TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren’t making any bold predictions.
The four-time defending NFC South champions are confident, though, that they have a good chance to be better because of the players they took in the NFL draft from Thursday through Saturday. General manager Jason Licht and coach Todd Bowles expect their draft class to help the team’s defense regain some of the swagger it lost over the past two seasons.
After taking Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka in the first round, Licht and Bowles shifted their attention to bolstering the pass rush and secondary with the selection of two edge rushers and a pair of cornerbacks on the last two days of the draft.
Egbuka was the team’s top pick despite quarterback Baker Mayfield already having a stellar group of receivers at his disposal, including Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and 2024 third-round pick Jalen McMillan, who had seven touchdown receptions over his final five games as a rookie.
With Evans — the franchise leader in receptions, receiving yards, TDs and scoring — entering his 12th year and Godwin coming off a severe ankle injury that sidelined him most of last season, though, the Bucs are banking on Egbuka helping the team’s potent offense score even more points while indirectly helping a defense that hasn’t been as dependable as usual.
“There’s a lot to like about him,” Licht said after selecting Egbuka, who helped Ohio State win the national championship in January.
“It’s also awesome as a GM to have a head coach who’s a defensive-minded person who is running up the hill with his name saying, ‘We’ve got to draft this guy,’” Licht said. “So it made it a lot easier.”
The Bucs re-signed Godwin to a three-year, $66 million deal this offseason and say the 29-year-old, who teams with Evans to give Tampa Bay one of the most productive receiver tandems in the league, is making good progress in his recovery from the dislocated ankle that sidelined him after seven games last fall.
“We’re lucky to have them all right now,” Licht said.
The GM also has a better feeling about the pass rush after signing free agent Haason Reddick to a one-year, $14 million contract this winter and drafting Central Arkansas linebacker David Walker and SMU defensive lineman Elijah Roberts on Saturday. A concern about depth at cornerback was addressed with the selections of Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison and Kansas State’s Jacob Parrish in the second and third rounds.
No hesitation
The Buccaneers took Egbuka with the 19th overall pick despite not bringing him to town for a pre-draft visit, saying they were familiar enough with the Ohio State receiver as a player and potential team leader that they didn’t have questions for — or about — him.
“We met him at the combine and we know a lot about him over the years,” Licht said. “He’s a true pro. Mature beyond his years. He’s a perfectionist.”
Egbuka had 81 receptions for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, when he helped the Buckeyes win the national championship. He relishes the opportunity to play with Mayfield and a highly productive group of receivers.
“I’m a student of the game,” Egbuka said. “I love learning about it.”
Third-day additions
The Bucs added three players on Saturday, taking a couple of edge rushers — Walker and Roberts — in the fourth and fifth rounds. Seventh-round selection Tez Johnson, an undersized but elusive wide receiver from Oregon, was Tampa Bay’s final pick.
Johnson will be reunited with a former college teammate, running back Bucky Irving, who was a fourth-round pick in 2024 and rushed for 1,122 yards and eight TDs as a rookie.
Working on the defense
Tampa Bay ranked third behind Baltimore and Detroit in total offense (399.5 yards per game) and fourth in scoring (29.5). Improving the defense was the top priority this offseason after the Bucs had difficulty generating a consistent pass rush and forcing turnovers a year ago. The secondary finished with seven interceptions, tied for fourth fewest in the NFL.
In addition to counting on Reddick to rebound from a subpar year with the New York Jets to rejuvenate their pass rush, the Bucs believe linebacker Chris Braswell, a second-round draft pick in 2024, is poised to take a step forward after having two sacks as a rookie. Third-year pro Yaya Diaby could make a difference, too, if he can revert to the form of his rookie year, when led the Bucs with 7 1/2 sacks.
Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum are the incumbent starters at cornerback, but Morrison and Parrish will get a chance to compete for playing time.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Fred Goodall, The Associated Press
