Rookie Class Shines
February 17th, 2020
Nailed it.
Per a pair of NFL observers, the Bucs rocked the draft last year.
Gennaro Filice and Nick Shook, typing for NFL.com, graded every NFL team’s draft from last spring. And no NFL team, save for the NFC Champion 49ers (led by John Lynch), had a haul quite like the Bucs’.
White (91 tackles, 2.5 sacks, three passes defensed, one pick, three forced fumbles) was a stud, proving himself worthy of the No. 5 pick. Murphy-Bunting (44 tackles, three picks) also proved to be a legitimate player as a rookie, as did Dean, who finished with 17 passes defended and two interceptions in 13 games. Edwards was a valuable contributor as well, recording 45 tackles, one sack and six passes defended. Gay solved Tampa Bay’s kicking problem, showing off his strong leg on multiple occasions in making five of eight attempts from 50-plus yards. Miller caught just 13 passes but made the most of them, recording 200 yards (15.4 yards per catch) and a touchdown in 10 games. Nelson played a healthy amount of defensive snaps to go along with 111 snaps on special teams but didn’t make a significant statistical mark. Beckner was suspended for violating the league’s PED policy and eventually released.
Well, it is a good sign that in an entire draft only one guy, the lowest draft pick, didn’t stick (and that was in part due to a PED violation). Or, one could look at it as the team was so rotten, it was easy for the rookies to make the squad — there’s that.
Joe will take his look at each rookie.
Devin White: After early-season hiccups, he proved to be strong against the run. Pass defense needs polishing. Definitely an upgrade over Kwon Alexander, who bolted the Bucs to take a big check from Lynch.
Sean Murphy-Bunting: All he does is make plays. SMB impresses Joe as a really smart dude.
Jamel Dean: Once he got the hang of things became a force. Joe wonders if he will be tested as much this coming fall as he was as a green rookie?
Mike Edwards: Not bad against the run. Pass defense (critical for a defensive back) needs work. Joe isn’t sure if the Bucs can trust him as a starter.
Anthony Nelson: Jury is still out. Showed flashes he could replace Carl Nassib.
Matt Gay: If he can improve his short-kicking game, he could be the best Bucs kicker in a long time. Once could directly point to Gay’s (bad) kicking as causing the Bucs finishing below .500 record.
Scott Miller: Joe thought this was a burned pick but Miller eventually surprised Joe. Late in the season Miller showed he belonged in the NFL. Health is an issue with him. Is Miller good enough to replace Breshad Perriman? Joe isn’t sure about that yet.
February 17th, 2020 at 8:05 am
Can’t wait to find out if Scott Miller bulked up this offseason
February 17th, 2020 at 8:23 am
I agree with your assessment joe with the exception of white. White will be a good player but never an impact player you must get from a 5….
February 17th, 2020 at 8:25 am
No doubt it was a solid draft class. Unfortunately we need another just a strong to fill some holes. There’s some talent in this draft so I think we have a 50/50 chance getting some real players here as well. Work some free-agent magic (mostly our own) and we should be players in a division that seems to be flipping.
February 17th, 2020 at 8:36 am
Really need to use this year’s top 3 pick on OT, QB, and RB. Take the best player available overall in each of the positions. Good OTs don’t grow on trees in free agency, so that is the draft priority, unless of course the ones the Bucs wanted are gone and/or if there is a QB at 14 overall they really do want to develop. Either way don’t burn a 1st or 2nd round pick on a RB again. Use free agency or 3rd rounder. So glad a lot of this sage will be done in a matter of months. The decision on Winston will hopefully be made by early last week of March so season ticket holders can stay or walk by then.
February 17th, 2020 at 8:39 am
Arians saved this draft, Licht still sucks.
February 17th, 2020 at 8:41 am
Um, Devin White WAS impactful, in his rookie season.
February 17th, 2020 at 8:42 am
Gay is a head case who single handedly lost 2 games.
The difference between 9-7 and 7-9.
The kicker in the Shrine Bowl, I think from Valdosta State or Georgia Southern, was very solid. 7th round.
Gump likes those D3 directional schools.
February 17th, 2020 at 8:44 am
If white didn’t get hurt he would have been in running for DROTY even though Bosa would have still won. Granted the whole edge rushing issue just solved itself.
February 17th, 2020 at 8:46 am
This class looks good but lets wait a year or two before we celebrate. Almost every rookie class we have had the last decade was full of promise after year one but not much growth after that.
February 17th, 2020 at 8:49 am
Joe in Michigan Says:
February 17th, 2020 at 8:41 am
Um, Devin White WAS impactful, in his rookie season.
Might want to take off the fanboy goggles and rewatch first 8 games…. first 8 games white looked as lost and as bad as dungy t3ge clown trying to understand offensive football
February 17th, 2020 at 8:50 am
Wesley, I’m with you. Even Joe has stated in the past that BA’s calling the shots. I’ll give Jason Licht credit for the 2016, 2017 & 2018 drafts (Lovie was calling the shots in 2014 & 2015 it’s sounded like to me). But to give Licht credit for the 2019 draft is humorous to say the least. Those picks had Bruce Arians & Todd Bowles fingerprints all over them.
February 17th, 2020 at 8:54 am
tmaxcon Says
“I agree with your assessment joe with the exception of white. White will be a good player but never an impact player you must get from a 5…”
I don’t know how you can honestly make that judgement call, unless it is because you wanted someone else with the pick…and that would be pure bias without substance.
Just as with every other rookie, how White responds this off season will determine where he goes from here. If he addresses his weak areas, he could step up his already good game.
February 17th, 2020 at 9:02 am
Scotty Miller had hamstring problems early and BA goaded him into playing…..I don’t think his hamstring ever healed properly…..
SMB was a good pick and will be a solid player.
Dean may be a steal.
And, Devin White is a rock-solid Buc and will be for many years……I expect him to be a terror this year.
February 17th, 2020 at 9:18 am
Todd Bowles did great with the draft, you know he was in the room. Arians saves Licht’s last draft by actually developing players. Hopefully we will be re-introduced to OJ Howard, the baller this coming season
February 17th, 2020 at 9:46 am
This article gives credence to our progress this year.
Heck it even got TMax to put aside his surliness this morning.
Nice work Joe!
In BA I Trust!
February 17th, 2020 at 10:34 am
I agree with Joe… White is a beast & will wreak havoc for a long time if healthy…
I didn’t even know who SMB was when we pick him & the talking heads said it was a bad pick!!! This was by far the best draft in the 1st year we had in a long time… Dean will ball…. Kudos to Bowles…
February 17th, 2020 at 10:35 am
Scotty Miller showed great speed in last half of season & can catch the damn ball as well…
February 17th, 2020 at 11:00 am
tmaxcon: To call a Hall of Fame coach a clown, you must have done some great things in your life, besides being a troll.
February 17th, 2020 at 11:33 am
Joe in Michigan Says:
February 17th, 2020 at 11:00 am
tmaxcon: To call a Hall of Fame coach a clown, you must have done some great things in your life, besides being a troll.
Hof was rendered meaningless the day dungy the one dimensional clown was enshrined….
February 17th, 2020 at 11:35 am
Gay sucks. Gag artist. Chokes on the big kicks. Cost the Bucs two games, didn’t win any for the Bucs. Bring in competition. Lots of it.
February 17th, 2020 at 11:38 am
Coaches with career losing postseason records have no place in hof
February 17th, 2020 at 11:46 am
Okay, you’re right tmaxcon. None of the Hall of Fame voters know anything about football.
February 17th, 2020 at 12:04 pm
I’ve pretty much stopped ranting about Licht. As Wesley and DR have already said, this is Arian’s/Bowle’s draft. At least Licht appears to be an excellent listener.😜
February 17th, 2020 at 12:28 pm
Joe, Nelson will never be able to out perform Nassib. Maybe a good back-up. But Nassib is essential to our defense and to Barrett getting sacks.
February 17th, 2020 at 12:44 pm
Speed, speed, speed and more speed.
That’s what I got out of the Bucs 2019 draft.
February 17th, 2020 at 1:01 pm
Thats right. Heck of a draft!! D. White was the main one i wanted too…just like Vea the previous draft.
Now i want Simmons! or if we dont bring Suh back, Brown or Davidson!
Simmons will blow up the combine and go top 5-7 though. We’ll have to trade up for him or Brown.
this draft, so far, i want
Simmons/Brown
1st Davidson-after trading down (if we cant trade up and dont bring Suh back)
2nd Biadasz (play at RG after moving Cappa to RT)
3rd Gordon/Dugger/Bartch
4th RB Moss/Taylor (though Moss will prbly go 3rd)
5th OT Steele
February 17th, 2020 at 4:02 pm
God Tmax is such a troll it honestly isn’t even ironically funny anymore.
Inb4 HUR DUR THE CLOWN DUNGY THE LITTLE LEAGUE TEAM BUT FOR SOME REASON THE QB NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG. oh it also doesn’t matter if a player is a woman beater or a gr@per
February 17th, 2020 at 4:03 pm
God Tmax is such a troll it honestly isn’t even ironically funny anymore.
Inb4 HUR DUR THE CLOWN DUNGY THE LITTLE LEAGUE TEAM BUT FOR SOME REASON THE QB NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG. oh it also doesn’t matter if a player is a woman beater or sexually harasses women.
February 17th, 2020 at 5:19 pm
It’d be really interesting to know who pulled the triggers on what.
IMO it’s been the coaching staffs guiding the draft the whole time.
Lovie Smith = offseason moves built around scheme > talent. Taking a 2nd RB with a 3rd round pick because he reminded Lovie of Matt Forte when probowl OG’s were available.
Mike Smitth = love short slow zone corners. Hence Brent Grimes / Hargreaves and his scheme with those players. He also loved big fat DTs. Hence Swaggy Baker & later Vita Vea (although I was fine with the Vea pick).
Dirk Koetter = quoted as being in love with OJ Howard at the senior bowl and dialed in on him. Also known to not be a fan of using rookie RBs.
But ultimately the biggest failure by Licht/whoever called the shots, is that in 6 drafts we’ve spent way more premium picks on non-premium positions, than the one’s that make the most $$ like OT / DT / DE
February 17th, 2020 at 9:18 pm
Tampabuscsbro
Hey loser please remind me when jameis was charged by a court of law for either of those offenses your ignorant arse is accusing him of??????? I realize the libtards disregard the constitution when it’s convenient but last time i checked everyone is innocent until proven guilty
February 17th, 2020 at 9:22 pm
Tampabuscsbro
Maybe you can have someone read the constitution for you so they can dumb it down for you. I’d suggest an audiobook but they have not realesed the version for 1st graders yet…..