Jason Licht has been the Buccaneers’ general manager since January 21, 2014. Over that span, Tampa Bay has made more than a decade of draft decisions that allow us to study behavior, not theory. Draft season officially begins after the postseason, opening on April 25, 2026, making this the right time to step back and examine how the Buccaneers have historically approached the draft under their current leadership.
The goal of this article is not to predict specific players, but to identify positional tendencies by round based strictly on Tampa Bay’s draft history. By grouping positions while preserving each player’s actual position, we can better understand where the Buccaneers consistently invest premium capital, where they are comfortable waiting, and how those patterns shape expectations heading into future drafts.
Round 1: Best Player Available, With No Positional Lock
| Group | Picks | % | Players (True Position) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Skill (WR/QB/TE) | 4 | 36.4% | Mike Evans (WR), Emeka Egbuka (WR), Jameis Winston (QB), O.J. Howard (TE) |
| Offensive Line | 2 | 18.2% | Tristan Wirfs (T), Graham Barton (OL) |
| Defensive Front | 3 | 27.3% | Vita Vea (DT), Calijah Kancey (DL), Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (OLB) |
| Secondary | 1 | 9.1% | Vernon Hargreaves III (CB) |
| Linebacker | 1 | 9.1% | Devin White (LB) |
Takeaway: No single position dominates. The only repeat is wide receiver, driven by Mike Evans (2014) and Emeka Egbuka (2025). Tampa Bay does not force needs in Round 1.
Round 2: Clear Emphasis on DBs and the Offensive Line
| Group | Picks | % | Players (True Position) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary | 6 | 35.3% | Carlton Davis (CB), M.J. Stewart (CB), Sean Murphy-Bunting (CB), Benjamin Morrison (CB), Antoine Winfield Jr. (S), Justin Evans (S) |
| Offensive Line | 4 | 23.5% | Donovan Smith (T), Ali Marpet (C), Cody Mauch (T), Luke Goedeke (OL) |
| Defensive Front | 2 | 11.8% | Logan Hall (DE), Noah Spence (DE) |
| Offensive Skill | 3 | 17.6% | Ronald Jones II (RB), Austin Seferian-Jenkins (TE), Kyle Trask (QB) |
| Specialist | 1 | 5.9% | Roberto Aguayo (K) |
| Linebacker | 1 | 5.9% | Chris Braswell (LB) |
Takeaway: This is Tampa Bay’s most consistent round. Cornerback specifically drives this trend, led by 2018’s Carlton Davis / M.J. Stewart pairing and repeated again in 2019 and 2025.
Round 3: Skill Players and DBs With Starter Upside
| Group | Picks | % | Players (True Position) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Skill | 5 | 38.5% | Chris Godwin (WR), Trey Palmer (WR), Jalen McMillan (WR), Rachaad White (RB), Ke’Shawn Vaughn (RB) |
| Secondary | 3 | 23.1% | Jamel Dean (CB), Jacob Parrish (CB), Tykee Smith (DB) |
| Offensive Line | 2 | 15.4% | Alex Cappa (T), Robert Hainsey (OL) |
| Defensive Front | 1 | 7.7% | YaYa Diaby (DL) |
| Linebacker | 1 | 7.7% | Kendell Beckwith (ILB) |
| Safety | 1 | 7.7% | Mike Edwards (S) |
Takeaway: Wide receiver is the strongest repeat, anchored by Godwin (2017) and reinforced in 2023 and 2024.
Round 4: Mixed Usage, Minimal Repetition
| Group | Picks | % | Players (True Position) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linebacker | 2 | 22.2% | Kwon Alexander (OLB), David Walker (OLB) |
| Offensive Skill | 2 | 22.2% | Bucky Irving (RB), Jaelon Darden (WR) |
| Defensive Front | 1 | 11.1% | Anthony Nelson (DE) |
| Secondary | 1 | 11.1% | Jordan Whitehead (S) |
| Offensive Skill (TE) | 1 | 11.1% | Cade Otton (TE) |
| Specialist | 1 | 11.1% | Jake Camarda (P) |
| Secondary | 1 | 11.1% | Ryan Smith (CB) |
Takeaway: Only OLB repeats, driven by Alexander (2015) and Walker (2025).
Round 5: Receivers and Depth Pieces
| Group | Picks | % | Players (True Position) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Skill | 5 | 38.5% | Kenny Bell (WR), Justin Watson (WR), Tyler Johnson (WR), Jeremy McNichols (RB), Payne Durham (TE) |
| Linebacker | 2 | 15.4% | K.J. Britt (LB), SirVocea Dennis (LB) |
| Offensive Line | 2 | 15.4% | Caleb Benenoch (T), Kadeem Edwards (OL) |
| Secondary | 1 | 7.7% | Zyon McCollum (DB) |
| Defensive Front | 1 | 7.7% | Elijah Roberts (DT) |
| Specialist | 1 | 7.7% | Matt Gay (K) |
Takeaway: WR drives this round, accounting for three of the five offensive skill picks.
Round 6: Late-Round Receiver Hunting
| Group | Picks | % | Players (True Position) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Skill | 6 | 50.0% | Robert Herron (WR), Kaelin Clay (WR), Scott Miller (WR), Trey Palmer (WR), Ko Kieft (TE), Danny Vitale (FB) |
| Secondary | 1 | 8.3% | Josh Hayes (CB) |
| Defensive Front | 1 | 8.3% | Jose Ramirez (DL) |
| Defensive Front | 1 | 8.3% | Khalil Davis (DT) |
| Linebacker | 1 | 8.3% | Jack Cichy (ILB) |
| Linebacker | 1 | 8.3% | Devante Bond (OLB) |
| Offensive Line | 1 | 8.3% | Elijah Klein (G) |
Takeaway: This is the strongest positional lean in the entire dataset — wide receivers dominate Round 6.
Round 7: True Fliers, No Preference Except LB
| Group | Picks | % | Players (True Position) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linebacker | 2 | 20.0% | Grant Stuard (LB), Chapelle Russell (LB) |
| Offensive Skill | 4 | 40.0% | Tez Johnson (WR), Devin Culp (TE), Raymond Calais (RB), Joey Iosefa (FB) |
| Defensive Front | 3 | 30.0% | Andre Anthony (DE), Terry Beckner Jr. (DT), Stevie Tu’ikolovatu (NT) |
| Secondary | 1 | 10.0% | Chris Wilcox (DB) |
Takeaway: Only the linebacker repeats; everything else is one-off.
The Bottom Line
Looking back at the Buccaneers’ draft history under Jason Licht, the trends help frame expectations rather than dictate outcomes. Certain rounds have clearly been used to target specific types of players, but the larger takeaway is flexibility. Tampa Bay has shown it is willing to adjust based on roster construction, contract timing, and how the board falls rather than forcing a position simply because of precedent.
While past drafts show comfort targeting defensive backs and offensive linemen early and wide receivers later, that does not mean the Buccaneers are locked into repeating those patterns every year. This offseason, roster strength, contract status, and future financial planning will matter just as much as historical tendencies. Contracts often act as a benchmark for where help may be needed, but draft day rarely follows a clean script.
As the 2026 NFL Draft approaches on April 25, the most important lesson from the Licht era is that anything is on the table. History provides context, not certainty, and the Buccaneers have repeatedly shown they are willing to pivot when value presents itself. That balance between preparation and adaptability is ultimately what defines their draft philosophy.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Buccaneers Draft Trends: Positional Value by Round Under Jason Licht
About the Author
