Jason Licht Defends His Staff’s Evaluations Of Outside Linebackers
March 31st, 2026
Appraising college OLBs.
Just the mere mention of Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Chris Braswell gives Bucs fans the shivers.
That doesn’t mean Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht is going to quit working on trying to find an edge rusher. If anything, Licht seems emboldened by his and his staff’s research of the position.
Speaking from the NFL owners’ meetings in Arizona on Monday, Licht defended his personnel department’s ability to find an NFL-worthy edge rusher.
And if you read between the lines, Licht’s answer is rather interesting.
“I feel very good about the process of how we evaluate these guys,” Licht said. “But if you go back, do this exercise [the Bucs follow] all the time, go back to players that we evaluated and thought were going to be very good players, and they are.
“Sometimes you just don’t have the opportunity to get them for whatever reason. Sometimes you took another player that’s kind of a cornerstone for our team right ahead of another pass rusher.”
That was very interesting to Joe that the Bucs, in their research, go back in past drafts to assess past draft evals, and edge rushers they thought would be good were — ta da! — good. (Does this mean Licht drafted JTS and Braswell but ignored less-than-stellar draft evals?)
So why hasn’t Licht drafted the good ones? Circumstances, as Licht detailed above.
The Bucs are in a chicken-and-egg pickle when it comes to edge rushers. Some fans holler that Licht and his staff cannot evaluate edge rushers properly. That’s fair.
Joe is on the other side of the coin. There is a bigger sample size that Bucs coach and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles has never developed a double-digit edge rusher from a rookie draft pick, dating back over three different teams to 2013.
Besides, has anyone ever heard Licht say he asks edge rushers to do other things?
March 31st, 2026 at 11:26 am
Hopefully this is the year they get one that is a difference maker. Lots of really good edge rushers in this draft.
I see them taking one in rounds 2-3. I just dont see one on the board at 15 that will be head and shoulders above one that will be there in the 2nd round.
March 31st, 2026 at 11:35 am
Very accurate JOE that this staff has not developed one but neither has any Bucs staff dating back to Lee Roy. This organization just can’t do it. Not just licht and co. While this is a knock on Bowles but what we have seen Bowles do is develop a lot of DBs. Yes the pass defense has bin terrible tho just look at all the DBs that have come thru the draft and gone to be starters on other defenses. JOE loves to point out the bad but doesn’t always like to point out the good tho.
March 31st, 2026 at 11:35 am
“We’ve investigated ourselves and found that we’ve done nothing wrong” – Licht
Brilliant GM we have here. At some point you’d think the law of averages would take over and Jason would accidentally draft a good pass rusher but nope! There is no chicken/egg scenario, the GM drafted bad players and the HC and his cronies couldn’t get the best out of them. Bad GM, bad HC, bad coaching staff and average to bad players….a recipe for losing just the way the Bucs like it. But hey, adding mid-teir FAs and rookies will equal a deep playoff run right? Who willing to put money on that?
March 31st, 2026 at 11:37 am
Hard to convince me that a GM can be incredible at drafting offensive players and be the exact opposite on defense. Whats the common thread?
March 31st, 2026 at 11:38 am
Bowles is going to prove everyone else is wrong and that the Bucs don’t need an edge rusher. Unfortunately, we’re still waiting for that to happen. Since when has stubborn and delusional been good qualities for a head coach?
March 31st, 2026 at 11:39 am
I don’t know who influence Licht on drafting defensive players
But this is one of the worst defensive drafting teams in the NFL
And it’s been this way since Licht was hired
Back in the 2018 draft, they knew Kwan Alexander was dealing with injuries
And he wasn’t going to be in Tampa for long, they had the 8th pick
And most mock drafts had them drafting Georgia MIKE Roquan Smith
But, when they were on the clock, they traded the pick to Chicago
For the Bears 12th pick,, they got Vita Vea, and the Bears got Roquan
The best draft they had the 5th pick, and they drafted Devin White
But, the draft was loaded with high quality Edge Rushers and Defensive Tackles
And most mocks had the Bucs drafting Kentucky Edge Rusher Josh Allen
The part l didn’t understand, they knew the 2019 draft was going to be loaded
Loaded with Edge Rushers and Defensive Tackles
And they should have know that Roquan Smith was a ( Generational MIKE)
So why pass him up?
When you could have him and a ( Generational Edge Rusher) in 2019
March 31st, 2026 at 11:40 am
This is a much more reliable way to assess an evaluation process than looking at the small sample of players actually drafted, but it suggests they need to take a close look at their final selection/decision process.
March 31st, 2026 at 11:41 am
***Kwon Alexander***
March 31st, 2026 at 11:43 am
“”The next draft”””. Not the best draft””*
March 31st, 2026 at 11:46 am
How come no one wants to talk about how rookie inside linebackers under Todd Bowles fade after their first couple of years? How come inside linebackers don’t last past their rookie contracts? What did Bowles do to Devin White? 🤔
March 31st, 2026 at 11:48 am
I’m sorry but this “develop the Edge rusher” sounds like a load of crap. Shouldn’t a college star be able to play the position without some “development “?
I mean Edge rusher is not nearly the same level of complexity as playing QB.
The fact is they have drafted poorly.
March 31st, 2026 at 12:01 pm
It seems that Licht’s team evaluates all the players on their board after the player has been in the NFL a few years. A good process but certainly subjective.
For the defensive players especially, you can bet that Bowles and his coaches are heavily involved in evaluating players. Remember how Larry Foote reacted to the Walker pick up last year?
Bowles also tells Licht the type of player he wants. A couple of years ago, Bowles favored long CB’s, but he flipped his opinion and wanted quicker sticky DB’s last year like Morrison and Parrish.
Maybe Licht thinks drafting later in rd1, like the last couple of years, doesn’t allow access to the edge rusher he’d like to get???
March 31st, 2026 at 12:11 pm
Don’t get me wrong, I am pissed as hell that we kept Bowles. I almost dont know if I can watch… (I def still will) That being said, I dont know if I blame Licht too much on this. Fans would love if he hit on all picks, but it’s not realistic, especially at EDGE. JPS was a disappointment, but many picks are 32 are.
I personally think JL should do what he did last time and see if we can trade for a JPP type for a 2nd or 3rd rounder. It would be our best bet.
March 31st, 2026 at 12:14 pm
“So why hasn’t Licht drafted the good ones?” – Joe
In this decade? The focus was on the offense in the draft. That’s why.
March 31st, 2026 at 12:18 pm
If they were so good what happened to them. JTS was never good from the start, I have no clue how they think running around a player and missing everytime is so awesome. Last year he did have a few hits but his option was up in the air. Did Bowels screw him up? Braswell isn’t a starter, he’s a good backup. Why can’t we draft a stud? There are many go get some.
March 31st, 2026 at 12:18 pm
“But if you go back, do this exercise [the Bucs follow] all the time, go back to players that we evaluated and thought were going to be very good players, and they are.“
Haha, what a load of bs. Sure Licht, you knew all the current Pro-Bowlers in the league were going to be great when they were coming out, you just didn’t draft them “for whatever reason.” Instead you went with guys like JTS, Hall and SVD.
Licht can make a single comment without giving himself a pat on the back.
March 31st, 2026 at 12:26 pm
Well to use the often used phrase you are what your record says you are. So look at the record, not very good in the draft. To The Bucs credit it is a difficult position to get right and many drafted high do not pan out. With that said Licht and Bowles at times seem to have their head in the sand and defend their actions where they shouldn’t. Braswell, TS are great examples. Yes the now infamous Braswell will shock the world and TS was going to be a star. Currently they have not addressed the Edge position except for another rotational player. Then their is our present starting corners and you have to scratch your head. Do they really think they have a good team going into next year?. They can’t really believe that. If they do they really have their head in the sand?. When your best player representing your franchise leaves and tells you I am going to a team that is doing something then you would think they would wake up. Yes it appears the Bucs have a lot of sand at their facility.
March 31st, 2026 at 12:27 pm
“Jason Licht is going to shock the world!” – Jason Licht
March 31st, 2026 at 12:28 pm
So tired of this, “Bucs don’t develop edge rushers”. Either guys have it or they don’t. JTS – Doesn’t. Watts – Doesn’t. Ramirez – Doesn’t. Braswell – TBD, but not looking good so far.
None of these guys have gone anywhere else and done anything. So, the other teams can’t “Develop” edge rushers either???? Stop. Guys have it or they don’t.
March 31st, 2026 at 12:54 pm
LICHT SUCKS AT DRAFT EDGE RUSHERS!!!!!..especially in rounds 1 & 2
but he’s had success drafting OL in the 1st 2 rounds….
stick that that licht!!!
Draft Kadyn Proctor with our first pick
GO BUCS!!!!!