Dane Brugler published his mid-season All-Rookie Team on Wednesday, and two Bucs rookies made the cut.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jason Licht have a good history of drafting players into the NFL and getting them producing immediately. In their 2024 NFL Draft Class, Licht’s work is being recognized by The Athletic.
Dane Brugler published his mid-season All-Rookie Team on Wednesday, and two Bucs rookies made the cut.
Running back Bucky Irving and linebacker Chris Braswell were mentioned by Brugler in his piece. Irving has been very productive anytime he gets the ball in his hand, producing 593 total yards of offense and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Braswell has just 11 tackles playing in a limited role but has produced with injuries popping up at times for the linebacker group.
Jason Licht and the entire Bucs front office have done a great job building this roster’s core in recent years. Irving looks to be a long-term player in the offense alongside Rachaad White.
Like most linebackers, Braswell needs some more years to develop but shows promise.
In just 41 days, Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama football team will kickoff the 2024 season!
In 42 days, Kalen DeBoer will usher in a new era of Alabama Crimson Tide football, replacing the legendary [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] as head coach in Tuscaloosa.
Coach DeBoer and the Crimson Tide will take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Aug. 31 to kick off the 2024 college football season inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.
At Roll Tide Wire, we will count down the days until Alabama football takes the field.
Freshman linebacker [autotag]Justin Okoronkwo[/autotag] currently wears No. 41 for the Crimson Tide, but today we will look at the last player to wear the number, [autotag]Chris Braswell[/autotag].
Braswell put together a spectacular senior season in 2023 where he accumulated 42.5 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and eight sacks on his way to being drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might have another Day 2 rookie pass rushing gem in Chris Braswell a year after Yaya Diaby led them in sacks
A year ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers media was very excited about a rookie pass rusher. That player, third-rounder Yaya Diaby, went on to lead the Bucs in sacks as a rookie and establish himself as an impressive draft value.
This year, it’s another Day 2 pass rusher who is gaining a lot of praise in the early offseason. Second-round EDGE Chris Braswell has been one of the standouts in OTAs and the recent minicamp. Even Diaby has taken notice of his new running mate.
Braswell flew under the radar for an Alabama defender after playing in the shadows of 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson and 2024 first-rounder Dallas Turner on the Crimson Tide defense. While it’s still very early, the speedy Braswell is looking like he’s ready for the bigger spotlight.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie outside linebacker Chris Braswell is already making a strong impression on his new teammates
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers landed a steal of a pass rusher in the third round of last year’s NFL draft in Yaya Diaby, who went on to lead the team in sacks with 7.5 as a rookie in 2023.
Now primed for an even bigger 2024 campaign, Diaby will be joined by a new rookie in Chris Braswell, the Bucs’ second-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
As the team works through mandatory minicamp this week, Diaby has already been impressed with his new rookie teammate, who is expected to push for the starting job opposite Diaby on the other side of Tampa Bay’s defensive front:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have inked another member of their 2024 NFL draft class, signing rookie outside linebacker Chris Braswell to his rookie contract Wednesday.
The No. 57 overall pick in this year’s draft out of Alabama, Braswell brings an impressive blend of size, athleticism and versatility that should be a perfect fit for Todd Bowles’ defense.
Braswell’s four-year rookie deal is fully guaranteed.
The Bucs had a quiet first night of the 2024 NFL Draft, not making their first selection until No. 57 when the team added LB Chris Braswell from Alabama.
Will the Bucs be able to repeat as division champs in 2024?
Support your Bucs in person this season, as limited tickets are already on sale.
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The Bucs had a quiet first night of the 2024 NFL Draft, not making their first selection until No. 57 when the team added LB Chris Braswell from Alabama.
Will the Bucs be able to repeat as division champs in 2024?
Support your Bucs in person this season, as limited tickets are already on sale.
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The Bucs got themselves and underrated edge rusher in this year’s draft.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were desperate this offseason to try and bring in some more talent at an edge position that was starting to age out of their former elite Super Bowl defense. They found a young star last year in YaYa Diaby, and now look to pair him with Alabama edge rusher Chris Braswell at the bottom of the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Braswell projects to launch into an immediate rotation with a young group of pass rushers including the aforementioned Diaby, and former first-round pick Joe Tyron-Shoyinka. Given that Tyron-Shoyinka has been relatively inefficient thus far, expect Braswell to have a real shot to take over full-time opposite Diaby.
Strong, explosive, and rabid in his pass rush, Braswell comes from a long line of effective Alabama pass rushers. While Braswell may lack the desired size and elite athletic traits, he does have production, solid technique, and great play strength. Braswell could need a bit of development when he enters the league, but should quickly claim the starting job. Not bad value here late in the second round.
Hear what Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebackers coach George Edwards had to say about his new offseason additions
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had some turnover in their outside linebacker group this offseason, saying goodbye to a veteran leader, while welcoming multiple new faces to the room.
Shaq Barrett was released for salary cap reasons, but Randy Gregory was signed in free agency to fill the need for experience and leadership at an otherwise young position on Tampa Bay’s roster. The Bucs then spent their second-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Alabama’s Chris Braswell.
Bucs outside linebackers coach George Johnson recently met with the media to discuss what Gregory brings to the table, how Braswell can make an instant impact, and much more:
For many NFL teams, the 2024 NFL Draft is a dramatic spectacle filled with big gambles. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was an orderly affair that featured no trades by the Bucs for the first time in 11 years. Bucs general manager Jason Licht …
For many NFL teams, the 2024 NFL Draft is a dramatic spectacle filled with big gambles. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was an orderly affair that featured no trades by the Bucs for the first time in 11 years.
Bucs general manager Jason Licht appeared more than satisfied filling roster holes with the draft capital Tampa Bay already had on deck. The Bucs addressed immediate needs early and filled out the edges of the roster as the draft progressed.
A little ho-hum? Maybe, but not necessarily ineffective.
As the dust settles from another wild weekend, here’s how we grade every pick the Bucs made across all seven rounds of this year’s draft:
The Bucs had two key objectives heading into the 2024 NFL draft: upgrade the offensive line and improve the edge rush. They accomplished the first with their first pick, taking Duke’s Graham Barton. Not since Ali Marpet was a Buccaneer has Tampa Bay boasted such an athletic offensive lineman, only Barton is bigger and faster than Marpet.
Barton was ranked 26th overall and the top center on Arif Hasan’s 2024 Consensus Board, which takes into account 101 media big boards and projections. The Bucs took him right where he was expected to fall and right where interior offensive line value begins to make sense for a first round pick.
Though not a finished product, Barton’s athleticism, reinforced by his on-field attitude, should see him through to becoming at minimum a starting-caliber center, which is where GM Jason Licht projects Barton will play. Center may not be a sexy position for a first round pick, but it is exactly what Tampa Bay needed, with a possible future Pro Bowler now manning the role.
Grade: A-
Outside linebacker was Tampa Bay’s other pressing need, and with the top prospects off the board with the Bucs’ first pick, they took Alabama OLB Chris Braswell. Largely a rotational player for the Tide, Braswell saw the bulk of his action last season when he led the team in pressures (55) and recorded eight sacks and 10.5 tackles for a loss.
Braswell is a physical specimen and a true competitor. What is missing from his game is refinement and a consistency in getting to the quarterback. Essentially drafted to replace Shaq Barrett, Braswell is longer, faster and more explosive but does not have Barrett’s bend or arsenal of pass rush moves.
It will take time for Braswell to mature into a reliable contributor to Tampa Bay’s linebacker rotation. The Bucs’ need for more edge rush may not afford him much time or patience from Todd Bowles. With few options left to them, Tampa Bay gambled on Braswell’s upside, considerable though it is.
Grade: C+
Tampa Bay’s first third-round pick was a blatant attempt to draft another Antoine Winfield Jr. in Georgia S Tykee Smith. Their measurables are practically identical:
Still, the Antoine Winfield Jrs. of the world do not come along every year. Smith is an instinctual defender overall, but Winfield Jr. is still on another level when it comes to reading the field, particularly against the pass.
Smith will likely compete with last year’s undrafted rookie upstart Christian Izien for the starting nickel role. Izien is smaller and maybe a bit less physical but plays with better range. Where Smith should have an immediate impact is on special teams. Despite starting at safety, Smith played coverage and returns on special teams.
In terms of value, the Bucs picked up an immediate rotational contributor with starter potential, a desirable outcome for a third-round pick. The outstanding question is whether Tampa Bay might have addressed a position of greater need of an upgrade with the talent in that range, such as tight end or inside linebacker.
Grade: B
The Bucs are getting a little long in the tooth at receiver, so it was natural for Tampa Bay to inject some youth into the position with WR Jalen McMillan. One of Washington’s impressive triumvirate of receivers in this year’s draft, McMillan was Michael Penix Jr.’s top target in 2022 before injuries limited his production in 2023.
Tampa Bay is not getting a one-for-one replacement of Chris Godwin with McMillan. He does not have Godwin’s reliable hands, dropping 14 passes over his collegiate career, and is not half as developed a blocker as Godwin. McMillan also has little special teams experience.
Nevertheless, his production at Washington suggests McMillan can be a valuable slot receiver and could continue to develop in Tampa Bay’s receiver room, assuming he can stay healthy.
Grade: B-
Tampa Bay needed to find a complement for Rachaad White if only to lighten his workload, taking 959 snaps in 2023, second-most among all running backs. They waited until the fourth round to find both a partner for White and a fit for offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s scheme, Oregon RB Bucky Irving.
Irving runs like he is trying to burst out of his 5’9″, 192-pound frame. He forced 69 forced tackles and averaged 3.99 yards after contact according to Pro Football Focus. Irving also boasts excellent vision and feet, maximizing the blocking in front of him. He brings good hands, leading all FBS running backs with 56 catches in 2023.
The biggest issue with Irving is that for his size, he is a mediocre NFL athlete. He does not have exceptional burst or field stretching speed. His size will likely make him a liability as a pass protector in the NFL.
The Bucs were clearly looking for a similar skill set as Rachaad White when they drafted Irving rather than add a back that might get more out of the blocking in front of him, which has obviously been a problem in Tampa Bay for some time. If the Bucs’ run blocking improves with their recent offensive line additions, the Irving pick may yield more production than it appears under the present circumstances.
Grade: C-
Towards the end of the draft, teams are looking for backups, special teamers, the high-upside, low-floor gamble, and the sleeper pick, which is the riskiest of them all. Sleepers presume that a team can scout better than everyone else. For the Bucs, that sleeper is UTEP’s Elijah Klein.
There is nothing outstanding about Klein’s athletic profile. His testing was average at best, though his wingspan and hand size are above the baseline. Looking beyond the measurables, Klein moves quicker than his testing suggests, and he is clearly very strong when engaged.
With their last pick in the 2024 draft, the Bucs went with another kind of late-round pick: the high-upside, low floor gamble. Washington TE Devin Culp is a sensational athlete. He was the only tight end with a sub-4.5 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Culp brings a large catch radius and has the potential to be a deep threat mismatch in Tampa Bay’s passing offense.
The flip side of Culp’s speed and potential is the reality of his play up to this point. Culp has a serious problem holding onto the ball, dropping 15.4% of his targets during his collegiate career. He has never been targeted more than 29 times in any season and scored just four touchdowns in five seasons at Washington.
At 6’3″ and 231 pounds, Culp is marginally a tight end and more of a big wide receiver without the flexibility to run a full route tree. Against the tight ends already on Tampa Bay’s roster, there is a real chance that Culp does not make the final 53-man roster in September.
Alas, that is the reality of a seventh-round pick. Culp is a low-cost roll of the dice for the Bucs. If he can do enough to just make the roster, the pick is already a win. If not, the practice squad or another team awaits, as it has for many, if not most, seventh-rounders.
Grade: C+
The Bucs’ 2024 draft class is not as splashy as some other teams’ hauls. Tampa Bay simply lacked the draft resources to take huge swings on top players. Instead, Jason Licht and company let the draft fall to them, filling roster holes both now and with an eye to the future.
