2024, as his secure hands and savvy route-running should immediately translate. He'll potentially be a candidate to eventually replace impending 2025 free agent Chris Godwin.
Bucky Irving should help boost a backfield that was the league's least productive in 2023, and Devin Culp might give Mayfield a down-the-field target at tight end.
Tampa was a playoff team in 2023, albeit a flawed one. General manager Jason Licht did a lot of work to keep the roster together and did an even better job of strengthening it through the draft.
The Falcons may be the new favorites in the NFC South due to their quarterback additions. However, the Bucs are well-positioned to stay at the top.

[Grahamburn]

I think we all like Barton. Happy there of course.

I would have taken Ennis Rakestraw over Braswell. Especially with the benefit of hindsight in knowing we could have had Adisa Isaac in round 3 or Mohammad Kamara in round 4.

McMillan wasn’t on my radar, but I’m fine with it. He was neck and neck with Odunze until his MCL injury.

Tykee Smith has Bowles written all over him. Chess piece. Sounds like it’s trouble though if we ask him to cover anyone down the field.

I would have taken Ray Davis over Irving, but I’ll concede to One Buc Place in that one as they have Davis’ former OC in the building.

Hey, a real guard. Go hit someone.

[Snake]

I don’t love Braswell. I’m ready to be wrong.

I don’t love a diminutive secondary player who best excels in the box. Don’t we have one guy who’s already the best in the game at that (AWJr) and another who is fine at that (Izien) and another guy drafted last year who projected as a nickel (Hayes)?

Certain phrases are just banal platitudes. There are many pieces on the chessboard. Including pawns who are unidirectional. Calling a guy like Smith a chess piece is really just calling him a pawn. Because he’s not multifaceted.

[Grahamburn]

I don’t love Braswell. I’m ready to be wrong.

I don’t love a diminutive secondary player who best excels in the box. Don’t we have one guy who’s already the best in the game at that (AWJr) and another who is fine at that (Izien) and another guy drafted last year who projected as a nickel (Hayes)?

Certain phrases are just banal platitudes. There are many pieces on the chessboard. Including pawns who are unidirectional. Calling a guy like Smith a chess piece is really just calling him a pawn. Because he’s not multifaceted.

Been posting more positives in Braswell’s thread. He’s growing on me.

[Doctor]

I know this is going to shock a lot of you but... I really liked this draft. I spoke in another post about how great Jason Licht is at vibing with his staff to truly understand what they are trying to accomplish so that he can get who he believes is the best player available to meet that end. We're now 3 drafts into the Bowles era (and 6 into Arians) you can you see the kind of culture that has been installed here and the kind of players we look for. Incredibly hard workers. Guys who love ball. High character. Ultimately guys who can end up in your Ring of Honor, because those kinds of guys are usually drafted and not let go. We have a very well established brand right now in Tampa it's very high ceiling and high floor. We got a lot of those. Overall Draft Grade: B+

Let's get into the picks.

C Graham Barton: A-
The only reason this isn't an A+ is because he wasn't the #1 on my board and I have to grade off something right? Big DeJean fan but that aside this pick is a slam dunk. This is probably Licht's favorite pick since Evans as he finally gets his long searched for point-of-attack center. We all know how badly JL, a trench hog, has wanted this. And he gets his guy. Barton girth is no bullshit, with lats and shoulders to bully people for days. And that strength comes at you fast with a super quick snap up. You can tush push behind this guy. More important you can short run behind this guy. Furthermore it frees up Hainsey to try his hand at OG as well as the swing tackle. Overall depth benefits from the shift overs. 

EDGE Chris Braswell: B
Again, I like the pick just wasn't MY guy. Another text book "Bowles guy" pick from Licht. He is everything we like from our edges, which if you haven't caught on by now are in the Shaq/JPP mold. We like size and speed, we like high RAS scores here. Chris made the most in his rotational role, which is very likely the same he'll be asked here. He could've transferred out but wanted to stay at Bama, wanted to compete with the best, and went toe to toe with the eventual #2 and #17 overall picks everyday. They had a practice points system and apparently he won like 6 weeks, always competing with Dallas. This is what Bowles looks for and what we target. Forget finding a star QB, finding star pass rushers is hard and usually requires a very high pick (Garrett, Aiden, Bosas). If you get one, great, but if not you kill QBs and OLs with a high powered rotation. Since taking over the defense in 2019, the Bucs are 2nd in the league in sacks. In fact, let me break this down more.

Team Sacks Last Five years - Sack Leader (% of Team Total) - Team Total Without Leader
1. Steelers 252 - Watt 76.5 (30%) - 175.5
2. Bucs 235 - Barrett 45 (19%) - 190
3. Eagles 234 - Reddick 53 (22%) - 181
4. Rams 232 - Donald 51.5 (22%) - 180.5

Bowles knows how to use his guys and puts them in the best position. The ceiling- season sack leader. The floor- a cog in a system. Braswell will come in and contribute as a high level cog right away. It's exactly what he did in Bama. And when he's ready, as he earns it, he will have all the rope to max out his potential. 

S Tykee Smith: B
As time goes on I get the feeling I understand OBP draft strategy more and more. It feels like we break down players into BPA tiers without thinking of needs, then inside the tiers we order them taking into consideration need. Here is the latest pupil into Bowles DB University. Tykee is Todds newest hopeful answer to the turnover chasing STAR position he's been struggling to really maximize the way he likes. He's a sure tackler and a fast processor, two things Bowels need. I think he'll have a few fun Izien like plays for us early, but the Bowles system isn't a fast pick up. But if he takes off years 2-3, he can really open up this defensive window.

WR Jalen McMillin A+
Okay, I should knock this one down as much as the others for the same reason but I won't. Probably would've been BPA had I been paying attention. Just like QB, fit is super important, and oh boy is the fit here a 100/100. This kid isn't our new #3, he isn't our new #2.... he's our new #1.
Just maybe not this year. But soon. Sooner than you think. He is the heir to Godwin everyone thought Tyler Johnson was going to be. McMillin and Rome both blew up in 2022 and would've more likely been closer to Wilson/Olave in this draft had McMillin not gotten hurt. Then Polk showed out, and in such a deep WR it's easy to fall in the shuffle. It is our gain. This guy is going to be Liam's Cooper Kupp. He understands how to play coverages from the inside to get open. Such a great route runner, reminds me of Godwin but with the smoothness of Devonta Smith. Doesn't have over the top speed, but it won't matter the way we'll deploy him. He doesn't break tackles quite like a Puka, but he sure does block like him. He is about to become Bakers new best friend. Palmer takes the speedy outside Woods role as Evans lives out the rest of his career as our #1. Talk about a price controlled offense. Now we can pay Wirfs and the OL. I believe we'll keep Godwin (been wrong before) and bring McMillin along at pace.

RB Bucky Irving D+
Dripping of need here. I think he'll be a good player for us as he's exactly what we need, but I don't have to like it. I do like the kid though. But really, over Trotter Jr? Like come on. It may not look like it on the surface but he's actually a great compliment to White. White is a long strider who shakes people in space with awkward angles. He struggles inside, making decisions and seeing the lanes. On the flip side Irving is a super fast short stepper who has great vision and is super decisive. These qualities, along with the sneaky bonus of getting lost behind the OL, is what will actually make Irving our 3rd and short RB. Especially behind a Barton power push, easy crease, easy money.

OG Elijah Klein B+
A classic late round, small school Licht pick. Has all the attitude we like out of our OL and actually graded out really well. He needs to grow and learn to play with the big boys but the LG position is an open race. Even then, nothing to say he can't Cappa/Stinnie his way into a role in the future. Though I would've liked to have taken a QB hedge like Pratt here.
TE Devin Culp B+Pratt goes right before this pick. Bummer. We like this Washington program, it produces the kind of gentlemen we want to build around. Had some drop issues during his last season, determined not to drop a single ball in the combine he caught 100 passes a day in the 6 weeks leading up. Didn't drop a pass. He has the raw talent and puts in the work. Watch out Ko. 

[Buc2]

^^This is where Doc's optimism can shine and is much appreciated. We don't have any way of knowing exactly what we got with draft picks, so reading Doc's optimistic outlook is actually a fun read.

[BuccaNOLEer]

Every pick filled a need with the exception of Bucky Irving. That's the one pick I really didn't like when there were some good CB's out there and one was needed to compete with Zyon to take over the spot vacated by CDIII.

Overall grade, B+

[13F11B]

I have questions about Braswell based on the film I have seen, but have hopes that he will work out. Overall, I give the draft an A/B+ grade while the pads are still off and no games have been played.

[Snake]

“I think he'll be a good player for us as he's exactly what we need…he's actually a great compliment to White. Irving is a super fast short stepper who has great vision and is super decisive. These qualities, along with the sneaky bonus of getting lost behind the OL, is what will actually make Irving our 3rd and short RB.”

D+

[Bootz]

“I think he'll be a good player for us as he's exactly what we need…he's actually a great compliment to White. Irving is a super fast short stepper who has great vision and is super decisive. These qualities, along with the sneaky bonus of getting lost behind the OL, is what will actually make Irving our 3rd and short RB.”

D+

He's the king of copy & paste. Must've forgotten to change what he copied.

[Grahamburn]

Every pick filled a need with the exception of Bucky Irving. That's the one pick I really didn't like when there were some good CB's out there and one was needed to compete with Zyon to take over the spot vacated by CDIII.

Overall grade, B+

They signed a couple corners in free agency. Granted, they aren't expected to be All-Pros, but that position has some depth. RB did not. And, when your running game is the most glaring weakness on the team two years in a row it needs to be addressed both from a line and ball carrier perspective, and they did that. Sounds like they wanted Marshawn Lloyd, who may end up being a more complete player, but they got someone who can contribute to the unit.

[Backside]

Thanks for the write up @Doctor

Those pass rush stats were interesting

[Doctor]

“I think he'll be a good player for us as he's exactly what we need…he's actually a great compliment to White. Irving is a super fast short stepper who has great vision and is super decisive. These qualities, along with the sneaky bonus of getting lost behind the OL, is what will actually make Irving our 3rd and short RB.”

D+

Yes because it drips of need and my by far BPA Trotter was right there. You can maybe sell me that Trotter was on tier but behind Smith and McMillin in need, fine. But not Irving. That's putting our needs over a stud LB. Hence D+

But all that is no fault of Irving, who himself is a fine kid who will actually contribute in his niche right away.

[Big Irv]

Im still salty we didn’t get the guy named Tampa from St Petersburg.

Seems like we made a bunch of solid moves. Licht has done well enough over the years that I assume he knows more than me, provided he isn’t drafting a 1st round DE, a 2nd round punter or a QB #1 overall.

[Ken]

I don't think grading a draft makes much sense, but I do believe we addressed all our biggest needs.

Barton - What a talent. Super athletic, smart and humble. This is the guy the Ravens/Steelers always get and have anchor their line for 6-10 years. So glad he is ours.

Braswell - He's not going to light up with sacks, but huge positives for me: 1.) he didn't transfer like half the SEC did when they didn't get to start instantly. Dude wanted to challenge himself to earn snaps at a top 3 program and 2.) he's not some raw athlete they threw on the field and just asked him to rush the passer. Yes, he needs to work on his technique as a pass rusher, but he also dropped into coverage and was asked to play run first gap filling defense as well. This guy was playing pro ball since 2020 spring practice.

Smith - Leading tackler and interceptor on a top 5 defense. Winner. Smart. Versatile. Home run pick in the third round. This is the kind of guy you can build entire packages around.

McMillan - This guy has been playing slot receiver for 3 years in a very similar offense to ours. I didn't scout every WR out there, but watching this guy's tape is really all you need to do to see why the team picked him. He will feast on matchups against a LB or S, and with Mike drawing constant doubles, I could see him hauling in 40-50 catches as a rookie, despite being probably the 4th option.

Irving - Fantastic pure runner. But man I hope they throw him into pass blocking drills yesterday, because he's not going to see the field until he gets way better. I think he's less about this year than the first four guys, because while his running and receiving is pretty close to pro ready, I think he's actually 3rd string until he gets to be at least competent as a pass blocker. Probably my least favorite pick in terms of fit/capital expenditure.

Klein - I know nothing about him but I know we passed on a lot of interior OL prospects that many thought we'd be into only to take this guy who many pundits didn't have as someone we will draft. Licht has a great track record with these kinds of guys, so we'll see. I don't expect him to play this year unless we get hit hard with the injury bug.

Culp - Special teamer. When you're picking at the end of the 7th round, I don't really have a lot of uumph behind my analysis.

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I think one big takeaway is that the team isn't just paying lip service to the team culture stuff. They really mean it when they say they want character guys, and I think that the thing these guys have most in common is that they all want to show up to the facility every day and football. That's exactly the kinds of guys I want us drafting. Not guys who like playing or guys who are super talented but care more about branding and image. I want guys who have no identity outside of Buccaneer and teammate, which is IMO the Brady legacy here. Can't say enough about how the level of the franchise has been elevated.

[BuccaNOLEer]

“I think he'll be a good player for us as he's exactly what we need…he's actually a great compliment to White. Irving is a super fast short stepper who has great vision and is super decisive. These qualities, along with the sneaky bonus of getting lost behind the OL, is what will actually make Irving our 3rd and short RB.”

D+

Yes because it drips of need and my by far BPA Trotter was right there. You can maybe sell me that Trotter was on tier but behind Smith and McMillin in need, fine. But not Irving. That's putting our needs over a stud LB. Hence D+

But all that is no fault of Irving, who himself is a fine kid who will actually contribute in his niche right away.

There you go. Linebacker was a bigger position of need, and so was CB.

[Sdbucs]

If our o-line picks hit then I think we go from a T20 offense to a T15 offense. If, in addition, our RB/WR picks turn out to be ballers, a T10 offense.

If our d-line picks hit then I think we go from a T25 defense to a T20 defense.

So to slap a grade on our team now we'd be a B+/A- offense and a C+/B- defense, if these picks pan out.

[Ken]

If our o-line picks hit then I think we go from a T20 offense to a T15 offense. If, in addition, our RB/WR picks turn out to be ballers, a T10 offense.

If our d-line picks hit then I think we go from a T25 defense to a T20 defense.

So to slap a grade on our team now we'd be a B+/A- offense and a C+/B- defense, if these picks pan out.

By what metric are you measuring? You seem to think our offense was better than our defense, but we were the 20th scoring offense and 7th scoring defense. In terms of yardage, both were ranked 23rd.

Point being, we're much more likely to be a top 10 defense than offense.

[BuccaNOLEer]

Don't forget the UDFA's. Being a Nole I've got my eyes on DeLoach. He's undersized but he's a playmaker and is ferociously fast. With White gone and LVD getting long in the tooth, don't be surprised if he sticks

[Sdbucs]

If our o-line picks hit then I think we go from a T20 offense to a T15 offense. If, in addition, our RB/WR picks turn out to be ballers, a T10 offense.

If our d-line picks hit then I think we go from a T25 defense to a T20 defense.

So to slap a grade on our team now we'd be a B+/A- offense and a C+/B- defense, if these picks pan out.

By what metric are you measuring? You seem to think our offense was better than our defense, but we were the 20th scoring offense and 7th scoring defense. In terms of yardage, both were ranked 23rd.

Point being, we're much more likely to be a top 10 defense than offense.

I use PFFs ranks. PFF shows the following offenses as better than ours in 2023. Curious which people think we should be 'better' than?

In order of #1 and down per PFF - SF, DET, MIA, DAL, BAL, LAR, BUF

I mean there's the top 7 offenses and you couldn't tell me the Bucs belong in that list.

Continuing - PHI, GB, MIN, KC, SEA, HOU, DEN, CIN, NO, then TB.

So according to PFF, we sit at #17.

I highly question Minnesota's ranking, but I think lumping us among SEA/DEN/NO sounds pretty reasonable. I'd put us more around 15. PHI, KC, HOU, CIN (with healthy Burrow), all better than us offensively.

We're literally 2 good WRs and a mid QB. That's it.

[Grahamburn]

Don't forget the UDFA's. Being a Nole I've got my eyes on DeLoach. He's undersized but he's a playmaker and is ferociously fast. With White gone and LVD getting long in the tooth, don't be surprised if he sticks

Just 5'11 and 210. He's tiny. Great production though.

[BuccaNOLEer]

Don't forget the UDFA's. Being a Nole I've got my eyes on DeLoach. He's undersized but he's a playmaker and is ferociously fast. With White gone and LVD getting long in the tooth, don't be surprised if he sticks

Just 5'11 and 210. He's tiny. Great production though.

Undersized linebackers have gone on to star in this league.

[Grahamburn]

Just 5'11 and 210. He's tiny. Great production though.

Undersized linebackers have gone on to star in this league.

True. But, LaVonte is considered undersized at 6'1 and 230. Maybe they can cross train Deloach at safety?

[Bootz]

Undersized linebackers have gone on to star in this league.

True. But, LaVonte is considered undersized at 6'1 and 230. Maybe they can cross train Deloach at safety?

Isn't he an EDGE?

[BuccaNOLEer]

Undersized linebackers have gone on to star in this league.

True. But, LaVonte is considered undersized at 6'1 and 230. Maybe they can cross train Deloach at safety?

Brooks was 6'0" and 230 as well. Put at least ten more pounds of muscle on this guy without robbing him of his speed and I'll bet he can get the job done. All he did at FSU was make plays. My favorite comes 45 seconds into that video

[Doctor]

I think we really like our LB room. Bowles loves Britt. Dennis is ready to go. LVD still here. JTS can play inside. Still have JJ and that FSU kid.

How often do we even have two ILB on the field at once anyway?

End to end this is the most a Todd Bowles team has ever really reflected him, imo. From Baker to AWJ.

[Cheb]

I think we really like our LB room. Bowles loves Britt. Dennis is ready to go. LVD still here. JTS can play inside. Still have JJ and that FSU kid.

How often do we even have two ILB on the field at once anyway?

End to end this is the most a Todd Bowles team has ever really reflected him, imo. From Baker to AWJ.

Bowles has fielded two inside linebackers on basically every defensive snap since he's been here.

[Snake]

How often do we even have two ILB on the field at once anyway?

Pretty often. Both DW45 and LVD played basically all defensive snaps in games they suited up in during Bowles’s tenure.

[Doctor]

It really felt like White missed more time then that. Guess not. Well then you most definitely need to be able to cover.

[BucsNBills]

I'm not sure what grade I would give based on the players selected but I'm very happy with the process behind the picks.

Graham was arguably bpa and filled a massive need. Braswell was great value when we picked him and once again, filled a huge need.

Same with tykee and McMillan.

Could Braswell end up been jts 2.0? Yes, of course. But taking a shot at him at 57 is where the gamble is appropriate whereas taking jts in the 1st was always a reach.

I'm optimistic for this draft class and with the Falcons going full retard, only injuries will stop us from winning the division for the 4tn straight season.

[Bootz]

It really felt like White missed more time then that. Guess not. Well then you most definitely need to be able to cover.

You know this though. That's why you were so disappointed we missed out on Trotter Jr. Covering is not Britt's game. And he is even worse at blitzing, which Bowles also requires his inside backers to do. We don't know what Dennis can do at this point. But Bowles doesn't sub his 2 inside backers out.

[Al Bundy]

I would give the draft a C- or a D+. The Bucs drafted for need on night 1 and night 2, they didn't go BPA.

[Grahamburn]

I would give the draft a C- or a D+. The Bucs drafted for need on night 1 and night 2, they didn't go BPA.

What would you have done differently?

[kaimaru]

It really felt like White missed more time then that. Guess not. Well then you most definitely need to be able to cover.

You know this though. That's why you were so disappointed we missed out on Trotter Jr. Covering is not Britt's game. And he is even worse at blitzing, which Bowles also requires his inside backers to do. We don't know what Dennis can do at this point. But Bowles doesn't sub his 2 inside backers out.

Per PFF, KJ Britt had a 73.3 coverage grade last year through WC round. Why do continuously say he is bad at coverage? Britt had 83 coverage plays and only allowed 5 catches for 40 yards. 83! You can keep saying he's slow and he can't cover but allowing 4 catches over 83 assignments is pretty good no matter if you like PFFs rating system

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-tampa-bay- ... linebacker

[Bootz]

You know this though. That's why you were so disappointed we missed out on Trotter Jr. Covering is not Britt's game. And he is even worse at blitzing, which Bowles also requires his inside backers to do. We don't know what Dennis can do at this point. But Bowles doesn't sub his 2 inside backers out.

Per PFF, KJ Britt had a 73.3 coverage grade last year through WC round. Why do continuously say he is bad at coverage? Britt had 83 coverage plays and only allowed 5 catches for 40 yards. 83! You can keep saying he's slow and he can't cover but allowing 4 catches over 83 assignments is pretty good no matter if you like PFFs rating system

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-tampa-bay- ... linebacker

Because I have eyes and PFF isn't the end all, be all. Yall have gotten lazy relying on PFF like it's foolproof.