Jason Licht Feels Good About Bucs’ Edge Rusher Scouting
April 15th, 2026
David Walker (51) and YaYa Diaby.
The Bucs feel great about their scouting of edge rushers. Why? In part because they see successful pass rushers on other clubs that they wanted to draft but weren’t in position to pick.
Joe gets the mindset, but it’s not a very strong argument to counter the Bucs’ struggles finding a high-impact edge rusher.
Hey, if you thought a guy was so great, trade up to get him!
Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht addressed scouting and finding edge rushers today at his predraft news conference.
“It is tough. There [are] only so many [edge rushers] that you could call truly impactful players,” Licht said.
“We found going back over the last few years that the players that [edge rushers] we thought were going to be good, most of them ended up being good. We just didn’t have the opportunity to take [them] or we took another position before them that we’re happy with in most cases.
“There’s a lot that goes into it. You’ve got your speed rushers, you’ve got your power rushers. The ones that have a little bit of both are usually the ones that are the most productive in the NFL. A lot of them have certain traits about them – personality traits – that make them tick a little bit more than others. So that’s why we do all the work that we do on them. It’s not for lack of trying. It’s not that we don’t believe in having edge rushers. We’ve had more success trading for or signing them than we have drafting, and I’ll be the first to admit that. But it’s not that we didn’t [like] any of the rushers that are currently making a lot of noise in the NFL…It’s a position that you can’t have too many of, but this year there’s a decent amount and we’ll have to see how it goes. We’ve done a lot of work on them.
Licht makes a fair point noting the Bucs are happy with the guys they drafted versus who was available (pick a year). Still, edge rusher is a critical position and the Bucs are heading into another draft in need of one.
April 15th, 2026 at 4:41 pm
At some point you have to realize it’s not luck. Both drafting and coaching have been severely deficient in this area. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it shouldn’t be this hard either. Is there another team in the league with pass rushers as bad as the Bucs? Is anyone even close?
April 15th, 2026 at 4:48 pm
Half of the top 10 sack leaders from last year were drafted in the first round. It’s not that common to find them in the second and third
April 15th, 2026 at 5:00 pm
15 players had double digit sacks last season
5 of them were gone when we drafted
The other 10, we passed them up
April 15th, 2026 at 5:00 pm
It’s rare to find the good ones outside the top of the first round. It happens but not much. He made that point by talking about the ones they’ve wanted being gone by the time their pick rolls around OR no one would trade with them to move up to get one. I think they have tried more than most think, just didn’t happen.
April 15th, 2026 at 5:03 pm
Beej if half where found in the first and half outside the first that we mean it is definitely as common. Because math
April 15th, 2026 at 5:03 pm
So old Helmet Hair Mel Kiper projects us to draft a TE (Kenyon Sadiq) in Rnd 1, then an ILB (Jacob Rodriquez) in Rnd 2. Meanwhile in his mock draft 5 DTs, 13 OLB/DE & 8 CBs were taken in Rnds 1 & 2.
Despite the Bucs having dire needs in each of those 3 position groups, anyone wanna guess how many we picked? Oh ya … zip, zero. zilch. Nada. All the big dogs are gone, and so Jason will scoop up the scraps that fall from the table IF he wastes our #15 Rnd 1 pick on a Tight End.
Reality is that if the Bucs can’t have a Top-10 offense with what we have right now for offensive talent, there’s something radically wrong. We’ve got the OLine (when healthy), we’ve got the receivers (when healthy), we’ve got the running backs (when healthy) and yes, we’ve got the QB (when he’s healthy). Stop worrying about our very well-paid offense and start being a LOT more concerned about stopping our adversaries offenses.
April 15th, 2026 at 5:12 pm
He feel good. But does he “feel better “ than when he drafted JTS, Logan Hall , etc … ?
April 15th, 2026 at 5:25 pm
Im glad because he needs to nail this draft after losing ME13.
Honestly, I will feel much better when that 3rd round compensatory pick happens next year.
April 15th, 2026 at 5:28 pm
Jason Licht Feels Good About Bucs’ Edge Rusher Scouting
Does Licht feel James Brown ‘Good!’
Or feel good like Rodney Dangerfield after he saw Dr Vinny Boom Botz?
April 15th, 2026 at 5:42 pm
So the edge rushers we didn’t draft but wanted are doing well. The ones we did draft aren’t. Could poor coaching be the problem?
April 15th, 2026 at 5:42 pm
“We’ve had more success trading for or signing them than we have drafting, and I’ll be the first to admit that. But it’s not that we didn’t [like] any of the rushers that are currently making a lot of noise in the NFL…It’s a position that you can’t have too many of, but this year there’s a decent amount and we’ll have to see how it goes. We’ve done a lot of work on them.“
Honest, self reflection, and correction.
Love, hate, or feel indifferent about Licht, he’s not a BS’er.
Just because you haven’t connected yet, doesn’t mean you stop swinging.
April 15th, 2026 at 5:51 pm
He always feels good. Who wouldn’t I guess, when you’re never held accountable. You can just go out there and pump YOUR OWN draft-picks up without a care in the world. Even, when you are barely just average and mediocre at best. And, you can do it all while wearing t-shirts, pullovers, tracksuits, & etc. As a GM. Just soooo unimpressive in EVERY way imaginable.
April 15th, 2026 at 5:52 pm
Think the Bucs draft undersized players that cant rush and can’t cover. They need to draft bigger players that are DE’s that can rush and stop the run on the outside. The OLB’s that the Bucs draft that are supposedly edge rushers in the NFL just doesn’t work against much bigger LT’s. Bucs need the 4-3 base with four big players that can put pressure on the QB. Bowles blitz schemes really don’t get to the better QBs and just leave big openings in the back field. Even Cousins picked the Defense apart.
April 15th, 2026 at 5:53 pm
When Licht drafted Devin White
They passed up 4 Rushers with double digits sacks in RD1
And another 4 with 9-9.5 sacks season in RD1
April 15th, 2026 at 5:56 pm
But Devin White did give 9 sacks in 2020
April 15th, 2026 at 6:03 pm
Devin White is still a free agent!!!
April 15th, 2026 at 6:07 pm
Devin White had 174 tackles in 2025
And he can’t get a vet minimum contract
April 15th, 2026 at 6:07 pm
He shouldn’t,he has yet to prove he’s any good at it
April 15th, 2026 at 6:07 pm
What’s he supposed to say, lol.
April 15th, 2026 at 6:11 pm
Joe Tryon Shoinka- great pick, Ring of Honorable Mention GM
April 15th, 2026 at 6:17 pm
@BucsfaninTX
Yeah Licht gets credit for some of the picks he’s got but many forget how many he’s actually missed on, too!
April 15th, 2026 at 6:19 pm
These clowns either can’t evaluate edge talent, cant coach them up or have a trash defensive scheme. All 3 boil down to firing bowles but yet hes still here. Continue to expect mediocrity at best
April 15th, 2026 at 6:40 pm
Okay, so is this a way of saying that Licht’s consistent failures to draft respectable pass rushers is because the scouting has stunk up until now? I guess that makes sense. After all, it couldn’t be Jason’s fault.
April 15th, 2026 at 6:47 pm
Who was dominating the edge last season when they were 6-2?? You know BEFORE the injuries…Bowles is still here because he had them playing! You know BEFORE all the injuries!!
April 15th, 2026 at 6:50 pm
If we take Sadiq and Rodriguez back-to-back I’d say our odds of both of them being pro bowlers for the next 12 years are pretty high- higher than most other combinations of players possible to get in this draft for an individual team… I cannot say that about the 6th or 7th best edge rusher. As a matter of fact, there’s even a (small but not infinitesimal)chance Sadiq and Rodriguez are the best players at their positions in the entire NFL. Can’t say that about 6th or 7th best edge most likely either.
April 15th, 2026 at 6:53 pm
The edges we have already are actually pretty decent and could be really good if Walker works out too. It’s not as weak of a position as ppl seem to think. We need an ILB even more IMO.
April 15th, 2026 at 6:58 pm
Oh yea, he’s happy with his evaluation that has gotten us JTS and Braswell, two of his best.
April 15th, 2026 at 7:10 pm
Licht needs to find a mirror
April 15th, 2026 at 8:34 pm
We needed a LB in 2019 when we picked Devin White, passing up on Josh Allen (#7), Brian Burns (#16), Dexter Lawrence (#17), Jeffrey Simmons (#19), Montez Sweat (#26). The immortal Collin Farrell was stolen right in front of us at #4 😢. But, hey, we needed an ILB.
In 2021, we took Tyron-Shoyinka (#32) because we needed an Edge/OLB (ie pass rush). The next LB taken after JLT was Azeri Olajari in 2nd round at #50 – so doesn’t seem like we chose the wrong OLB – just not much to choose from. And, hey, needed OLB that could rush the passer.
In 2022, we traded down! Took Logan Hall as replacement for Suh because – well we needed a DE replacement. We passed up Arnold Ebitikie DT, Boye Mafe OLB, David Obajo (OLB), Josh Paschal (DT), Phidarian Mathis (DT) – the next five DL/OLB prospects drafted. Boye Mafe does have double Logan Hall’s career sacks. Who among us was banging table that year for Boye Mafe? Not me. Even if, we just drafted OLB – so didn’t need one as bad as 3-4 DE.
This year we need again. Need defense. Need LB. Need CB. Need OG. Above all we need pass rush dammit!
Perhaps Jason Licht isn’t so bad at picking pass rushers because:
a) the years we passed on terrific prospects we didn’t need one as badly other positin(s).
B) Perhaps the choices available when we did need one weren’t that great.
Remember when he drafted a kicker in 2nd? Because we NEEDED a kicker. Perhaps this is what happens when desperate need overcomes everything else clouding judgement. Perhaps it would be better to be flexible and allow the draft to come to us.
April 15th, 2026 at 8:51 pm
This is the dumbest crap I’ve heard Light Sy. I’ve been a supporter and defender. Not anymore. He just admitted the edge guys we draft are known to be less than very good yet we drafted them anyway.
Again, maybe with a coach and staff who knew how to develop players it could work out. But the Bucs don’t have those and rather than make a change, the soon to be ex-GM babbles the same pablum.
Done.
🥃🍺
April 15th, 2026 at 9:30 pm
Cashius Howell
April 15th, 2026 at 9:36 pm
The ones they did pick have underperformed so their judgment hasn’t been goid.
Jason is great at ol dt and wr and Todd is good at db.
We cant pick a lb or an edge rusher. And we have done incredibly well at free agent qbs this
decade
Not sure what else to suggest with our weaknesses
April 15th, 2026 at 10:16 pm
Todd is good at DB? 😂🤡🤮
He played DB, in the NFL so he was pretty good at that. As a player. Every DB he has couched for the Bucs has regressed, lost confidence, established a constant mental state of bewilderment, forget hot to tackle, telegraph a blitz, etcetera.
His pass defenses are a bottom dwelling bottom five unit.
Good night, nurse.
April 15th, 2026 at 10:19 pm
As you pointed out Joe… so why didn’t they go and get ONE of the impactful edge rushers they had previously undervalued? This made me think of that old saying about having the courage of your convictions…
I like Licht, but c’mon man… you have NOTHING to show for this feeling of justification identifying the right EDGE…EVER!?
Maybe he’s got some secret plan to trade up? Maybe he think Kendrick Faulk does a great YaYa Diaby imitation? Maybe he doesn’t know what he’s talking about and it shows by the draft picks he’s gone after? Maybe we’ll find a 2nd round diamond that no one else has seen?
May be.
Not holding out any hope, Yaya 2.0 loading…
April 15th, 2026 at 11:36 pm
Joe
I gotta be honest with you
The way our front office acts like it’s turd doesn’t stink
We might be heading into one of the darkest eras of Bucs football
We don’t even resign our own edge rusher draft picks …
Look at JTS and Logan Hall
What planet are you guys on
We weak upfront defensively, we weak in the secondary
Jason licht was in his bag crafting that Super Bowl team. I’ll give him his credit. Carlton Davis, Murphy Bunting, Suh, JPP, Shaq Barrett… we used to have a lot of talent
Then we didn’t even resign Devin White, something that I’d never thought I’d see after our Super Bowl year
We have lost our way. The Super Bowl window is closed.
April 15th, 2026 at 11:43 pm
That Super Bowl team had hall of fame level dudes
Tom Brady
Suh
Mike Evans
Lavonte David
Antonio Brown
Even dudes that were really tough football players in there own right
Fornette
Barrett
JPP
Vita Vea
Winfield Jr
Dean
Carlton Davis
Murphy Bunting
Chris Godwin
Devin White
This roster is a complete shell of what it used to be
NFL stands for NOT FOR LONG… we need to rebuild
April 16th, 2026 at 12:54 am
^^^ Yeah 6 years after that SB team, comparing rosters it’s hard to find a single position where we’re currently better.
The talent on this has been trending in the wrong direction for a while now.
April 16th, 2026 at 2:26 am
And you even left off Gronk. I’ve been watching him play poker on that Pokerstars Big Game with the “Loose Cannon.” It is sooooo good. It’s just THE PERFECT table with my ‘all-time’ favorite Antonio Esfandiari… He’s been like in retirement or something. I haven’t seen him in forever, other than maybe one other event lately. But, Phil Hellnuth is there! Reminds me of those old CLASSIC “NBC Poker After Dark” events from like back around 2006-2010ish. Those were SO AWESOME. Just sooo much fun, educational, and entertaining to watch. Also, Nick Wright (Cowturd’s boy) from FS1 is a guest at the table… He’s been hitting Vegas HARD for several years now. And, this new chick that has been TEARING UP the WPT European Tour (I watched both her “final table” cashes in her very first two events… and, I think she’s actually 3 for 3 now). It’s CRAZY. She’s like a professional SLOTS guru or something, and thought she’d just give POKER a “try” for the helluvit. She’s soooo much fun to watch and really plays just like I do. She is SHARP. Really cool girl. Very entertaining. It’s such a great event. And, THE GRONK is having the time of HIS LIFE. He can’t believe it. His Dad and Brother is there!!!!! It’s Fantastic. Great great event. LOTS of fun. Highly recommend.
April 16th, 2026 at 7:54 am
WTF!
April 16th, 2026 at 8:23 am
The teams blind spot has always been pass rushers and running backs. They have missed on many attempts to draft and develop those positions without success.
April 16th, 2026 at 8:55 am
So many teams want and need edge rushers. As Joe points out, it’s a critically important position. The draft pundits react by pushing too many edge rushers up their draft boards and heaping praise on them. So a lot of players who are really rd 2-4 round talent get pushed up to rd 1 or rd 2 and don’t pan out in the NFL.
April 16th, 2026 at 10:29 am
Poker Stars Big-Game on FS1 – new episodes every Friday Night. This Friday will be the 3rd one with “THE GRONK” and this amazing table, if you wanna go back and watch the previous two others. Just soooo entertaining for me anyway, but Gronk talks quite a bit about his playing career. And, of course, they’re all asking him questions like, “what was the biggest hit you remember taking” – I thought he might say the one he took in that Rams Game (it basically ended his career – he wasn’t the same after it and then retired), but he talked about the one in the Super Bowl vs ATL when blood was coming out of his mouth). It’s a shame his career was so short like, Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, and Megatron. He talked about the Bucs, and of course Brady. Hellmuth brought up that Super Bowl.
Highly HIGHLY Recommend Watching (and starting with the first episodes – especially the first two new one’s with Gronk). VERY ENTERTAINING. Especially, if you like Gronk and of course Poker. A ‘CLASSIC’ Table. Couldn’t ask for any better. Gronk is LOVIN’ IT. It’s funny. The 3rd-episode with Gronk is on FS1 Friday Night!!!!
April 16th, 2026 at 3:39 pm
I like Licht. But why would he think this? Did something change? We all know a major flaw has been them trying to draft an edge.
Is someone new on the job?