What Can The Bucs Expect At No. 19?

April 24th, 2023

Recent history of No. 19 picks.

So what kind of player should Joe plan on the Bucs drafting at their current slot at No. 19? Joe decided to do a bit of research.

No. 19 is generally not where you hope to find a game-changer. A little bit of luck is involved.

Assume (always a risky proposition) the Bucs don’t trade up or trade back between now and Thursday night. Here are players who were selected at No. 19 the past 10 years.

2014: Ja’Wuan James, T, Dolphins
2015: Cam Erving, C/T, Browns
2016: Shaq Lawson, DE, Bills
2017: O.J. Howard (!), TE, Bucs
2018: Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Cowboys
2019: Jeffery Simmons, DT, Titans
2020: Damon Arnette, CB, Raiders
2021: Jamin Davis, LB, Commandos
2022: Trevor Penning, T, Slimy Saints

As you can see, it’s a mixed bag. Really only two jump out for Joe in a good way and that’s Leighton Vander Esch and Jeffery Simmons.

Vander Esch has been a rock for the Cowboys since he first stepped on the field of Jerry’s World. His biggest problem is staying healthy. He actually made the Pro Bowl his rookie season.

And Jeffery Simmons, what do you want Joe to say? He is a total beast of a tackle, maybe the best in the league. Yeah, he’s that good.

Ja’Wuan James and Cam Erving were serviceable if not solid offensive linemen. It seems, however, that the rigors of playing line in the NFL caught up with their bodies.

Jamin Davis and Trevor Penning? Still too early to tell, though Davis seemed to have turned the corner last season. Penning has been largely MIA.

So just based on the last decade of guys getting selected at No. 19, the Bucs have a 30 percent chance of finding a difference-maker.


Ira Talks Trading Down & Out Of Round 1, Drafting A Late-Round Quarterback, Management Mindset On Devin White, Tight End Priority & More

50 Responses to “What Can The Bucs Expect At No. 19?”

  1. SB~LV Says:

    Hopefully we won’t have that dilemma
    Have to take him if he is there… however

  2. SB~LV Says:

    Oh !
    I thought I was posting on the Bijan thread

  3. TampaBayBucsFanSince1976 Says:

    So move up and take Broderick Jones T out of Georgia-taking a sure thing is better than gambling(See JTS and Logan Hall). Oline is a paramount need.

  4. JN Says:

    LT or Nolan Smith. I think the good tackles are gone as is Smith. I hope someone slides. Draft week FINALLY HERE

  5. BigMacAttack Says:

    Didn’t the Bucs draft Michael Stone Hands at 19 when Chuckles was here?

  6. de bucs fan Says:

    They really need to hit on a starting O lineman. A tackle preferably @19 but a G or C are just as pressing an issue.

    DLine beasts are always welcome. Draft some hogs this year.

  7. Lt. Dan Says:

    No side mention of OJ Howard Joe? Like me, you must still be trying to shake the Howard PTSD.

  8. Bucman Says:

    Great analysis/comparison Joe. Thanks

  9. Beej Says:

    I am also of a mind to trade up to ensure we get a really good tackle. You don’t seem to find many good ones outside of the top 10

  10. Destinjohnny Says:

    If we don’t get a high pick we normally don’t hit pay dirt

  11. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    I’m good with moving up for OL.

  12. Darin Says:

    I think Simmons missed his first season due to injury if I’m not mistaken. That’s why he slipped so far. A starting tackle or a hooker! Do it

  13. Mr. Editor Says:

    Thank you, Joe(s). That might be a good argument to trade down.

  14. TOMMY MORDUE Says:

    I BELIEVE WE NEED TO TRADE UP FOR WHOEVER WE REALLY NEED OR WANT..WE ARE TOO FAR DOWN TO GET A PLUG & PLAY PLAYER THAT WE ABSOLUTELY NEED…ANOTHER BOOKEND OFFENSIVE TACKLE IS TOP PRIORITY THIS YEAR..BRODERICK JONES,DARNELL WRIGHT ( THE BEST OF THE BEST WILL SURELY BE GONE BY PICK NINETEEN) IF WE WANT TO GAMBLE ON A O.TACKLE..PICK A FRANCHISE QUARTERBACK IN ANTHONY RICHARDSON OR A FRANCHISE RUNNING BACK OR SAFETY IN BIJAN ROBINSON OR BRIAN BRANCH..ABOVE ALL MAKE OUR 1ST PICK A FRANCHISE PLAYER THAT CAN IMMEDIATELY ( OR IN RICHARDSON’S CASE, NEXT YEAR ) MAKE US A BETTER TEAM EITHER NOW OR NEXT YEAR ( I REALLY HOPE IT’S “RICHARDSON” AS NEXT YEAR’S “FACE OF THE FRANCHISE” )

  15. TOMMY MORDUE Says:

    IT WOULD MAKE FOR A EXCEPTIONALLY INTERESTING QUARTERBACK COMPETITION IF ANTHONY RICHARDSON WERE ADDED TO THE MIX ! ! !

  16. Fansince76 Says:

    With Robinson most likely gone I am thinking they may go with Gibbs more and more.

  17. Scott Says:

    I would not be mad if Licht decides to swing on a TE again if the other choices are gone

  18. Bucsfanman Says:

    One thing is for sure, the Bucs can ill-afford to make a mistake at #19 in this draft. We have NEEDS. “Luxury picks”, like the OJ pick, shouldn’t even be on our radar.

  19. chris bell Says:

    Jamin Davis is a LB

  20. Joe Says:

    Jamin Davis is a LB

    Yes, and had a decent year last year.

  21. LUVMYBUCS Says:

    Trade back and pick up more draft capital.

  22. Beej Says:

    Could Tommy type larger I can’t see it

  23. LUVMYBUCS Says:

    If possible trade back TWICE and land additional compensation

  24. Goatfarmer Says:

    Yeah, we basically get a second rounder at number 19. The Colts GM, who I think is a con artist, BTW, say that this draft only had about 15 guys with a first round grade. Perfect.

  25. Andrew Fish Says:

    please just pick the Best player available. we need every position minus WR.

  26. D-Rok Says:

    Owww, my eyes! Fix your keyboard, please, Mr. Mordue.

    OT in first round or even OG. We need a tackle and if we get a good one, we’ll be set at tackle for years paired with studly Wirfs. Trenches first!!!!

  27. CrackWise Says:

    I would like a Tight End in the draft.
    Are there any females in the draft yet? Won’t be long before there is and jokes like this will be considered tasteless and cause for character concerns.

    I also suspect, it won’t take long for the internet to dig up this post and have my mom take down pictures of me in the house, ala Gruden.

    NFL is Rigged, with the 19th pick of the 2023 draft. The Bucs select…. “Just another Brick in the WALL”.

    You can’t have your pudding!!!

  28. Buc4evr Says:

    OT, there will a good one left at 19. Not a QB please, hopefully the top ones will be gone before the Bucs pick…. Lol.

  29. mark2001 Says:

    Sure glad we won that last game and were able to carry the proud “best among four teams” banner, when we could have been picking #9. SMH. Oh well, once every twenty-year we win a SB. Every twenty years is better than most teams, I guess. Now the hurt comes.

  30. mark2001 Says:

    But GFarmer…we can hoist that proud NFC South banner. That was worth 10 positions in the draft…right? After all, it did guarantee Lovie…errr Todd another year.

  31. Oxycondoms Says:

    The downfall of this team started when licht viewed the draft after winning a super bowl as luxury picks

  32. BucsFanSince1996 Says:

    SB~LV Says:
    April 24th, 2023 at 8:18 am
    Oh !
    I thought I was posting on the Bijan thread
    ———————————————————————
    One can find good RB’s in the later rounds these days but Bijan isn’t a good RB.

    He’s a great RB, one who can make a huge impact on the team starting from Day one.

    It’s true the Buc’s have greater needs than at the RB position but if I was GM I’d have a hard time picking someone else if Bijan was available.

    Given all the priorities the Bucs have though the better strategy would probably be to keep trading down from #19 if there are trading partners, accumulating as many picks in rounds 2&3 as possible. If they play their cards right they can turn that 1 pick into 4 or 5 picks.

  33. Buddha Says:

    THE NFL DRAFT Is A CRAP SHOOT. No sure things exist. Every selection comes as a probability.

  34. Goatfarmer Says:

    Hey Mark – it does give Licht an entire year to take his time deciding who the Bucs next head coach will be. He’s done everything to take away Bloweszo’s excuses for failure so far, and will continue to do so. Let’s hope we and the other realists about the Bloweszo are all wrong. I’d be happy to host a smoked crow barbecue at my place in Texas.

  35. OrlandoBucFan Says:

    This story makes me think we need to trade down and pick up some extra picks. Maybe through sheer volume of picks, we’ll strike some gold. Licht seems to do better with 2nd and 3rd rounds picks in my opinion.

  36. gotbbucs Says:

    It’s honestly a terrible spot to pick in almost every draft.

  37. Paul Murphy Says:

    Forget about number nineteen. Only 38% of the top ten picks in the last five years have been offered a second contract!

  38. Duane Says:

    Here’s the overwhelmingly dominant truth:

    It matters not WHERE a team picks. It only matters HOW WELL a team picks in the draft.

    Good and bad values, and therefore picks, can be had in every single pick of every single round of every single draft. Teams that draft well get maximum value out of their picks, and teams that draft poorly, especially those with high picks in each round, do poorly.

    Nobody gets a winner with every pick. The very best GMs might consistently do very well with half of their picks. The worst GMs crap out no matter how high they’re picking, or how many picks they have.

    It’s all about the GM’s judgment in picking. All the hoopla and fake analysis about draft picks matter not at all.

  39. Arians4President Says:

    If you look at the last 20 picks at #19 overall, only 5 of the 20 became Pro Bowlers. That’s 25%

  40. Hodad Says:

    Teams keep picking QBs in the first round that have 3rd round talent, Will Levis, makes for a lot of good players to pick from at 19.

  41. Canabuc Says:

    Crafting a great running back is pointless if you have a garbage offensive line.

    Just look at sequin barley for a couple of years behind the atrocious New York Giants line.
    Look at the Pittsburgh Steelers line last year and what they’re running game was like.

    Same thing with the Raiders. Their line got better last year and suddenly they’re good running back looked great

    You can make a good running back look great by having good blocking. So invest in the line before investing in a running back who you know by year 5 is already heading towards the downside performance wise of their career.

  42. Duane Says:

    They are looking for players to make the roster and contribute, not looking for superstars. Linemen arent sexy picks, but they greatly improve the chance to run successfully. Bowles will keep his job if the offense scores 21+, and this team will likely make the playoffs. Of course, he goes if the defense gives up over 24. Very simple math. Feed Evans early, run the ball, control the time of posession, and this team outperforms expectations.

  43. Goatfarmer Says:

    I’m.. offense scoring only 21 a game will result in Bowels promoting jock itch ointments on the Home Shopping. Rework. His defense will give up at least 26ppg.

  44. SomeDudeAtWork Says:

    An uninspiring list

  45. Dooley Says:

    “They are looking for players to make the roster and contribute, not looking for superstars”

    bingo, draft expectations get a little ridiculous this time of year. We need “this many starters” from this draft is lowkey crazy talk

  46. ScottyMack Says:

    Ans what? They have a better chance by trading down for several extra even-worse players? If anything, trading up is the only thing to do but that certainly is NOT to get a QB. They need a stud, immediate starter on the line – either a LT for the O-line or a pass rusher.

  47. Goatfarmer Says:

    Stay calm and trust Jason. And thank Baby Jeezus that Mark Dumpsternik will be sweeping floors at NFL network soon, and not at One Buc Place.

  48. HC Grover Says:

    Trade down foe xtra picks.

  49. catcard202 Says:

    The 1st rd is a mixed bag every yr at every pick…Every pick is a risk for failure.

    With the Bucs roster in near term flux on top of normal yr to yr turn over…The FO has it’s work cut out to maximize capital from a quality of depth perspective…I’d guess there’s at least 10 or more roster spots really open & Licht will need to hit on a handful of picks to give the team a shot of reclaiming the NFC South title in early JAN 2024.

    The good thing is…Licht & Co. have done an admirable job keeping select core intact…Bucs have most of the puzzle in place. But man the missing or unproven/inconsistent pieces are critical.

  50. Statguy Says:

    Bijan probably won’t be there because most GMs are smarter than the posters here, we would be silly to pass on a top 5 talent. Stop acting like we have to use a first rounder for Donovan Smith when he was a second rounder everyone but the bucs had projected as a guard coming out in the draft. Go look at all the scouting reports, Google them, they all say not athletic enough to handle elite edge rushers. I had more panic having him as a starter there than I do using a first rounder to replace him