Bucs general manager Jason Licht has one simple goal when it comes to the NFL Draft.
“We want to kick ass every year in the draft,” Licht said to the local media at his pre-draft press conference on Thursday afternoon.
When it comes time for Tampa Bay to make its picks, Licht hopes that they can come in and positively affect the outcome in games in the same kinds of ways that last year’s rookie class did. There is a lot that goes into finding the right prospect at the right time at the right position, and he dived deeper into his draft philosophy as one of the biggest events on the NFL calendar draws ever closer.
Jason Licht Wants Bucs’ 2024 Draft Class To Have Big Impact, Be Leaders
A large part of why the Bucs made the playoffs last season was due to the contributions from the team’s 2023 rookie class.
The team was able to find three high-ceiling starters with their first three picks in defensive lineman Calijah Kancey, right guard Cody Mauch, and outside linebacker YaYa Diaby. They also got plenty of surplus value from sixth-round wide receiver Trey Palmer and undrafted defensive back Christian Izien, among others.
To keep the competitive window open, Jason Licht acknowledged that the team will be depending on their 2024 draft class to come in and have just as much of an impact.
“There are some years [where] you’re going to depend on them a little bit more like we did last year,” Licht said. “We’re going to depend on this class too. We’re hoping to get some players that can come in and contribute and help us right away like last year with Calijah, YaYa, Cody, Trey… we’re hoping for that. It doesn’t always work out that way, sometimes it takes a little bit longer.
“I think every year the patience from the fans and everybody gets a little bit – they want players to become All-Pro by their second game, and it used to take two years. We also want the players to be able to contribute right away. I think every year you kind of approach it the same, you’re hoping to get the right guys.”
For the Bucs’ front office, they weigh more than just a player’s raw talent. The kind of Buccaneers they want also have high character.
“I think we’ve done a great job – I’ve done a better job myself as well – of going after the right kind of guy and avoiding the temptation to go after the talent and not necessarily the whole person,” Licht added. “I think we’ve done a great job, my staff has done a great job of identifying that with our character grade. We put a lot of stock into that. When we see players getting into trouble, suspended, or whatever, I’ll look it up, and yep, we had a ‘do not touch’ grade [on them].”
The team’s longtime general manager made it clear that they want to continue adding leaders across the roster.
“Leaders, but leaders that can come in a lot of different shapes and forms,” Licht said. “Doesn’t have to be an alpha leader. We want guys that are passionate about the game, want guys that are resilient and can deal with adversity. We have a lot of those guys.”
Jason Licht Reveals The Bucs’ Biggest Need(s)
While the Bucs have done well this offseason in bringing back their top free agents, it is a team that still has plenty of needs throughout the roster.
Interior offensive line. Outside linebacker. Cornerback. Wide Receiver. Defensive line.
Just about every position group would welcome an influx of young talent to add to the ranks. Jason Licht admitted as much, while also pinpointing one specific area to which he would like to add reinforcements.
“We have a lot, and that’s okay to have a lot of needs,” Licht said. “I think it’s a good thing, actually. We had made it very close to coming to the NFC Championship game last year and we still signed our guys back but we still have a lot of needs. I think that shows that if we do this right, pretty soon [over] the next couple of years – or even this year – we can be competing. I always like the trenches and I think we need help in both trenches.”
When it comes to what the most recent mock drafts have to say, there is a pool of talented prospects that Tampa Bay will consider when they make their first pick. How the draft board falls will dictate whether the Bucs stick at No. 26 or decide to move up or down, but they won’t pass up the chance at taking one of the guys they deem to be a great fit on the field and in the locker room.
“At the end of the day, you still want to take the best player – the player that you have the best feel for, especially collectively as a group,” Licht said. “You wouldn’t want to pass on a player regardless of position if you just have a lot of love for him, knowing even if that is a deep position.”
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