Dominating The Draft
August 28th, 2025
League-best.
Joe often types, only slightly tongue-in-cheek, that Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht should be in the Buccaneers Ring of Honor.
After Joe learned the following, that honor may be a low bar for Licht.
Per Jason Fitzgerald, the founder of OverTheCap.com, no team has a higher percentage of draft picks on its 2025 roster than the Bucs. Some 82 percent was drafted by Licht.
Well, former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik drafted Lavonte David. So Licht’s batting average is just a hair below 82 percent.
Still, that’s much better than most of the league. And only four other teams have more than 70 percent homegrown players on their rosters.
Every once in a while, Joe reads a commenter on this here corner of the interwebs bellyache about Licht’s drafts.
OK then, who is better?
The Bucs currently lead the NFL in homegrown players on the roster. 82.5% of their roster started with the Bucs. Ravens, Bills, Bengals and Colts are the other teams over 70%
— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) August 28, 2025
August 28th, 2025 at 3:57 am
He’s been drafting for about 12 years
He probably have drafted 80-85 players
So 80% should be about right
August 28th, 2025 at 4:57 am
Best GM we’ve ever had.That includes McKay
August 28th, 2025 at 5:01 am
Idk if it’s just because I don’t follow the Colts, but they just seem to have a team of JAGs everywhere. Like Pittman is just OK. Jonathan Taylor is a stud, but is hurt a lot.
August 28th, 2025 at 5:21 am
Jason is consistantly very good,
Drafting a QB od KICKERS ….. WELL thats another story
August 28th, 2025 at 5:26 am
Let’s just forget the 2021 draft and move right along. Solid performances before and master classes since.
August 28th, 2025 at 5:37 am
Licht did draft Matt Gay, who is still good (just not with TB)
Whatever formula he has been using for the draft is certainly working and very impressive
August 28th, 2025 at 5:39 am
Joe, Those types who have said “fire Licht” or the classic “fire Bowles” rarely offer up any better option. LOL Generally they don’t think far enough ahead to realize the implications of doing either one. The losing years were full of those if you look at Dominik’s tenure.
I would venture to say that 82 percent of our competition would love to have Licht and his staff. Look at the dudes we have had poached…. err… hired away.
Go Bucs!
August 28th, 2025 at 5:47 am
The 2021 draft was kind of a league wide fiasco. Covid screwed everything up.
August 28th, 2025 at 6:03 am
how many superbowls did this formula / statistic get in the history of superbowls?
just another useless uncorrelated narrative fitting statistic, sorry, the jason is average at best.
August 28th, 2025 at 6:52 am
I’d be more excited if we had an 82% winning percentage
August 28th, 2025 at 6:55 am
“how many superbowls did this formula / statistic get in the history of superbowls?”
Well, let’s see. Seven teams have won the Superbowl in the 11 years since Licht became GM and the Bucs are one of the seven. So, there’s that …
“He’s been drafting for about 12 years. He probably have drafted 80-85 players. So 80% should be about right”
The average NFL career is 3.3 years.
I’ve heard Pat Kirwan say that anything over a .500 batting average in the draft is considered good.
August 28th, 2025 at 7:20 am
Every GM has a stinker draft or 2 if they stay around long enough.
August 28th, 2025 at 7:20 am
That 82% in-house talent is even more impressive when you think we had one of the oldest rosters in the NFL back in 2022. That’s not all that long ago and unlike most teams with a few years of roster churn, we’ve managed to not drop too far in the standings while doing it.
Salute to Licht, the scout team and the coaching staff for establishing, defining and maintaining the in-house culture.
The Bucs have a nice little program going on and guys “buy in” just being here.
August 28th, 2025 at 7:23 am
And not just the draft—stellar at filling out the roster with UDFAs.
August 28th, 2025 at 7:38 am
Reminiscent of the Tex Shramm 70’s Cowboys. Forget which season, EVERY player on the team was drafted by them, save Preston Pearson
August 28th, 2025 at 7:48 am
Surprised by the Cinnanati Bengals being on this list by how they treat their top players during the fourth year extensions. Look what’s going on with Troy Henderson currently.
Their owner hard nose negotiator. He doesn’t fall under the category of benevolent.
August 28th, 2025 at 7:50 am
Soak it up and take a bow Jason, you deserve it!
August 28th, 2025 at 8:22 am
For those of you who love to hate on Jason Licht, I’d invite you to take a few minutes and go to pro football reference and take a look at Bill Walsh’s drafts with the 49ers dynasty he built between 1979-1989. He started being handicapped with no 1st round pick that first year as the previous regime traded it for a just about washed up O.J. Simpson.
While Walsh had some terrific drafts, he also had two or three real stinkers. Take a look at history and I’ll take Jason Licht running my draft any day… misses included.
August 28th, 2025 at 8:23 am
If Licht is so dang great, then why haven’t the Pro Football Writers of America ever named him Top Executive of the Year????????????
August 28th, 2025 at 8:31 am
Bucsfan it’s a little absurd he hasn’t been named exec of the year yet but I think all the Bucs need is another division title and one playoff win and he gets it this year. The offseason chatter has been loud enough that I bet he gets it this year
August 28th, 2025 at 8:56 am
People have short memories.. he was voted one of the worst GMs and about to be run out of town before throwing a Hail Mary and getting Arians to come out of retirement and subsequently TB12.
Let’s curb the “greatest GM of all time” BS..
And better than McKay? Get a grip, take a look at what he assembled. Not a JTS in the bunch….
August 28th, 2025 at 9:09 am
jimmy – – – Who are you comparing that to, though, that’s what doesn’t make sense about your argument. Jason Licht did get us a Super Bowl so I am not clear what you are trying to say. The last six Super Bowls have been the US, Rams, Chiefs, and Eagles. If you’d like to go back to 2014 it’s
Seattle
New England
Broncos
Eagles
Kansas City
Bucs
Rams
We are literally amongst 7 out of 32 teams that have won a Super Bowl since 2014… of course, some teams like Eagles, Pats, Chiefs won multiple but the fact remains Jason Licht is killing it. We are routinely in the playoffs and have a Super Bowl. We have had top qbs like Brady retire, a Super Bowl-winning coach retire etc etc. I think some of you arent paying attention to your expectations and realities.
August 28th, 2025 at 9:23 am
man if he hadn’t taken trask and special teams doofs he’d be a HOF GM
August 28th, 2025 at 9:31 am
Lot of love and respect for Licht when it comes to drafting Receivers & O Line, listening to Brady and bringing in Gronk and AB but his roster building is not great
-can’t draft or develop a pass rusher to save his life. Great trade for JPP and lucked into Shaq Barrett but the pass rush IS A BIG PROBLEM
-Is blinded by his picks and over pays to resign guys he drafted like Dean, Carlton Davis and Winfield to name a few
-Ignores glaring holes on the team to add luxury picks
August 28th, 2025 at 9:44 am
jason led a super bowl effort. he’ll always be “super bowl winner jason licht.” he got brady here, everything else it took to get that done.
that stat is nonsense though. does it equate to superbowls? no. does is equate to NFC or AFC championships? no.
i dont even know if the writer of the stat in the burp or tweet or whatever that stat is supposed to represent is pushing. we just have a tiny selection of that data. 4 teams only.
joe did though, equating that stat with some sort of bar of excellence and i dont. “dominating the draft”??? lol.
i question this stat as some sort of marker of excellence. it isnt. thats all.
jason may have faults as a gm, never winning a superbowl isnt one of them.
August 28th, 2025 at 9:50 am
Jason is the best GM in the league right now. Name one that’s better and explain it. SOOO happy he got extended this off-season. My wife and I would both love to go pound some beers and have some wings with him some day. Seems like such a down to earth normal guy who just knows what it takes to lead a front office and create a culture that players and staff want to be a part of, and that’s exciting as hell. More so when you consider the history of this franchise.
August 28th, 2025 at 9:54 am
Jason Licht obviously makes mistakes, but he is arguably the best GM in the NFL. The Bucs last four drafts have been fantastic.
August 28th, 2025 at 10:10 am
If you honestly think Licht is the best GM in the league, while constructing a roster that has had 5 winning seasons out of 11 seasons as GM you are basically telling me you only watch one team, and do not watch any other teams outside of the Bucs
No one is expecting a GM to be perfect, but the roster gaffes, over paying players just because, you drafted them and ignoring positions of need is just bonkers for someone who has been here for 11 seasons
I’d rank him in the top 10-12 of GM’s but he’s not even close to the best
August 28th, 2025 at 10:16 am
on another subject i’m crazy for football can’t wait!! what college football game’s you guys interested in tonight? anything compelling?
August 28th, 2025 at 11:04 am
jimmy Says:
August 28th, 2025 at 6:03 am
how many superbowls did this formula / statistic get in the history of superbowls?
just another useless uncorrelated narrative fitting statistic, sorry, the jason is average at best.
^^^^^^^
Average at Best?
4x NFCS
Longest playoff streak in NFC
Super Bowl
Only GM in history to return all 22 starters after the Super Bowl
Signed: TB12, Suh, JPP, AB, Gronk, 4Net
If Licht is average at best, what is the rest of the NFC GMs?
Did you know: Browns, Lions, Texans, Jaguars, Chargers, Titans, Falcons, Panthers, Bengals, Bills, and Vikings have never won a Super Bowl
Do you think their owners, players, and FANS would call Jason average at best?
August 28th, 2025 at 11:04 am
He recruited the best player of all time because of the roster he constructed and then rebuilt it to have the longest playoff streak in the NFC, but he is a middle of the road GM. I could not disagree more with your take.
August 28th, 2025 at 11:13 am
That’s pretty good!. Especially considering the entire 2021 draft was a complete failure and not a single player from that class is still on the team…
August 28th, 2025 at 11:16 am
Lol he already missed on 2 draft classes one of them hurt a young quarterback in 2016 and the other one is hurting our future on
August 28th, 2025 at 11:17 am
The defensive side of the ball.
August 28th, 2025 at 11:47 am
@Slypirate
4x NFCS PUFFING YOUR CHECST ABOUT WINNING THE NFCS IS LIKE PUFFING YOUR CHECST OUT ABOUT TAKING THE FATTEST GIRL AT THE BAR HOME EVERY NIGHT
Longest playoff streak in NFC COOL
Super Bowl MAINLY DUE TO BRADY AND HIM GETTING LICHT TO BRING IN GRINK AND AB
Only GM in history to return all 22 starters after the Super Bowl THIS IS NOT THE FLEX YOU THINK IT IS, THAT TEAM NEEDED NEW HUNGRY TALENT INFUSED TO IT, IF HE DIDN’T WHIFF ON THAT DRAFT CLASS MAYBE THEY REPEAT AND CAN OVERCOME THE INJURIES
Signed: TB12, Suh, JPP, AB, Gronk, 4Net 3 OF THESE PLAYERS ONLY CAME HERE DUE TO BRADY
If Licht is average at best, what is the rest of the NFC GMs? PHILLY, SAN FRAN, DALLAS, AINTS, RAMS, SEATTLE, ATL, GB AND VIKINGS ALL HAVE MORE WINS THAN THE BUCS SINCE LICHT HAS BEEN HERE
Did you know: Browns, Lions, Texans, Jaguars, Chargers, Titans, Falcons, Panthers, Bengals, Bills, and Vikings have never won a Super Bowl WHEN YOU ARE THE BEST YOU COMPARE YOURSELF TO THE ELITE NOT THE DREGS OF THE LEAGUE
Do you think their owners, players, and FANS would call Jason average at best?
YES, NATIONALLY THE BUCS ARE AN AFTERTHOUGHT
August 28th, 2025 at 11:52 am
Well, it’s not like we’ve had much of a choice having to retain a lot of these draft-picks due to the Post Brady era, DEAD CAP situation it left us is. Not a lot of fee agency $$$$ available to begin with, so we’ve been forced to get by on the CHEAP at some positions. A LOT of positions. That the ONLY reason that I gave Bowles at least somewhat of a pass (in the very beginning).
August 28th, 2025 at 11:59 am
I saw a stat the other day, going back a few decades, that only 50% of ‘first-round’ QUARTERBACKS earned a second contract from the team that drafted them.
August 28th, 2025 at 1:41 pm
The Detroit Lions, one of the class acts franchise-wise nowadays, would kill just to get in the SB. Bucs have been in, and won both of theirs. The second one, under Jason Licht as GM, set a record. The Bucs were the first NFL team to PLAY IN THEIR HOME CRIB when they won that second SB!! Licht is the best GM they have ever had, and I liked Rich McKay who was GM when Bucs won their first one. Some of the yahoos on here need to do their homework. Idiots!
August 28th, 2025 at 2:01 pm
“Smarter than Joe” does not in fact, appear to be very smart at all…
August 28th, 2025 at 2:34 pm
I love educating people that say we bought our SB 55 chip with 16/22 starters were home grown and 3 others were FA’s BEFORE Brady came to town (Suh, Jensen, JPP). JL is one of the best in the biz…he has something the others don’t listed above.
August 28th, 2025 at 7:22 pm
Jason Licht has done an amazing job these last two drafts. His team still have some weaknesses. If the reports on Braswell are to be believed, the Bucs still have problems hitting on edge rushers in the first two rounds. And this is still a team that has solid players throughout the roster, but lacking All Pro talent. Tristan Wirfs and AWJ have shown that ability and Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are probably a step below the elite receivers like Jamarr Chase and Justin Jefferson. But to compete for a championship you need to have a game wrecker on defense. I’m cautiously optimistic Hassan Reddick can be that guy.
August 28th, 2025 at 9:09 pm
Cant hit on all of them, but a pretty dm great job the last 6 years. Jason knows his scouts and how to listen.