Jason Licht Feels Very Comfortable Drafting Defensive Backs
April 4th, 2023
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
Success breeds confidence.
That was a topic Joe hit general manager Jason Licht with during a chat under the sunny Phoenix skies last week.
Through the 2018 and 2019 NFL Drafts, Licht selected six total defensive backs in Rounds 2, 3 and 4. It was quite a haul. Five of the six won Super Bowl rings with the Bucs and played prominent roles. And the sixth, M.J. Stewart, still has a job playing safety for the Houston Texans.
That kind of successful run choosing cornerbacks and safeties is rare territory. A year later, Tampa Bay scored star safety Antoine Winfield, Jr., and “The Gravediggers” became a formidable young bunch: Jordan Whitehead, Jamel Dean, Carlton Davis, Mike Edwards, Sean Muprhy-Bunting and Winfield.
Joe talked to Licht about that success and Licht humbly gave a lot of credit to his scouts and the Bucs coaches who developed the players.
“At that position, we seem, to have a pretty good success rate there,” Licht said. “It gives you great confidence that, you know, if you’re going to [draft] one and he checks all the boxes of all the things we look for in a Buccaneer, then the chances of sucess are pretty good.”
Rest assured the Bucs will draft a defensive back this season. They took one last year in freakish athlete Zyon McCollum, but he’s raw as a defensive player and his future is a question mark.
Tampa Bay has a hole at starting safety with Edwards (Chiefs) and Keanu Neal (Steelers) gone, and Bowles told Joe the team is searching for a nickel cornerback, too.
Yeah, the Bucs still may sign cheap veterans, but the draft is from where the answers will come. And Joe sure hopes the Bucs find guys that can hit the ground running.
Tampa Bay probably will need stunning years from at least two rookies this season, Joe believes, if they hope to win the division this season.
April 4th, 2023 at 7:25 am
Hopefully, Zion will develop in to a great DB……..I think Licht has done well (except MJ Stewart) Still can’t believe he chose him before Carlton Davis….
We need at least 1 S & perhaps another CB.
April 4th, 2023 at 7:50 am
I BELIEVE IN JASON LIGHT..DB’S ARE TOP PRIORITY FOR ME AS WELL AS VERSATILE O.LINEMAN..,AFTER THAT IT’S BEST PLAYERS STILL AVAILABLE WHERE WE NEED STARTERS & DEPTH..I’M EXCITED ABOUT THIS SEASON WITH A YOUNGER TEAM !…GO BUC’S ! ! !
April 4th, 2023 at 7:51 am
Too bad he sucks at it.
April 4th, 2023 at 7:53 am
Any chance Bucs sign Ryan Neal? He recently had his RFA offer rescinded by Seattle and is a free agent. He’s coming off his best season starting 10 games last year with 66 tackles 8 PD, 1 Int, 1 FF, and 4 TFL). I thought he might pair well with Winfield in the backfield!
April 4th, 2023 at 8:16 am
Go and get me JL Skinner!!!!
April 4th, 2023 at 8:16 am
He’s pretty consistent with secondary, o-line, TEs, and WRs. In a passing league the two most valuable positions are QB and DE, both he’s failed at miserably.
April 4th, 2023 at 10:09 am
Too bad the Bucs whiffed on McCollum. You can’t hit them all. He’s the defensive version of JaLynn Dardon.
April 4th, 2023 at 10:24 am
Bobby beat me to it. Yes, Licht is good at D-backs, O-line, WRs. For QBs, I am giving Licht a pass for now. Every GM that needed a QB would have picked Jameis; if you disagree, you are just lying to yourself. The jury is still out on Trask; besides, finding a franchise QB is such crap shoot.
Finding a good DE, Licht is not so good. And we need a stud there so badly. If I am picking at #19, I am taking BPA of either a OT or Edge. If the available player is a sure thing stud of a EDGE rusher, and I cant get a OT worthy of the 19th pick, then I move Wirfs to the left. If a quality EDGE is the BPA at 19, that is a fair reason to “fix what is not broken”, as Joe says, and move Wirfs.
April 4th, 2023 at 10:26 am
Harry — spot on! Well written. And you did it without caps and less than 250 words.
April 4th, 2023 at 2:14 pm
Thank you Goatfarmer
April 4th, 2023 at 7:44 pm
How did he wiff on Zion? Dude was a special team player last year when he did play he def wasn’t impressive dude was a rookie though see what he does this year has the talent Jason obviously knows how to pick DBs🤦🏻♂️