The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the 2023 NFL Draft with more questions than answers. The team made an unexpected selection in the form of former Pittsburgh DL Calijah Kancey at No. 19 and then spent the rest of the draft adding elite athletes that can also run like a cheetah.

The Buccaneers finished the draft with eight total selections after coming into the draft with nine. The Bucs also traded away a 2024 fifth-rounder, so the team will be one draft pick lighter next year. 



Without further ado, below is the current list of Buccaneers draft picks:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2023 NFL Draft Class

Round 1, No. 19 overall: DL Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh

There weren’t many people that had the Buccaneers taking Kancey at 19. In fact, it’s hard to recall anyone picking the former Panther to don the pewter and red in 2023 and beyond.

Either way, Todd Bowles breaks the mold of his traditional defensive line prospects by selecting an undersized, but quick, athletic, and even versatile defensive linemen that is also wise beyond his years.

General manager Jason Licht said during his post-Round 1 presser that Kancey has a similar play-style to that of franchise legend Warren Sapp, which is plenty to get excited about moving forward.

Round 2, No. 48 overall: OL Cody Mauch, North Dakota State

Mauch isn’t the strongest of offensive linemen, but he has the athleticism and experience to man the left tackle position in Dave Canales’ offensive scheme. The Buccaneers gave up the 50th overall pick and their 179th overall pick in order to move up to 48 and selected the talented prospect.

Remember, Donovan Smith started every game his rookie year and while he was largely an up-and-down player, it's still quite the accomplishment to be able to start at a key position like left tackle from Day 1. Mauch can do the same, except he has a lot more upside than Smith did coming in.

However, Jason Licht said during his post-Day 2 presser that Mauch will start off on the inside with the idea of eventually developing into a tackle, so it'll be interesting to see how Mauch's career goes.

Round 3, No. 82 overall: EDGE YaYa Diaby, Louisville

There's a lot to say about this pick and not much is negative.

Diaby is a supreme athlete with great burst, but he also has above-average power and length. The key with him, like most supreme athletes, is he's raw and will have to refine his game in order to reach his super-high ceiling.

Well, fortunately for Diaby and the Buccaneers, there's plenty of time for refinement. Diaby will be EDGE3, at best, unless he just owns the offseason and training camp, which would honestly be a great development for the team. At worst, he'll be EDGE4 once Shaquil Barrett returns to full form.

Either way, he represents a very promising future option and he also is more proof that the Buccaneers are looking for explosive athletes at key positions.

Round 5, No. 153 overall: LB SirVocea Dennis, Pittsburgh

The Buccaneers drafted an undersized, but instinctive linebacker in Dennis who also happened to be Calijah Kancey’s college teammate for three seasons. 

Dennis will come in and compete behind Lavonte David and Devin White for a backup job, most likely the LB4 position. K.J. Britt seems to have a pretty good hold on the LB3 position, but as we all know, no starting job is safe unless you're among the NFL's elite.

Round 5, No. 171: TE Payne Durham, Purdue

The Buccaneers traded up four spots to snag Durham and they may have found their TE2 for the foreseeable future.

Durham brings an ability to block and catch and he's a big target with good hands. He's not afraid to get his hands dirty in run/pass blocking, either. If he works out, the Buccaneers could have a solid TE duo that was discovered on Day 3 of both players' respective drafts.

Round 6, No. 181: DB Joshua Hayes, Kansas State

PFF has Hayes playing 420 snaps in the slot last year, so it seems like that’s the initial plan with him. The Buccaneers need help at the nickel position so they can keep Antoine Winfield Jr. in centerfield, but they also need a capable body in there after the departure of Sean Murphy-Bunting in free agency.

It's unclear as to whether or not Hayes fits the mold of a nickelback, however, and one can argue the Buccaneers took him a bit early at 181. Regardless, they added a body at a position that needs help and bodies, so at least the pick makes sense, to an extent.

Round 6, No. 191: WR Trey Palmer, Nebraska

It’s going to be fun watching how Dave Canales uses Palmer in the new-look Bucs offense.

Palmer is a speedster and deep threat who can take the top off defenses. This will allow Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Russell Gage Jr. to do their thing underneath and deep, as well.

The former Cornhusker can also give the Buccaneers an option in the kick return game, which needs an upgrade, too.

Round 6, No. 196 overall: EDGE Jose Ramirez, Eastern Michigan

The Bucs’ last pick in the draft, Ramirez has some pretty attractive traits when it comes to what teams are looking for in modern day EDGE rushers. He can bend and get to the top of the arc, he has good burst and he finishes plays.

He led EMU in sacks, tackles for loss, and forced fumbles for two straight seasons and is an excellent teammate and leader.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with Ramirez in 2023. His best shot of making the roster is to win the EDGE4 position, which he certainly has a chance at doing. 

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• Round 1, No. 19 overall: DL Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
• Round 2, No. 50 overall: OL Cody Mauch, North Dakota State
• Round 3, No. 82 overall: EDGE YaYa Diaby, Louisville
• Round 5, No. 153 overall: LB SirVocea Dennis, Pittsburgh
• Round 5, No. 171 overall: TE Payne Durham, Purdue 
• Round 6, No. 181, overall: DB Joshua Hayes, Kansas State
• Round 6, No. 191 overall: WR Trey Palmer, Nebraska
• Round 6, No. 196 overall: EDGE Jose Ramirez, Eastern Michigan

The Buccaneers addressed several needs in this draft and like it was expected, they went defense-heavy, picking six defenders to three offensive players.

The most exciting picks of the bunch, in no specific order, are Kancey, Diaby, Mauch, Durham, and Palmer. Those players could end up as steals, or really, really good picks when it's all said and done. 

The key takeaway from this draft, however, is it reinforces the point that Todd Bowles and co. are looking to move away from the process that defined the Bruce Arians era  and create their own. The Bucs added a huge dose of speed, athleticism, and character in this draft and they should see a return on their investments as soon as this year.