The Bucs got EXTREME VALUE out of the 2024 NFL Draft

Now that the Bucs’ 2024 season is over, it’s time to start looking ahead to the future and what next year’s team will look like. As Tampa Bay looks to build the next iteration of its roster, it could do so with plenty of young building blocks throughout the roster.

The work they did in the 2024 NFL Draft is a big part of that, as they picked up value on what appear to be four promising plus starters in center Graham Barton, defensive end Tykee Smith, wide receiver Jalen McMillan, and of course run. back Bucky Irving. Not to mention, outside linebacker Chris Braswell and tight end Devin Culp showed flashes on the field and offensive lineman Elijah Klein worked behind the scenes to improve and potentially factor into the equation as soon as next year.

Bucs fans should be very excited about this group of young talents and what each of them will accomplish over the next few seasons.

Graham Barton led the Bucs’ Draft class and held his own

Let’s start with the man who led the Bucs’ 2024 draft class – first-round pick Graham Barton.

After one “wild ride” of a rookie season, Barton started 16 games and held the starting center position as a rookie, which is no easy task. As expected, he went through his share of ups and downs, but had enough potential to be optimistic about his ceiling. At his peak, Barton should be among the best centers in the league if he can build on his first year and show similar growth as right tackle Luke Goedeke and right guard Cody Mauch have had in each of the past two years.

Barton entered the 2024 NFL Draft as one of the best indoor offensive linemen, and comparing him to how they fared, it’s safe to say he was one of the better ones. It’s futile to decide who will have the better career after just one year, but he showed enough flashes to prove worthy of being a first-round pick.

Week after week, there was “that” clip where if you didn’t know if he wasn’t wearing red and pewter, you could mistake Tampa Bay’s No. 62 with Jason Kelce, who also wore that number and just closed a hall. of Fame career with the Eagles.

Against the Giants this season, Barton outplayed absolutely none other than Giants Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence on one rep.

I pointed out Kelce above, and how Barton can scramble and showcase his athleticism is reminiscent of what the seven-time Pro Bowler often did in Philadelphia.

Third round picks Tykee Smith and Jalen McMillan were big finds

After hitting their first round pick, the Bucs made two nice selections on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft in Tykee Smith and Jalen McMillan. While Smith struggled with injuries and missed four games this past season, he was a much-needed playmaker for Tampa Bay’s secondary.

He’s a physical tackler who makes the most of his 5-foot-10, 202-pound frame and pairs that with a knack for the football, forcing three fumbles and recording two interceptions in his rookie year.

Smith has already shown enough to believe he can develop into one of the better nickelbacks in the league at its peak. He reads and recognizes routes well, a product of his high football sense dating back to his senior year with the Georgia Bulldogs when he was asked to play all over the field.

He ranked seventh among all rookie cornerbacks and 25th among the 117 cornerbacks rated by Pro Football Focus. However, looking only at nickelbacks, the only rookies who fared better playing primarily in the slot were Andru Phillips of the Giants and Cooper DeJean of the Eagles. Smith wasn’t far behind and provided added value in terms of being selected 89th overall.

McMillan started the year slowly, but by the end he could be ranked among the better wide receivers from his draft class. Marvin Harrison Jr. (fourth overall), Malik Nabers (sixth overall), Brian Thomas Jr. (23rd overall) and Ladd McConkey (34th overall) were arguably the best of the bunch, but he compared favorably to other ten landlines drawn in front of him.

Yes, that’s right, McMillan was the 15th wideout off the board, but has a strong case to be in the top half, especially with the way he finished the season with a historic run to find the end zone.

Compared to his two former Washington Huskies teammates, each picked over 50 spots ahead of him, he more than held his own.

Rome Odunze (9th overall by Bears): 17 games, 101 targets, 54 receptions, 734 receiving yards, three touchdowns

Ja’Lynn Polk (37th overall by Patriots): 15 games, 33 targets, 12 receptions, 87 receiving yards, two touchdowns

Jalen McMillan (92nd overall by Bucs): 13 games, 58 targets, 37 receptions, 461 receiving yards, eight touchdowns

Like Smith, McMillan provided added value and a case could be made that he would be a Top 50 pick in hindsight.

The Bucs got their money’s worth with Bucky Irving

Graham Barton, Tykee Smith and Jalen McMillan have shown every indication of being good draft picks by Bucs general manager Jason Licht, assistant GM John Spytek and the front office. However, on Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft, Licht pulled off an absolute heist after selecting Bucky Irving with the 125th overall pick.

Irving was nothing short of sensational during his rookie year and one of the best offensive rookies without a quarterback in the NFL. There is no doubt that he was one of the best running backs.

Tampa Bay now has the running back of the future secured, and he was a big reason why the running game finally got going after finishing the previous two seasons dead last. Irving was the spark plug of the offense, electrifying both the unit and the fans with his big runs that quickly made him a fan favorite.

There’s no arguing he was the best rookie back in his class, leading the way with 207 carries, 1,122 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He was also an effective receiver out of the backfield, hauling in 47 receptions for 392 receiving yards.

The teams that picked Jonathon Brooks, Trey Benson, Blake Corum, MarShawn Lloyd and Jaylen Wright ahead of Irving probably wish they would have taken the former Oregon Duck instead — and he would have gone much earlier.

What about the rest of the Bucs’ picks?

That brings us to the Bucs’ final three draft picks that have yet to be discussed — outside linebacker Chris Braswell, guard Elijah Klein and tight end Devin Culp. Each could still factor into the team’s plans for years to come as they continue to develop.

They might not be considered “hits” yet, but it’s far too early to call any of them “busters.” Players don’t always grow at a linear rate, and they still have plenty of untapped potential that can be exploited.

Starting with Braswell, he failed to break out during the second half of his rookie year like outside linebacker Yaya Diaby did the year before. He finished with just 18 total tackles, eight quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks playing in all 17 games as a backup. His playing time declined down the stretch, but there were still flashes physical strength Tampa Bay saw when they took him 57th overall.

Klein was the team’s sixth-round pick, and with the additions of center Graham Barton and left guard Ben Bredeson in free agency along with left tackle Tristan Wirfs, right guard Cody Mauch and right tackle Luke Goedeke holding down the other three starting spots, he was expected not to play. This allowed him to spend a year developing offensive coordinator Liam Coen and offensive line coach Kevin Carberry’s system. That should benefit the burly 6-foot-4, 319-pound offensive lineman going forward.

While he primarily played right guard during his college days at UTEP, he appeared at right tackle during the preseason and also got practice reps at center and left guard. There may not have been a spot for him before, but with Bredeson, swing tackle Justin Skule and center Robert Hainsey each a free agent, he could find a role as early as next year as a quality piece in the depth or even as the starter. left guard.

Culp was inactive for most of the year before – just like Jalen McMillan – he ended the year on a high note. He had his first NFL catch in Week 17 when he had three receptions for 52 receiving yards. He followed that up with a two-catch, 36-yard performance in the regular season finale over the Saints.

Culp stretched the field at the tight end position with a short sample size of 17.6 yards per carry. reception far better than Cade Otton (10.2) or Payne Durham (10.5). With a full offseason to continue making progress, he could see the field more and give quarterback Baker Mayfield another lethal target.

Watch my accompanying video below on the Bucs’ amazing 2024 draft class on our PewterReportTV YouTube Channel.