Bucs’ 2023 Draft Capital Following The Shaq Mason Trade

March 14th, 2023

With starting right guard Shaq Mason now a member of the Texans (sorry, Shaq), the Bucs’ draft board has changed. Here are the current picks — and some pertinent information:

Round 1: No. 19 Overall
Round 2: No. 50
Round 3: No. 82
Round 4: No. 121 (dealt to Jaguars for 2022 picks)
Round 5: No. 153
Round 5: No. 175 (compensatory pick)
Round 6: No. 179 (from Houston in pick No. 230 swap today)
Round 6: No. 181 (from Colts in Grant Stuard trade)
Round 6: No. 186
Round 7: No. 230 (from NY Jets in Steve McLendon trade)
Round 7: No. 252 (compensatory pick)

40 Responses to “Bucs’ 2023 Draft Capital Following The Shaq Mason Trade”

  1. miken Says:

    So we know Jason is trading a 5 and a 6 for a 4 on draft day. He’ll probably draft a kicker or a D2 player with that pick.

  2. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    That’s a bunch of picks….but we need lots of players…..cheap, young players & the draft is where you get them.
    Unfortunately (or fortunately) Licht loves to use late picks to move up….so we will probably end up with about 6 players out of 9 picks…..unless he trades down in the first….which he should.

    We have lots of needs……Dline Oline, S, LB, TE, RB….even QB…probably another CB.

    Ready or not….get ready for Zion to replace SMB.

  3. Morgus the Magnificent Says:

    The Saints just reworked contracts….now has $70million cap space.

  4. Bonyt Says:

    666, I like it.

  5. Rod Munch Says:

    You know Tom Brady was a 6th rounder.

    So I’m thinking we spend all our 6th rounders on QBs and just hope for the best.

  6. Buc50 Says:

    Brady was a unicorn. Even Brock Purdy is not in the same zip code.

  7. Jack Clark Says:

    More 6th round picks is great for adding depth to our practice squad

  8. Pryda…Sec147 Says:

    I love it 3 picks in the top 100 we nail this draft we win the south

  9. Dooley Says:

    We almost have an entire draft worth of picks….on day 3. The more picks we can get on day two or closer we get to picking in the top 100-150 the better

  10. Goatfarmer Says:

    Cmon Licht sign the quarterback.

  11. Mike Johnson Says:

    Please tell me WHY..I am not feeling so good about my Bucs.

  12. 1993BucsFan Says:

    As things stand right now this would be an ideal draft

    (1) Brian Branch (BAMA) | SS / CB
    (2) Darnell Wright (TENN) | RT
    (3) Daiyan Henley (WSU) | LB
    (5) Tyjae Spears (TULANE) | RB
    (5) Nesta Silvera (ASU) | DL
    (6) Dorian Robinson (UCLA) | QB
    (6) Zach Kuntz (ODU) | TE
    (6) Damario Douglas (LIBERTY) | WR

    Add Charles Omenihu or Dante Fowler Jr as an edge rusher and we hit all of our major needs. I actually trust in Licht he’s done pretty well building the roster.

  13. Dooley Says:

    Bobby Hainsey is already working out with AQ Shipley

  14. JimbobBucsFan Says:

    If we pile up enough day three picks perhaps we will be able to bundle up several of them for one day two value pick on draft day during “the heat of the battle”. You never know!

    I guess I’m saying much the same things Dooley said using other language.

  15. Dooley Says:

    @Jimbob

    we might have to do some pick swaps and jumping out of certain position in certain rounds, but yes I wish almost every draft we abandon day 3 and get as close to as many picks as possible towards the end or outside of the top 100

  16. Rod Munch Says:

    The Bucs are going to have a ton of holes on the roster, so all these day 3 picks are going to be super cheap depth. Don’t be surprised if Licht trades back in the draft to pick up more late round picks to fill out the roster.

  17. Rod Munch Says:

    BTW, did you see Matt Gay is now the 2nd highest paid kicker in the NFL.

    While I understood why the Bucs cut him when they did, I still said I thought it was a bad move. Rookie kickers are rarely clutch right off the bat, and he showed plenty of promise. Believe me, I hated him for single handedly losing two games in 2019, turning a winning team into a losing team, but, then again, if the Bucs are 9-7 in 2019, they almost certainly ink Winston to a long term deal. I still, very much, think the Bucs would have been a playoff team in 2020 with Winston, but I do not think they win a SB.

    But you should never draft a kicker if you’re just going to cut them after a year. Also, while Gay lost us two games in 2019, Roberto, for all the s— talked about him, he didn’t lose the Bucs any games. He’s another guy they should have just stuck with and see what happened.

    That’s just a random note to future GM’s.

  18. Jimbo Says:

    So, that’s 3 useful players (rounds 1-2-3) and a bunch bench warmers. Rounds 5-6-7 are useless.

  19. D-Rok Says:

    Something I just saw on NFL Live that cracked me up:

    “Games are not played on paper, they are played inside TV sets.”

    LOL.

    Hopefully Licht N Co. murder this draft, and we get some good players to fill out the roster.

  20. Redeemer Says:

    Great, a bunch more picks be can blow. Hopefully, he packages some of those 5th rounders that other GMs can make hay with. Licht hasn’t proven he can draft without being near the top of every round. Go look at his track record.

  21. Defense Rules Says:

    Rod Munch … ‘Don’t be surprised if Licht trades back in the draft to pick up more late round picks to fill out the roster.’

    Good Lord I hope not. Going in the other direction is fine … package them to move up a couple rounds. Bucs don’t need ‘roster fillers’; we need beasts. Sometimes you find a couple of those in the later rounds, but usually those late picks take several years to develop, IF they stick at all. And the reality is that most don’t. One article I read on Sportskeeda listed the percentages of draft picks making the 53-man roster as:

    o Rnd 1: Over 99%
    o Rnds 2 & 3: 90% or better
    o Rnds 4 & 5: Roughly 75%
    o Rnds 6 & 7: As low as 30-35%

    That article BTW was about underclassmen leaving college early to pursue their NFL dream. In 2020, it said 116 underclassmen left school early (effectively ending their scholarship) to pursue one of the 224 draft picks available (32 teams x 7 picks). Not real good odds when looked at it that way.

  22. Defense Rules Says:

    D-Rok … “Games are not played on paper, they are played inside TV sets.”

    Great quote D-Rok. I’ve long said that NFL players are entertainers. When they stop being ‘entertaining’, they get moved out of the public eye by their bosses (funny how business works). IF they cost too much for the ‘entertainment’ that they provide, sayonara.

  23. D-Rok Says:

    Agree, DR – we need ‘beasts,’ aka foundational players that cement the team and help establish a team identity for several years.

  24. D-Rok Says:

    @DR,

    RE: players being “entertainers,” totally agree. It’s what drives ratings in the NFL. And, a thought just occurred to me due to Mrs. D-Rok very, very slowly learning to at least tolerate watching football with me – she identifies with the entertainment aspect of the NFL, and not so much the talent and strategy. (Half-time show).

    I’ve learned a lot from Mrs. D-Rok, because let’s face it, I’m a guy and she’s a girl, and those are diametrically opposed to an equal amount of satisfaction gleaned from watching American football.

  25. Defense Rules Says:

    1993BucsFan … Interesting ‘ideal draft’. Just out of curiosity, IF let’s say DT Jalen Carter (Georgia) fell to #19, would you pull the trigger & draft him instead of Brian Branch? How about IF DE Will Anderson (Bama) fell into our laps at #19? Yup to both? Me too.

    It really is fun to speculate about the draft, but I’m guessing that the powers that be have options upon options upon options for each pick, based on who’s available, our remaining needs, etc. Gut feel tells me that it gets more & more foggy as the draft marches on.

  26. Defense Rules Says:

    D-Rok … I hear ya loud & clear. I guess I’m lucky because my wife graduated from Bama, was a member of their Marching Band, and LOVES football. I tell people that she’s a ‘rabid fan’. Invariably they try to correct me and say that I surely meant ‘avid fan’. My response is always ‘Obviously you’ve never been around my wife when a Bama or Bucs game was on’.

  27. D-Rok Says:

    You’re a lucky/blessed man indeed, Mr. DR. Blessed indeed. That’s what I call a “trophy wife,” LOL!!!! (Just kidding around).

  28. Scotty in Fat Antonio Says:

    Just say NOOOOOO to Matt Ryan who the colts are releasing. The guy is washed up!

  29. firethecannons Says:

    matt ryan needs to retire roll with trask and get the hell out of cap hell have aplan to tank and go after 2024, Panthers are getting cj stroud and they will be a dynasty so we need to play our cards carefully

  30. Goatfarmer Says:

    Mike Johnson said: “Please tell me WHY..I am not feeling so good about my Bucs.”

    Answer — the clown sprouting red hair from each temple and a big cherry red nose, who can coach down any group of talented athletes to NY Jets 2018 level.

    Our head coich.

    Toad the Bloweszo.

  31. stpetebucfan Says:

    “Please tell me WHY..I am not feeling so good about my Bucs.”

    Mike it’s because you believe all the chicken littles here…THE SKY IS FALLING…THE SKY IS FALLING!

  32. Goatfarmer Says:

    The sky has already fallen and it can’t get up.

    Remember before the Germany game against the Seahawks, when Brady had to call out his team for poor effort on game day? Where might the origin of that problem lie?

    The clown show that previously referenced headless coich is running. He’ll find a way to coich Baker, or even Lamar, into a 2023 version of 2002 Shaun King against the Steelers. Unprepared, confused, unmotivated.

    The Bloweszo way.

  33. Robert Says:

    hooray we have three picks in this years draft.

  34. JimbobBucsFan Says:

    Cameron Brate originally signed with the Bucs on May 21, 2014 as a rookie free agent. There is no limit to the number of undrafted rookie free agents a team can sign after the draft is over. I have never seen a study that looked at the “stick rate” for players selected in the 6th and 7th round compared with the rate for undrafted free agents.

  35. Rod Munch Says:

    Defense Rules – Yeah, I was being a bit of a smarta–. I agree, and would be fine with trading up, but, as always, you need someone to trade up with. Also because the NFL does so many comp pics anymore, a lot of these late round guys would be taken a round later in earlier years, but instead you’ll now have ridiculous stuff like having 45 picks in the 3rd round, 50 picks in the 4th, so on and so forth.

    At the same time the team is going to need a bunch of minimum wage guys. Personally, I hope the team is really scouting the XFL and USFL. The level of play there is higher than college, and you should still be able to get guys for minimum wage, who might be able to play faster since they have ‘pro’ experience.

  36. 1993BucsFan Says:

    Defense Rules – I’d pass on Jalen Carter due to the off the field issues but I would definitely take Anderson if he miraculously fell that far! I’d be really happy with Branch as well because he fills needs at both strong safety and slot corner & I believe he’ll be an elite level player. As you said though we have well paid scouts searching for the best talent available and I believe we’ll go BPA according to who’s on the board with our pick.

    We need another “2018 Draft” from Licht and based on the talented prospects I’ve been seeing at key positions we need I believe its possible. The quarterback situation is concerning but we can still be a pretty good team. Sign Drew Lock & a rookie later in the draft, then come training camp let Trask & those other 2 battle it out. Seems like we got an upgrade at offensive coordinator. We could possibly be younger and faster on defense. It’ll be interesting to see how everything shakes out but the powers at be have built this talented roster so ill keep my faith in them.

  37. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    Rod Munch Says:
    March 14th, 2023 at 4:41 pm
    “BTW, did you see Matt Gay is now the 2nd highest paid kicker in the NFL.
    While I understood why the Bucs cut him when they did, I still said I thought it was a bad move. ”

    I did too. I hated that they didn’t keep him.

    But…Licht went with the veteran…and it paid off for the most part…except outside the 50.

    Still, I would have kept Matt instead.

  38. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    1993BucsFan, good post…though I don’t see Licht ever taking a CB in round one.

    Personally, I’m hoping for two 2nd rounders being spent on OL, and the 1st rounder going on DL.

    Can’t name any specific players though. There was a time when I did all the research and made lists. No time anymore.

  39. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    One day I would like to see us get the last pick of the draft, and take a QB as Mister Irrelevant.

  40. Jon Grudin Says:

    That Big Storm draft beer sure looks inviting!

    Does Big Storm tap room have draft beers? The Joe’s talk up Big Storm Brimosa,, but Ira mentioned a light lager on the last podcast. I like light draft beer. Not into over hopped malted beer or beer with fruits (Brimosa?).

    Which Big Storm beers does Ira drink?