A simple stat shows why Tampa Bay Buccaneers GM Jason Licht has been the best in the NFL Draft over the last decade
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a general manager in Jason Licht who very much knows what he's doing when it comes to evaluating college players and making wise selections in the NFL Draft. The numbers don't lie. The Bucs put out a very interesting stat on Thursday on Twitter/X. According to them, during Jason Licht's […]
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a general manager in Jason Licht who very much knows what he's doing when it comes to evaluating college players and making wise selections in the NFL Draft.
The numbers don't lie.
The Bucs put out a very interesting stat on Thursday on Twitter/X. According to them, during Jason Licht's tenure over the last 11 years, the Bucs are tops in the NFL in games started and snaps played by their draft picks taken in rounds 1 through 5.
That might not have seemed to have been the case during the franchise's first 5-6 years, with the tired mired in mediocrity before the arrival of Tom Brady in March 2020. However, the pieces ultimately proved to be there beyond just Brady to build a Super Bowl champion.
Aside from his first ever pick, Mike Evans in 2014 with the seventh overall pick – which worked out pretty good, I'd say. He landed two huge pieces on the offensive line the next year in Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet in the second round after taking Jameis Winston first overall. Chris Godwin, one of the best and most unheralded WRs in the league, came in the third round of 2017.
But it was the next two years where Licht really hit his stride. Vita Vea, Alex Cappa, Carlton Davis, and Jordan Whitehead followed in a very big 2018 class. 2019 might have been even bigger, with Devin White, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Jamel Dean, Mike Edwards, Anthony Nelson, and Scotty Miller all being selected in that class. Then, of course, the additions of roster cornerstones Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield, Jr. came in 2020 to cement what turned out to be a championship roster.
There have certainly been misses – and years' worth at that, such as the 2016 and 2021 classes, which ultimately fizzled as a group. But swings and misses happen for every general manager, and even Licht had his whiffs.
He would go on to make up for them though, even recently, such as with the 2022 class that netted Logan Hall, Luke Goedeke, Rachaad White, Cade Otton, and Zyon McCollum. Over the last two years, Graham Barton, Bucky Irving, Calijah Kancey, Cody Mauch, Yaya Diaby, SirVocea Dennis, Tykee Smith, and Jalen McMillan have all come in through the draft and become important pieces on this team.
At the end of the day, the numbers back up what the Bucs have done on the field the last five years- win four straight division championships, five straight playoff appearances, and a Lombardi Trophy. You don't do all that without building a strong foundation through the draft, and there's no doubt that Licht has done that as well as anyone.
Bucs taking a closer look at a draft prospect who could help answer a major question plaguing Todd Bowles’ defense
Tampa Bay has struggled to come down with the ball on defense the last few years
