Bucs GM Talks About Drafting Older Defensive Players
April 1st, 2026
Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor.
So Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht traded down and made 23-year-old Vita Vea a first-round pick back in 2018, when it was still common for 21-year-olds to be in the draft pool.
In 2023, Licht drafted edge rusher YaYa Diaby a few weeks shy of his 24th birthday and last year it was edge rusher David Walker, who was a few weeks shy of 25.
NFL rookies are getting older, mostly because of COVID exemptions and players staying in college because they’re getting paid.
This was a subject during a Monday sitdown with Licht at the NFL owners meeting in the swanky lobby of the Arizona Biltmore resort.
Licht acknowledged age isn’t much of a factor in drafting a player but it can affect impact when a guy is taken entering what Licht called “early prime years.”
JoeBucsFan.com: Does that experience coming out of college, the 24- or 25-year-old, is that more valuable at certain positions on defense like an edge rusher? Is that more valuable to have an older guy, whereas as running back can come in at 21 and light it up?
Jason Licht: Yeah. It kind of depends; it’s a case-by-case basis. When we took Vita [Vea], he was a little bit older. Bottom line: we want good football players and it’s hard to predict what’s going to happen in three, four, five years. Everybody wants to win now. You have to ingest everything and take everything into account, and at the end of the day you want to take the best player.
Lots of Bucs fans are paying close attention to University of Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor. He very likely will be there for Tampa Bay when their No. 15 overall pick rolls aroun.d The sixth-year senior was a beast for the Hurricanes and he turns 25 on Sunday.
Mesidor spent most of his youth in Canada and played high school ball in Clearwater in 2019.
Licht didn’t talk about Mesidor, but he did joke that older draft picks, guys that are more NFL-ready, won’t scare him. “In the NFL, you’re not necessarily on a 10-year plan,” Licht said.
April 1st, 2026 at 5:00 pm
I am with Joe. Bucs should not be drafting defensive players only to have Bowles ruin their talent.
April 1st, 2026 at 5:01 pm
Bowels will ruin them anyway. Now you don’t have to post.
April 1st, 2026 at 5:14 pm
Draft him. Bowles is gone next year. This kids a star and a stud
April 1st, 2026 at 5:18 pm
Overall, I like Mesidor – but him not running at his pro-day is a bit of a red flag. Still, he seems like a very high floor guy who should be able to play right away without the typical learning curve of younger rookies. If that’s the case, you’re getting a guy at a very expensive position for all his prime years locked up on a rookie deal.
April 1st, 2026 at 5:20 pm
Can you dullards for one thread just shut up your whining about Bowles? My God, you’re a bunch of boring d-bags. You people add nothing to any conversation.
April 1st, 2026 at 5:20 pm
Get him if he’s there!! I’m kind of doubting he will be though.
April 1st, 2026 at 5:23 pm
Some Bucs fans are still mad about that 2018 trade down
They feel like Licht gifted the Bills Josh Allen
But l believe the 20-21 draftees are a better bet
The ones that started for 3 years, and produced
Young guys like TJ Parker, CJ Allen,
April 1st, 2026 at 5:30 pm
Rod Muncher calling people boring d-bags. LOL Pot and kettle dude.
April 1st, 2026 at 5:37 pm
Munch is Funny, even when he isn’t Trying to be! What a Clown
April 1st, 2026 at 5:38 pm
Yeah Much you are anti-Baker the same way they are anti-Bowles. I haven’t seen a reason to be so anti-anything in football at least. I guess I’m anti injury? I dunno… injuries really make a mess of a team.
April 1st, 2026 at 5:40 pm
Who many fake accounts does Gipper have anyways? I guess in Cleveland there really isn’t much to do since they put out the river that was on fire.
April 1st, 2026 at 5:48 pm
I’m good with Mesidor, let’s hope Bowels uses him properly
April 1st, 2026 at 5:55 pm
Rod, stop worrying about the splinter in everyone’s eye, and worry about the 50ft plank sticking out of your own eye.
April 1st, 2026 at 5:57 pm
With the 155th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Bucs select. . .Nikhai Hill-Green, Alabama lol
That’s the old guy I want. I’ll take Mesidor, but NH-G is ready made and I’ve been on him since he transferred to Colorado.
Reminds me a little of Bart Scott, can’t wait
April 1st, 2026 at 6:06 pm
I hear you Munch but take it easy. You’ve been known to repeatedly bash Baker.
I’m good with Messidor. Would prefer the DT McDonald if we trade back.
April 1st, 2026 at 6:11 pm
Whine about Baker for us one more time Rod. Lol
April 1st, 2026 at 6:25 pm
We need starters still at corner and DT. Edge can wait a little. Experienced starters there. McCollum too bored and overpaid to care and Morrison and unknown with health issues. Get the guys we need first. Mesidor is a risk regardless.
April 1st, 2026 at 6:30 pm
Glazers please clean house – GM and Coaches need to go. We need young and exciting football.
April 1st, 2026 at 6:42 pm
Edge cant wait. Its been a mess for years. Get it done
April 1st, 2026 at 6:42 pm
So rich Munch.
“You have to ingest everything and take everything into account,”
There are a ton of these types of quotes coming outta Licht and the Glazers mouths. Maybe they always talk like that and I just don’t recall but it seems like some kind of damage control.
You know, like, the fans are super miffed about retaining Todd and losing Mike but they don’t have the whole picture.
We only care about the on field picture and how it leads to Ws. Stop the excuses and fix it! Draft a 27 year old, I don’t care… put him in a position to help the Bucs win ball games or step aside.
April 1st, 2026 at 7:06 pm
Everything this dude says sounds like the teacher from the Charlie Brown cartoons. Just can’t drink enough.impossible.
Mike Evans is a 49er. Nice job.
April 1st, 2026 at 7:08 pm
Please Go Get Cashius Howell in the 1st I know he’s got short arms but damn Dude is a Pure Pass Rusher an he went against OTs in the SEC had Double Digit Sacks at 2 different schools he is a Beast he is so Fast off the Snap I’ve seen Him not get touched by the OLine just dip right around them he has nice been an numerous Pass Rushing moves Bowles can Use him to Get after the QB his rookie year an let him add weight to hold up better in the Run he’s a Fighter I just don’t think. You can pass on a guy with his Skill set he’s only 21 he sets up tackles with pass rush plans Idc about his short arms at all with his speed he can go right around Tackles an then Go Get Anthony Hill Jr in the 2nd an your on your way to getting the Defense Fixed Hill is a Stud an can be the next great Bucs LB he can play the run an good on coverage I would rather take Howell with his Short Arms then Mesidor an his Age
April 1st, 2026 at 7:18 pm
Howell is more likely to still be available for our 2nd round pick than Hill Jr.
April 1st, 2026 at 7:22 pm
Hey Rod
go cash your mental disabilty check and buy a muzzle for yourself. You are an idiot guess you are best friends with dumby smith and raheem the dream and josh i work at mcdonalds now Freeman
April 1st, 2026 at 7:29 pm
I like @BuccinBaker6 ideas. Howell has proven sack production in the SEC.
Mesidor’s age doesn’t bother me as much as his foot surgeries. Anybody have details on his surgeries? Mesidor really grew under the coaching of Jason Taylor. Maybe Bowles could learn how to develop pass rushers from Taylor.
April 1st, 2026 at 7:35 pm
I’ve had them drafting Mesidor for the last couple of weeks now.
This is what I’ve given them so far. Yeah I’m sure some will have something to say.
1st round: AKHEEM MESIDOR (DE Miami)
2nd round: KYLE LOUIS (LB Pittsburgh)
3rd round: BRIAN PARKER (OL Duke)
4th round: TREYDAN STUKES (CB Arizona)
5th round: JACK KELLY (LB BYU)
6th round: BRANDON CLEVELAND (DT North Carolina St)
7th round: ANDREL ANTHONY (WR Duke)
Of course I’d trade down some still & try to address as many needs as possible.
April 1st, 2026 at 7:37 pm
@JimBobBuc
Maybe they can try & get Taylor to come to the Bucs ASAP.😃
April 1st, 2026 at 7:54 pm
Pass plays represent about 40% – 65% of the plays most teams get on offense. Super Bowl champs Seahawks for instance passed (or attempted to pass) on 50% of their plays. Bengals & Cardinals both passed the most at 64% of their plays. Looks like the Ravens passed the least at 42% of their plays. Most teams run about 60-65 offensive plays per game it looks like.
Bucs have enough OLBs to keep a nice rotation going & keep guys fresh based on what they do best.
o Diaby is a baller on pass plays AND run plays. Keeping him fresh might mean using him on 65%-70% of the opponent’s total plays in each game (about 650-750 plays per season). In his first 3 yrs, YaYa’s averaged about 700 def snaps per season, so that’s in the ballpark.
o Nelson is better IMO at run defense than at pass defense. He’s averaged 3 sacks per season over his 7 yrs as a Buc, and averages very close to 30 tackles per season based on a tad over 400 def snaps per season average. Of significance, his Missed Tackle Rate is only 4.1%, but much better than that even over his last 5 yrs. Seems like he’d be a good OLB to rotate in with Diaby to focus mostly on running plays (the 2 of them together represent 700 def snaps + 400 def snaps = 1100 def snaps, about what most teams get for offensive plays).
o Muhammad we’re told is mostly a pass rush specialist, as I’m guessing David Walker will be. Let the 2 of them handle mostly passing downs on the other side, and let Braswell deal mostly with run defense on that side. Christian wasn’t used much last year (almost 300 def snaps), and only got 1.5 sacks, but he did get 30 tackles, with 21 of those solo. And his Missed Tackle Rate is a very low 4.0%. He’s another one of those guys who’s much better apparently at Run Defense than he is at Pass Defense. That’s OK in my book, use guys at what they’re best at.
We’ve got OLBs who can rush the passer IF that’s what they’re told to do. And IF they’re kept fresh, they can probably rush the passer much better than if they’re beaten to daylights running all over the field. Substituting at the right time is an art IMO. Some teams are very good at it & keep their guys fresh. Other teams, not so much. Bucs have fallen in the ‘not so much’ category far too often. We beat the daylights out of our starters (probably because we so often have such shallow DEPTH).
April 1st, 2026 at 8:02 pm
Defense Rules,
Have you seen Matt Miller latest 7 RD mock draft for us
April 1st, 2026 at 8:02 pm
Joe – would you please start paying DR already? Dude adds a lot of value. Keep it up DR!
April 1st, 2026 at 8:03 pm
Light should be scouting Bay Area nursing homes. Guaranteed there are prospects residing there who would perform equally as what we watched last season.