Another major phase of the NFL offseason has come and gone, as draft season is officially over. The Bucs have their new crop of rookies and will soon get them together for rookie mini camp, which will be held on the second weekend of May.

There’s another big date on the NFL calendar still to come soon, though, and that’s the release of the 2024 schedule. Within the next couple of weeks, the league should announce the date of its schedule announcement. That’s right, it’ll be an announcement of an announcement, but that’s still a big day in the football world nonetheless. Then, there’s the actual schedule release day.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

Of course, the Bucs already know the opponents on their 2024 schedule, but they’re awaiting the dates and times just like every other team in the NFL is.

For now, there’s one known facet of the schedule to consider. Given that the 2024 Draft just happened, every team on Tampa Bay’s schedule has some new, exciting rookies who will be taking the field for the first time as professionals this fall. With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the top draft picks the Bucs will see on their 2024 schedule.

Top Draft Picks On Bucs’ 2024 Home Schedule

As of right now, Tampa Bay will see two rookie quarterbacks at Raymond James Stadium this fall. The team will also welcome in a host of players it was linked to at some point or another in the lead-up to the draft.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles’ big problem down the stretch in 2023 was their defense, and they looked to resolve that through the draft. First, they selected Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell with the No. 22 overall pick. They then benefitted from the fact that Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean fell into the second round. Philadelphia executed a trade to move up and select the versatile DeJean. Houston Christian pass rusher Jalyx Hunt and Clemson running back Will Shipley were the other highlights of the Eagles’ 2024 Draft.

Washington Commanders

LSU QB Jayden Daniels – Photo by: USA Today

The Commanders may have come away with one of the best draft hauls of any team in the league. They got their potential quarterback of the future with the No. 2 overall pick, drafting LSU’s Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels. The second round saw them come away with three more high-caliber players and immediate starters, two of which were considered first-round talents linked to the Bucs – Illinois defensive tackle Johnny Newton, a St. Petersburg native, and Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristil.

Kansas State tight end Ben Sinnott (a Pewter Report Bucs Best Bet) and Rice wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, brother of Christian McCaffrey, were other key picks for Washington on Day 2.

Denver Broncos

The other rookie quarterback the Bucs are likely to see at Raymond James Stadium is Broncos No. 12 overall pick Bo Nix, formerly of Auburn and more recently out of Oregon. Denver head coach Sean Payton is high on him, and given the rest of that quarterback room includes Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham, it likely won’t be long before Nix is the starter. Utah pass rusher Jonah Elliss and Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin – who is obviously familiar with catching passes from Nix – were a couple of the Broncos’ other big draft additions.

Las Vegas Raiders

Georgia TE Brock Bowers – Photo by: USA Today

The Raiders benefitted from the way the board fell in the first round, as it allowed them to grab Georgia’s Brock Bowers, one of the better tight end prospects in recent memory, with the No. 13 overall pick. They didn’t let the fact that they just drafted Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer last year stop them from picking another ultra-talented tight end prospect in 2024. Las Vegas then selected highly coveted Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson (a Pewter Report Bucs Best Bet) in the second round.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers surprised a lot of people with their first-round pick, as they took Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall at No. 31 overall when many thought he would be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco then took another prospect from a Florida school in the second round, drafting Florida State cornerback Renardo Green. Kansas offensive lineman Dominick Puni (a Pewter Report Bucs Best Bet) was another intriguing pick for the ‘9ers, who will be looking to finally get over the hump and win a Super Bowl in 2024.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens came away with a nice draft haul, first selecting Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins with the No. 30 overall pick before picking Washington offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten and Penn State edge rusher Adisa Isaac on Day 2. They got an intriguing pair of fourth-round picks, too, first with North Carolina wide receiver Tez Walker and then with Iowa State cornerback T.J. Tampa. The Ravens are famous for drafting well, and they’re also known for beating the Bucs. Baltimore has won five straight meetings over Tampa Bay, with Tampa Bay’s last win coming in 2002.

Top Draft Picks On Bucs’ 2024 Road Schedule

The Bucs’ road slate perhaps isn’t as star studded in terms of rookies, though there are still some exciting receivers and a few impressive trench players the team will see away from home.

Dallas Cowboys

Dallas built up its trenches through the 2024 Draft, first by trading down and drafting Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton (a Pewter Report Bucs Best Bet) with the No. 29 pick. The Cowboys then drafted Western Michigan edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland (a Pewter Report Bucs Best Bet) one pick before the Bucs were on the clock in the second round before wrapping up Day 2 by selecting Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe and Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau in the third round.

New York Giants

LSU WR Malik Nabers – Photo by: USA Today

The Giants were thought to be considering a quarterback in the first round, but they instead opted to use the No. 6 overall pick on a big-time weapon for Daniel Jones. They drafted LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers with that pick, hoping it boosts their offense in a big way. New York then nabbed Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin in the second round.

Kansas City Chiefs

The back-to-back Super Bowl champions got even more help for the Patrick Mahomes, the league’s best quarterback, in the 2024 Draft. They first traded up and drafted Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 28 pick in the first round. Their second-round pick was spent on some protection for Mahomes in the form of BYU tackle Kingsley Suamataia, then they later selected Jared Wiley, a big 6-foot-6 tight end out of TCU.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers are in a bit of a rebuilding mode under new head coach Jim Harbaugh. They went with Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt with the No. 5 overall pick, then got a new receiver for Justin Herbert by drafting Georgia’s Ladd McConkey in the second round. Michigan linebacker Junior Colson was next up, then Los Angeles wrapped up its draft with the addition of USC wide receiver Brenden Rice, the son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.

Detroit Lions

The hosts of the 2024 Draft, the Lions went big on upgrading their secondary. They spent the No. 24 overall pick on Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold, then added Missouri corner Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in the second round. Late on Day 3, Detroit landed Boston College guard Christian Mahogany, who fell lower than expected throughout the weekend.

Top Draft Picks The Bucs Will See Twice In 2024

The Bucs will obviously see the draft classes from the rest of the NFC South twice this year, once each at Raymond James Stadium and once each on the road. Tampa Bay’s division mates are in varying stages of their roster development right now, though both Atlanta and New Orleans seem likely to challenge for the top spot once again.

Atlanta Falcons

Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs actually won’t see the Falcons’ first-round pick in 2024 unless quarterback Kirk Cousins is injured or it’s in garbage time. That’s because Atlanta, with all of its defensive needs and after giving Cousins a four-year, $180 million deal this offseason, drafted Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick. It was one of the surprises and overall stories of draft weekend, but without an injury or unless things go very poorly for Atlanta, Penix is more of a future Bucs problem.

The Falcons did ultimately address their defensive line like they needed to, spending their three picks after Penix on the position. They drafted Clemson defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro (a Pewter Report Bucs Best Bet) in the second round, then got Washington edge rusher Bralen Trice in the third before picking Oregon defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus in the fourth round.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints needed some offensive line help and they got it in the form of versatile Oregon State tackle Taliese Fuaga, who was the No. 14 overall pick on Thursday night. New Orleans then traded up in the second round to pick Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry. The team didn’t have any more picks until the fifth round, but that round saw them select two intriguing prospects in South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler and Pitt wide receiver Bub Means.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers had the league’s worst record in 2023, but because they traded their first-round pick to the Bears for the No. 1 overall pick last year, they weren’t slated to pick in the first round in 2024. But they traded into the end of the first round on Thursday night, moving up from No. 33 overall to No. 32 overall in order to select South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette.

Carolina’s draft was a lot about getting help for quarterback Bryce Young, as the team took the first running back off the board in round two with the selection of Texas’ Jonathon Brooks. The Panthers did go defense in the third round, picking Kentucky linebacker Trevin Wallace (a Pewter Report Bucs Best Bet), then later added Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders in the fourth round, giving Young another weapon.