Tampa Bay was coming off a 2003 season that featured a third place finish in the NFC South with a 7-9 record. They had the 15th overall pick in the first round. The draft was conducted by then general manager Bruce Allen, head coach Jon Gruden and director of college scouting Ruston Webster. The Buccaneers did not have a second-round pick as part of the 2002 trade for Gruden.
First Round
Bucs pick: wide receiver Michael Clayton– 15th overall
Top Players the Bucs Passed On
Denver LB D.J. Williams- 17th overall
New Orleans DE Will Smith- 18th overall
New England DT Vince Wilfork- 21st overall
St. Louis RB Steven Jackson- 24th overall
Carolina CB Chris Gamble- 28th overall
Other Quality Options
Philadelphia T Shawn Andrews- 16th overall
Arizona LB Karlos Dansby- 33rd overall
New York Giants G Chris Snee- 34th overall
Indianapolis S Bob Sanders- 44th overall
Arizona DT Darnell Dockett- 64th overall
Pittsburgh T Max Starks- 75th overall
Analysis: Clayton started out with a fabulous rookie campaign where he was the runner up for NFL’s Rookie of the Year. After surpassing 1,000 yards as a rookie, he looked like he was on his way to a dynamic career. Clayton allowed himself to be distracted with off the field pursuits and ended up having down seasons in 2005, 2006 and 2007. In 2008, Clayton finished the season on an upswing and he parlayed that into a lucrative five-year contract with Tampa Bay. Clayton was a massive disappointment in 2009 and was cut before the 2010 season. After his rookie season Clayton struggled regularly with dropped passes. He did not have the speed to be an effective receiver. All of the players listed above had much more productive careers than Clayton.
Third Round
Bucs pick: linebacker Marquis Cooper- 79th overall
Top Players the Bucs Passed On
Washington TE Chris Cooley- 81st overall
Atlanta QB Matt Schaub- 90th overall
San Diego LB Shaun Phillips- 98th overall
Other Quality Options
Seattle T Sean Locklear- 84th overall
Carolina T Travelle Wharton- 94th overall
Cleveland QB Luke McCown- 106th overall
New York Jets WR Jerricho Cotchery- 108th overall
Chicago CB Nathan Vasher- 110th overall
Analysis: Cooper never cracked the lineup with the Buccaneers. He hooked on with a few other teams before tragically passing away in 2009. Cooley has been one of the top tight ends in the NFL while Schaub has become a franchise quarterback. Locklear and Wharton have turned into quality linemen. McCown is a quality backup signal caller and Cotchery has been a solid wide receiver. Vasher started out extremely well with the Bears before injuries derailed his career.
Fourth Round
Bucs pick: safety Will Allen- 111th overall
Top Players the Bucs Passed On
Cincinnati T Stacy Andrews- 123rd overall
Kansas City DE Jared Allen- 126th overall
Other Quality Options
St. Louis OLB Brandon Chillar- 130th overall
New York Giants S Gibril Wilson- 136th overall
New York Jets S Erik Coleman- 143rd overall
Analysis: Will Allen was a starter for the Bucs in parts of the 2005 and 2006 seasons, but lost his starting spot to Tanard Jackson in 2007. In his Bucs career Allen was a quality backup and special teams player. The Bucs liked Jared Allen, but passed on him due to character concerns. Allen has become one of the best defensive ends in the NFL. Chillar, Wilson and Coleman have all been starters that have bounced around from a few teams. Passing on Allen was a massive mistake despite the character concerns from his years in college.
Fifth Round
Bucs pick: guard Jeb Terry- 146th overall
Top Players the Bucs Passed On
San Diego RB Michael Turner- 154th overall
Green Bay DT Corey Williams- 179th overall
Other Quality Options
None
Analysis: The Bucs could have had a franchise running back in Michael Turner. Turner has gone on to be one of the league’s best running backs. He has been a leader for the Falcons offense in playoff appearances in two of the past three seasons. Williams has been a good defensive tackle for the Packers, Browns and Lions.
Sixth Round
Bucs pick: tight end Nate Lawrie- 181st overall
Top Players the Bucs Passed On
None
Other Quality Options
None
Analysis: Lawrie never had a career with the Buccaneers, but the wasted pick did not come back to bite Tampa Bay as none of the players they passed on before they picked again panned out.
Seventh Round
Bucs pick: wide receiver Mark Jones- 206th overall and running back Casey Cramer- 228th overall
Top Players the Bucs Passed On
New York Jets RB Derrick Ward- 235th overall
Jacksonville DE Bobby McCray- 249th overall
Other Quality Options
None
Analysis: Jones and Cramer never amounted to much for the Buccaneers. Ward turned into a 1,000 yard back with the New York Giants, but was a massive free agent bust for Tampa Bay in 2009. McCray flashed with a 10 sack season in 2006 but has become journeyman. Still, Ward and McCray have had more productive careers than the Bucs’ choices.
Final Results: The Bucs got an immediate impact from this draft class in Clayton, but he flamed out quickly and was a disappointment for the next five years. None of the other Buccaneers draft picks turned into quality NFL starters. Tampa Bay passed on some franchise quarterbacks, running backs and defensive ends in the middle rounds. It was the first draft under Allen and Gruden and was the beginning of routine draft mistakes that led to them not lasting in Tampa Bay.
PREVIOUS DRAFT REVIEWS
Bucs 2008 NFL Draft Review
Bucs 2007 NFL Draft Review
Bucs 2006 NFL Draft Review
Bucs 2005 NFL Draft Review
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