Like all general managers, Bucs GM Jason Licht will be taking part in this year’s virtual draft from the comfort of his own home office. For Licht, it will be his seventh NFL draft with the Buccaneers, and while he’s had his fair share of solid selections — like Mike Evans and Devin White to name a few — he’s also whiffed on a few picks like Vernon Hargreaves and kicker Robert Aguayo.
But with the hiring of Bruce Arians last offseason and the signing of six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady this year, Licht’s GM star is certainly on the rise. However, those moves alone weren’t enough to put him high on Gregg Rosenthal’s GM Power Rankings over at NFL.com.
In his rankings, Rosenthal excluded general managers who were hired after the 2018 draft because they haven’t been on the job long enough to allow for a fair valuation. That leaves just 25 GMs eligible for his power rankings, and Licht came in at No. 23, ahead of only Dave Caldwell of the Jaguars and Dave Gettleman of the Giants (yikes).
Here’s Rosenthal’s explanation for Licht’s ranking:
“Licht arrived in Tampa weeks after Lovie Smith was hired and one year before Jameis Winston was drafted. It took Bruce Arians’ arrival and Tom Brady’s availability for Licht to finally give up on Winston, which will put the GM’s other team-building struggles in the spotlight… This roster has never looked better, but I’ve been far too high on Licht for virtually every year since 2015 — and we’ve both been wrong repeatedly. The cold reality of Licht’s 34-62 record since taking over speaks louder than any offseason hype.”
It’s hard to disagree with what Rosenthal says. Licht has certainly had his share of issues as general manager, but things are starting to look up for Tampa Bay as they head into next week’s draft. Licht has put them in a great position to make the postseason next year, which should help move him up these rankings at some point. But, as Rosenthal points out, Licht’s overall record is what matters most, not the hype.
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