With the 2023 NFL Draft now complete, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers now have a new complement of young players to develop into long-term contributors. Though it is too early to know just how productive these rookies will be in the NFL, we can still evaluate how the Bucs did with their resource allocation with this draft class.
General manager Jason Licht said earlier this month that the Bucs needed to “get faster” and “more physical.” This mantra was absolutely put into practice throughout Tampa’s draft. Often eschewing size for speed, the Bucs selected some of the fastest players available at their positions, some of whom come with a reputation for nastiness and even “glass chewing.”
The Bucs also broke from a recent pattern of trading down and acquiring more draft capital. Instead, they gave up picks this year and even a future pick to trade up to acquire some of their targeted players.
Overall, Tampa appeared to draft for the long-term instead of purely addressing need. Some immediate roster questions remain, but the Bucs positioned themselves to be better prepared two and three years down the line.
Here are the grades for each of the Bucs’ 2023 draft picks: