CONFERENCE CALL: JASON LICHT’S DRAFT HISTORY- The BIG 10
In the NFL, teams used to be built in the image its head coach. Defensive-minded coaches tend to prioritize drafting and grooming defensive players while offensive-minded coaches look for young playmakers. In some cases, its the general manager who has his fingerprints on the structure of the team. In Tampa, it’s been Jason Licht who has taken on the architect role for the BUCS.
Since 2016, Jason Licht has had full control of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster. It’s safe to say he and his crew have plucked talent from almost everywhere to build the BUCS in his image of competitiveness. Let’s take a look at his draft history by conference.
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Updated 3/24/24
2015 2nd Round-Donovan Smith—- After selecting a franchise QB hopeful with the #1 Overall Pick in the 2015 draft, the BUCS immediately looked to prioritize protecting their investment. They started by taking Smith in the 2nd Round. The Nittany Lion had very mixed reviews going into the draft. Some suggested he’d be a much better fit as a guard due to his skill set. Others said he’d have to be moved to right tackle because he lacked the athleticism to play left tackle. A few claimed he’d be a backup at best.
Well, Licht and company drafted him as a left tackle. And he stayed at left tackle. In his 2nd season, Smith was recorded as not giving up a sack. That’s the offensive tackle equivalent of gaining 1,000 yards as a receiver or running back. Despite criticism from a vocal group of BUCS fans, the coaches and the front office recognized this feat and saw it as a benchmark he had set for himself. Smith has gone on to sign a 2nd and 3rd contract in Tampa and start at LT for two Super Bowl-winning teams—one in Tampa and one for the Kansas City Chiefs.
2015 5th Round-Kenny Bell—-This pick came with a good bit of excitement from hardcore draft fans. It also came with a big endorsement from Licht’s father who was a long-time Husker season ticket holder.
Bell had left Nebraska after setting multiple school records. He had broken the career receptions record as well as the receiving yards record. He also earned 1st Team All-Big-10. Having run a 4.42 at the combine, he was supposed to be a vertical threat in the NFL. Instead, the guy with the big smile and even bigger afro never touched the field for a regular-season game. He suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in the preseason of his rookie year in Tampa. He didn’t make the Team’s final cut in 2016.
He got signed to the Ravens’ practice team in 2016. But, was eventually waived due to yet another injury. His last stop in the League was with the Broncos where he, again, was placed on injured reserve.
2016 6th Round- Danny Vitale—-At Northwestern, they called him a SuperBack. He had a TE skill set in a FB body. At 6’2”, 235lbs, he was a big-time blocker. He could also catch the ball reliably. That made him a pretty intriguing prospect/project for Jason Licht’s arsenal.
Well, that project never got off the ground in Tampa. The former Wildcat was let go during the BUCS’ final cut to get to 53. He was immediately claimed off waivers by the Bills. But, he failed a physical and ended up back on the waiver wire where the BUCS claimed him and placed him on the practice team. Cleveland stepped in and signed him from the BUCS’ practice team to their active roster. Vitale stuck with the Brown for two seasons until a calf injury sent him to IR in 2018. After he was released, the Packers signed him to the practice squad. He was later put on the active roster and appeared in 5 games. Green Bay retained his services in 2019 and he appeared in 15 games with 4 starts.
Vitale signed with New England in 2020. But, he opted out of the season due to Covid-19. The former 6th Rounder officially retired from football in June of 2020.
2017 3rd Round-Chris Godwin—-For some, the Penn State product didn’t become noteworthy until the combine when he ran a surprising 4.42. To those who had been paying attention, Godwin had made himself a legit talent in his sophomore year as Nittany Lion. He had 1,101 receiving yards which included 5 games going over 100 yards. He followed that up with a 982-yard season in his Junior year.
Still, he ended up being available in the 3rd Round. But he’s in good company. Funny enough, some of the best talent in that draft class came from the 3rd Round. Alvin Kamara and Cooper Kupp were also left waiting until the 3rd.
Godwin was able to come in and be productive from the jump. He had 525 yards in his rookie season and then 842 yards in year two. With Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson garnering so much attention, he was able to perfect his craft and develop while not bearing the responsibility to carry the team. By his 3rd season, he was a full-time starter and thought of as an additional WR1. He validated that claim with 1,333 yards in 2019. In 2022, the standout WR was signed to a 3yr/$60M contract extension.
2018 6th Round-Jack Cichy—-Another tale of how injuries can derail a draft prospect. This former walk-on at Wisconsin was already a health risk before he even entered the Draft. He missed the entire 2017 season due to a knee injury. He entered the draft anyways as he didn’t want to apply for what would have been his sixth year of eligibility.
Licht took a shot on him anyways. Albeit a low-risk one. Cichy made the team a special teams player and backup linebacker. He appeared in 6 games in his rookie year. But his season was cut short due to an ACL injury in Week 7. He was placed on IR. He fought back to make the team once in 2019. He then suffered a dislocated elbow in Week 4 of 2019 landing him back on the injury reserve list. The following season was ended prematurely by way of a hamstring injury in Week 5. Sheeeesh!
The embattled linebacker found himself on the waiver wire in 2020. The Patriots claimed him. But, he failed the physical. He ended up on their practice team. On a brighter side of things, Cichy was signed off the New England practice team by the BUCS where he was, once again, put on injured reserve. He did receive a ring for the Super Bowl victory though.
Cichy has since retired.
2019 4th Round-Anthony Nelson—-As a former Big 10 honorable mention, Nelson had the attention of anyone that was in the know about college football. Obviously, this included Licht’s scouting team. Nelson had the physical makeup and skill set of then-BUC Carl Nassib who was a 3rd Round selection just 3 years earlier.
Nelson has been a relatively solid role player during his time in Tampa He’s appeared in 75 games making 12 starts. As a backup/rotational player behind the likes of Jason Pierre-Paul, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, and Shaq Barrett, he’s as good as you could ask for.
In 2023, he signed a 2-year/$10M contract to remain a BUC.
2020 1st Round-Tristan Wirfs—-Jason Licht was in need of a right tackle that was strong enough to hold up in pass protection and athletic enough to get out in space to break some big runs. The Big 10 has always been known to produce major talent on the offensive line. And Wirfs was no exception. In fact, in his rookie season, he proved to be exceptional. The only blemish on his year was getting rag-dolled on one rep by one of the NFL’s most dominant defenders. Other than that, he’s been a driving force in the BUCS’ success on offense.
In his second season as a pro, he made the Pro Bowl and was named to the First Team All-Pro.
He’s started all 63 games of his career so far and is well on his way to being one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the NFL when his 2nd contract is due.
2020 2nd Round-Antoine Winfield Jr.—-This University of Minnesota product was one of the best defensive prospects in the entire draft. He was the Big 10 Defensive Player Of The Year. And he was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. That trophy is given to the best defender in all of college football. Most finalists end up as a 1st Round draft pick. Somehow, Winfield Jr. made it to Pick 45.
Licht pulled the trigger and landed an immediate starter and major playmaker for the BUCS. In his first two seasons, Winfield Jr. was recognized by both his peers and writers. He came in fourth for Defensive Rookie of the Year and made the Pro Bowl in his second season.
In 2023, he had his best season as he stood out as one of the very best Safeties in the NFL and was named 1st Team All-Pro.
2020 5th Round-Tyler Johnson—-Another talented player that slipped to the BUCS. Again, another Golden Gopher.
Johnson was an ultra-talented WR at the U of M. His 4yr college career got better with each year. He set several school records for yards and touchdowns. He garnered two 1st Team All-Big 10 nominations. He capped off his college career with a memorable 204-yard performance at the Outback Bowl game which, ironically, was held at Raymond James Stadium. Home of the BUCS.
Much like Chris Godwin’s situation when he was drafted, Johnson had the luxury of not bearing the burden of carrying the team in the way he did in college. He had two bonafide star players ahead of him and could just play freely and develop. That was the case for about six weeks into his rookie season when Chris Godwin got injured. The BUCS signed ticking timebomb Antonio Brown to bolster the WR unit while Godwin got back to health. Mike Evans was also dealing with nagging injuries. But, he was still active. The rush to acclimate Brown to the offense and get him going put the development of Tyler Johnson on the backburner.
Prior to Brown’s arrival, Johnson had multiple pass targets in 3 of the 4 games he appeared in. He didn’t have a game with multiple targets for the rest of the regular season. He finished the season with just 17 targets in his 14 games. Brown had 62 targets even though he only appeared in 8 games.
In the 2021 season, Johnson saw an uptick in his targets(55). He almost matched his previous season’s total by Week 7. Still, he wasn’t made a priority in the offense, and his actual development in Tampa came into question.
He was waived by the BUCS in August of 2022 and spent short stints in Houston and Los Angeles.
2020 6th Round-Khalil Davis—-Voted as Nebraskas’s defensive lineman of the year and an honorable mention All-Big 10 player, Davis was a notable name to anyone that paid close attention to the Cornhuskers. And Jason Licht can likely be counted as one of those people.
Davis wasn’t a big name outside of the Big 10 crowd. But he was a player with potential. Unfortunately, the potential likely won’t be met in a pewter and red jersey. Davis appeared in only 2 games during his rookie season. He got waived in 2021 and subsequently was claimed by the Colts. He lasted less than a month there before he was waived once again. The Pittsburgh Steelers signed him to their practice squad to finish the 2021 season. He bounced between Pittsburgh’s, Los Angeles’(LAR), and Houston’s practice squads over the next two seasons before signing on with the Texans in 2023, where he appeared in 15 games.
He signed a 1-year extension with the team in March of 2024 for $1.65M
2022 4th Round-Ko Kieft—- Kieft was a curious pick as he was the 2nd TE chosen by the BUCS. His particular set of skills made him a perfect fit as a FB which would’ve been a new and welcomed wrinkle in the offense if implemented well. Kieft was on the field for 21.79% of offensive snaps. He reeled in 7 catches for 80 yards and 1 Touchdown in his rookie season. With a new offense coordinator and hopefully a much different offensive philosophy welcoming him for his second season, there was a hope that his role may have expanded in the 2023 season.
Not so much.
Kieft played 20% of the offensive snaps and had just 5 receiving targets all year. He had one reception and two yards receiving.
For what it’s worth, that one reception was a TD.
RECAP
11 PIcks
1 1st-Rounder
5 Pro Bowl appearances (Wirfs x3, Godwin x1, Winfield x1)
2 All-Pro 1st Team (Wirfs- 2021, Winfield- 2023)
2 All-Pro 2nd Team (Godwin- 2019, Wirfs- 2022)
2nd Contracts Earned: 4
BUSTS: 2
