Looking Back: Buccaneers 1995 Draft Among Best Ever

Since current Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht took over in 2011, his team boasts an obscure yet telling stat.

In that time, the Buccaneers own the NFL in terms of games played and snaps taken from their draft picks from Rounds 1-5. That means Licht has been excellent in those rounds in keeping and developing their "homegrown" talent.

But there was another draft exactly 30 years ago that will go down as one of the best ever - for any team.

The 1995 Buccaneers draft was named the fourth-best in NFL Draft history by Bleacher Report's David Kenyon.

"Landing one Hall of Famer in any draft ever? Awesome," Kenyon wrote. "Selecting two during the same round of a single year? That's a truly spectacular blend of scouting and draft execution.

"Initially, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers held the seventh pick in 1995. They moved back to 12th and added defensive tackle Warren Sapp, and then they used the additional capital to trade up and snag linebacker Derrick Brooks at No. 28. Sapp was a six-time AP All-Pro selection, the 1999 Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the 2013 HOF class. Brooks was a nine-time All-Pro, the 2002 Defensive Player of the Year and a 2014 HOF inductee. Most memorably, they won a Super Bowl together in 2002 as part of one of the best defenses in league history."

The credentials for Sapp and Brooks speak for themselves, especially to Bucs fans. 

And Licht is doing everything he can to replicate that 1995 success during his tenure.