TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one week away from kicking off the NFL Draft with the rest of the league in downtown Kansas City. The Bucs currently hold the 19th overall pick, but it's unclear exactly which direction they'll go.
Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht kept things fairly vague during his annual pre-draft media availability.
"We have a lot of areas that we could improve, add depth to, or upgrade," Licht said. "So I would say we do need to get faster. We do need to get more physical."
Bucs 1999 first-round pick and current ESPN NFL analyst Booger McFarland had a more narrow prediction for where the Bucs should turn their focus.
"You’re never going to go wrong when you draft big people up front," McFarland said via video chat. "And I think if you’re the Buccaneers, excluding quarterback, I think they need somebody that can protect the passer at left tackle or right tackle. And I think you gotta get somebody that can rush the passer- not knowing how Shaq Barrett is going to come off the [Achilles injury]."
Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett was the only quarterback taken in the first round in 2022. This year, as many as five quarterbacks could come off the board somewhere in the first 32 selections. Despite signing free agent Baker Mayfield this offseason, Licht says drafting a quarterback-early or late-is a very real possibility.
"It's the toughest position to find. It's the most important position on the team," Licht added. "I would not be afraid to take a quarterback, another quarterback," Licht added. "Because, might as well have another shot at it. Maybe not this year, but maybe in the future."
"When you’re outside the top five to eight, you gotta let the board fall," McFarland said. "As you become on the clock, then you kinda have to see where the board falls and see who’s there and what you need best."
It's been 24 years since the Bucs called McFarland at his home in Louisiana and changed his life forever. The draft used to be a Saturday morning event that spilled into Sunday- primarily geared toward more devoted fans.
Now, it's an entertainment event that starts in prime time and spans three days. No matter how much the format of the draft changes, McFarland said the emotions involved with getting that phone call will never change.
"It’s kinda surreal, because it’s like a dream that’s happening right before you. Especially if you can share it with people who help put you in a position to where you are."
The first round starts Thursday night at 8 P.M. Rounds two and three get underway Friday at 7 P.M. The fourth through seventh rounds wrap things up starting Saturday at noon. You can catch all the action on ABC Action News, ESPN, and the NFL Network.
