Round 1 Pick 19 Calijah Kancey LE 73 OVR –> 90
Calijah Kancey in year one had a break out season proving to the Bucs organization that he was the correct pick at the time. Getting 11.5 sacks and 30 tackle for losses in his rookie season to help win the defensive rookie of the year award really put him on the map. In season two he had a lower production when it came to sacks but still had a great year in the run game almost getting 30 tackle for losses again. He’s been an anchor for this young defensive line and yes there has been struggles but slowly and surely they have been putting in the work to eventually become a dominant line with Kancey leading the charge. The front office is super happy with his development.
Round 2 Pick 48 Cody Mauch RG 70 OVR –> 82
Cody Mauch had some concerns from the front office when he came in as he was a bit on the older side as a rookie but he’s developed into a star right guard and became everything this front office was looking for. He’s shown tremendous growth in not only the running game but the passing game and with a team that loves to throw the ball he’s held his own in this league being known for not allowing a tremendous amount of sacks
Round 3 Pick 82 YaYa Diaby LOLB 67 OVR –> 72
Diaby doesn’t have the strength that this front office was looking for he’s mostly been used as a depth line backer to come in when injuries/fatigue is happening towards the starters. His speed helps him makes a presence in the run game but it’s hard for him to get off that first block which really stunts his ability to get playing time on this roster. He’s a good rotational depth piece but I can’t see him earning another contract for this team.
Round 5 Pick 153 SirVocea Dennis MLB 67 OVR –> 77
Dennis started off in season 1 and 2 as a starter besides Devin White at the linebacker position because he has good coverage skills and when he’s on a blitz through the middle he’s able to get through sometimes. The only problem is he’s really only good at covering in the middle and doesn’t have much use other than that. The first two seasons he’s had some quality starts but unfortunately he’s now moved down to a rotational piece in different packages because the front office likes to have their linebackers in the middle be able to do more than just cover. He’s another player who might not earn another starting contract but definitely could start for a different team.
Round 5 Pick 171 Payne Durham TE 63 OVR –> 67
Payne never really became anything other than what he was drafted for as a blocking tight end. Unfortunately early in his career most of the time the Bucs spent playing out of shotgun which really limited his ability to get on the field. They stashed him on the practice squad a couple times because they believe he doesn’t live up to the standards that they want from a tight end in todays game of PML.
Round 6 Pick 181 Josh Hayes CB 66 OVR –> 68 OVR
Never had the ability or the physicals to come in and earn a job was mostly just a depth piece for the first season until ultimately getting stashed on the practice squad then later release. Didn’t have the tools to develop quickly and beat out the starting vets at the time which made the Buccaneers go a different route when it came to the CB position. Good camp body for a 6 round pick though really helped Baker feel good about himself.
Round 6 pick 191 Trey Palmer WR 69 OVR –> 84
Who would of thought a 6th round pick would become something like this. From waiting three days to get drafted in the later rounds to becoming the league leader in receiving yards in his second season and making the pro bowl. He is truly a wonderful wide receiver who can play in all aspects of the game. He has one concern in his ability to hold onto the ball but other than that he’s a huge playmaker for this team and is only going to get better. In his time playing in the league so far he has 3124 receiving yards, and 31 touchdowns in 40 games. That is an insane stat! He is definitely going to be leading the charge on this young offense for years to come with his explosive ability to run down the field or make a man miss in the short yardage game.
Overall the draft had some gems in it but it didn’t provide as much depth as this front office wanted. They were able to create three stars from it though which is a lot more than what some other teams can say. We’ll go over the next two drafts to see how this front office learned from the previous ones mistakes and if it ultimately made the team a better team.p
