Kage Casey And The Bucs
April 12th, 2026
So it’s a very safe bet the Bucs select an offensive lineman in the draft next week. The Bucs didn’t do that last year and Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht has never gone two consecutive drafts without picking an O-lineman.
Joe already wrote about Febechi Nwaiwu out of Oklahoma being a Licht kind of guy.
The dude was a walk-on at the University of North Texas and was All-Conference USA as a freshman guard. He bounced to tackle and then went back to guard and transferred to Oklahoma. Nwaiwu thrived as a Sooners guard and very successfully made his first start at center last season — emergency duty against LSU. Maybe he’s a fourth-round pick.
But another Licht kind of guy could be Kage Casey out out Boise State.
Bucs fans know well how Licht likes to identify college tackles and turn them into guards. Well, Casey may fit that mold.
Casey is 6-6, 310 pounds and has been a durable beast for Boise State, starting every game of the last three seasons at left tackle.
Per Sumer Sports, the analytics outfit run by former NFL executives and launched by former Falcons GM Tom Dimitroff, Casey has a top-tier trait: after two seconds on run blocks, he’s consistently still blocking and improving the outcome of that play. Sumer also rates very highly the initial quickness of Casey in the run game.
During the 2024 season, Casey did not allow a sack, per various reports.
Joe is intrigued, in part, because former Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter called plays for Boise State in 2024, and was an offensive consultant there in 2022 and 2023. So Licht should get excellent intel on Casey.
The Beast draft guide, behind a paywall at TheAthletic.com, projects Casey as a fourth- or fifth-round pick.
Casey is a tough, veteran blocker who relies on technical savvy and play recognition to keep defenders occupied. Despite some drifting and stiffness in his lower half, he is athletic enough to stay square in pass protection and has strong hands to combat what rushers throw at him. He doesn’t overwhelm targets in the run game but works himself in position to wall off and seal lanes. With a potential move inside to guard or center looming, he will need to learn how to fire his feet quicker to combat immediate contact in his face.
Joe sees Casey as a slightly bigger and stronger version of Robert Hainsey.
April 12th, 2026 at 2:08 pm
Check!
April 12th, 2026 at 3:05 pm
He seems like a good Tackle
We can use another young Tackle
As well as another young C/G
April 12th, 2026 at 3:28 pm
Keep identifying potential 4th or 5th rd G candidates because that’s probably where the Bucs are going to get one
April 12th, 2026 at 3:57 pm
This one sounds like a real possibility. Fits what we have seen before and had some success with.
April 12th, 2026 at 4:22 pm
Casey ran a 5.20 40. Nwaiwu ran a 5.35 40. Didn’t Joe say that a pro said you look at a guards 40 time as important as anyone’s? I say Casey, between the two.
April 12th, 2026 at 5:07 pm
Casey’s probably a 4th round guy, in a perfect world hope we’re able to trade back a bit for an extra pick & grab Edge, LB, CB, & G in the top 3 rounds (in any order).
April 12th, 2026 at 6:32 pm
Obviously need some depth. Jason must know the offense is gonna need a dozen 40 burgers to secure a winning record.
April 12th, 2026 at 7:40 pm
Good
April 12th, 2026 at 10:29 pm
If Licht takes someone in the first few rounds, they’re going to be a stud. It’s as much of a guarantee as there is in the NFL, and the Bucs badly need depth.
As for this guy, the issue is size. He’s 6′ 6″ 310lbs. Normally, at that weight for a tackle, that’s a guy Licht would move inside, but at 6′ 6″ he’s starting to be too tall to be inside. Also, while Cappa wasn’t much of a athlete, Licht generally is going after guys with some elite athletic traits, and Casey’s numbers are not that great.
But, again, if Licht drafted him anyways – then I’d be 100% behind it.
April 12th, 2026 at 10:53 pm
4th round OLinemen going up against 1st and 2nd round DLinemen is generally a recipe to return to the Lost Decade 2-3 years from now.
April 12th, 2026 at 11:02 pm
Odd we aren’t talking about Graham Barton. He looked great at Tackle. Terrible all year long at center.
A smart team would draft a Center to play Center and move Barton to guard
Here’s a little secret. Most Tackles and Guards HATE playing Center. They can swap back and forth between guard and tackle no problem. But most hate center.
You know who doesn’t mind playing Center?
A CENTER
Licht needs to quit trying to be cute- and draft a good Center.
April 13th, 2026 at 9:47 am
Fits the mold.