Welcome to SR’s Fab 5 – my weekly insider column on the Bucs that features five things that are on my mind. SR’s Fab 5 is now a quicker read, but still packs a punch. Enjoy!

FAB 1. Why Character Matters So Much To Jason Licht And The Bucs

I’m going to explore Jason Licht’s Top 10 best and worst draft picks during his 11 years as general manager in Tampa Bay in this week’s SR’s Fab 5. The common denominator in most of Licht’s draft hits has been high character, while not-so-high character has shown up more often in his draft misses.

Character counts in Tampa Bay – now more than ever. Licht and head coach Todd Bowles are in lock-step in terms of what they’re looking for, and it’s detailed in the team’s “I Am That Man” philosophy when it comes to personnel and scouting.

Licht and his personnel staff came up with five traits that the team looks for when drafting or acquiring players – Accountable, Competitive, Confident, Passionate and Resilient. All five qualities make up high-character players.

Notice that physical traits like speed, strength, agility or athleticism aren’t on the list. Those qualities are important, but not before character.

Photo courtesy of the Buccaneers

Where the “I Am That Man” philosophy is borne out is in situations like the Bucs starting the 2020 season 7-5 and then winning eight straight games after the bye week, including Super Bowl LV over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9. A more recent example came last season when the Bucs blew a hot 3-1 start to slide to 4-7 by late November. Tampa Bay rallied by winning five of its last six games to win the NFC South, make the playoffs and advance to the NFC Divisional Round after a 32-9 Wild Card home win over Philadelphia.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and FS Antoine Winfield Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“[There are] a lot of fighters on this team. A lot of vets, a lot of young guys that don’t know what it’s all about, that the vets are teaching and the coaches are teaching,” Bowles said last January while the team showed a ton of resiliency and character and finished strong down the stretch. “You’re going to go through adversity in the NFL. You’re not going to go through unscathed. Very few teams go through 17-0, win every playoff game, and go to the Super Bowl. You’re going to have to learn some lessons, you’re going to have to get mentally tougher, and that comes with chemistry, the culture we created here, the chemistry they developed in training camp, mini-camp.

“And, as long as you go through the downs together, [you will] come out of it together. These guys have stayed the course. The owners have been great encouraging us, Jason has been great encouraging us. The culture has been great with the players, the leaders have been great with the young guys, and we stayed the course. We stayed the course, we knew the things we had mistakes on, we knew the things we had to correct, and we just kept tugging the chain, pulling forward, pulling forward, and you’re seeing the results at the end.”

Look no further than some of Tampa Bay’s recent draft picks for the types of players the Bucs look for.

First-round draft pick Graham Barton was an All-ACC offensive lineman at Duke and certainly could’ve left the program for more NIL (name, image and likeness) money elsewhere and a chance to play on a better team. Instead, he stuck it out with the Blue Devils and that was an easy decision because he loved the school, he loved his coaches, he loved his teammates and the team in general.

Second-round pick Chris Braswell is another example. Stuck behind a pair of SEC Defensive Players of the Year in back-to-back seasons in Will Anderson, Jr. and Dallas Turner, who both became first-round draft picks, Braswell didn’t chase NIL dollars elsewhere looking for a chance to start. He patiently waited for Anderson to graduate and delivered a great season for the Crimson Tide in 2023 with eight sacks and three forced fumbles.

Braswell loved Alabama and didn’t want to leave. And why would he? He got to learn from two NFL-caliber pass rushers and get better every day going against offensive tackle J.C. Latham, a Top 10 pick in this year’s draft. The Bucs appreciated the loyalty of players like Barton and Braswell who stuck it out and fought rather than flee the situation opportunistically. It’s that type of mental make-up that allows teams to rebound from a 4-7 start to finish atop the division and win in the playoffs.

Kentucky RB Ray Davis – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs had a formal visit at the NFL Scouting Combine with Kentucky running back Ray Davis. He sure seemed like a Bucs target after rushing for 1,000 yards in Liam Coen’s offense last year. But he turned the team during his interview instead. Davis began his career at Temple then transferred to the SEC at Vanderbilt before spending his final season at Kentucky.

It became clear that when the going got tough, Davis got going and bailed, looking out for himself and a better opportunity elsewhere. He just didn’t have the “stay and fight” mentality that the Bucs were looking for. It’s not that Davis was a bad guy, he just didn’t have the right character that the team was looking for. Davis was “not that man” to Tampa Bay.

Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson was also deemed to be not the right fit, which is why Tampa Bay opted for Barton in the first round instead.

Licht, Bowles and the Bucs appear to have had another high-character draft class in 2024. And the way the Bucs keep stacking these type of draft hauls and finding “their men,” it may only be a matter of time before Tampa Bay becomes a Super Bowl contender again.

FAB 2. Jason Licht’s Top 10 Best Bucs Draft Picks

The Bucs franchise has five Hall of Fame players in defensive end Lee Roy Selmon, defensive tackle Warren Sapp, linebacker Derrick Brooks, safety John Lynch and cornerback Ronde Barber. It’s hard to argue that those five aren’t the five best Bucs draft picks of all-time. But when it’s all said and done in a few years, a pair of Jason Licht’s own top five draft picks – wide receiver Mike Evans and tackle Tristan Wirfs – could make the Top 5 all-time draft pick list.

Aided by his team of scouts and personnel staff, Licht has become known for his drafting prowess over the last 11 years as the team’s general manager. Let’s take a look at Licht’s Top 5 draft picks of all time.

1. WR Mike Evans – First Round, 2014

Bucs WR Mike Evans and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Scott Reynolds/PR

Drafting a future Hall of Fame receiver like Evans with his first-ever pick as general manager is up there with the Bucs selecting Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon with the franchise’s first-ever draft pick. Evans is the best Bucs offensive player of all-time and Licht’s best-ever draft pick. Evans, a five-time Pro Bowler who just signed a two-year contract extension, set an NFL record with 10 consecutive seasons of 1,000 receiving yards to start a career.

The 6-foot-5 target was one of the reasons why Tom Brady chose Tampa Bay in free agency, and Evans helped the Bucs win their second Super Bowl that season. Evans set a new single-season record for touchdown receptions as a rookie with 12 and then broke it in 2020 with 13. The next year, Evans topped it with 14 scores and has scored more TDs in Tampa Bay than anyone else, with 99 (94 regular season TDs, five postseason TDs). With 762 career catches for 11,680 career receiving yards entering his 11th season, Evans could wind up in the Top 10 in NFL history in receiving yards when his career ends.

2. OT Tristan Wirfs – First Round, 2020

Trading up one spot to secure Wirfs, a three-time Pro Bowler, was one of the best trades Licht has ever made. Wirfs has Hall of Fame-caliber talent and helped the Bucs win Super Bowl LV as a rookie. It was a brilliant pick during the challenging COVID-19 draft via Zoom. At 6-foot-5, 345 pounds, the nimble Wirfs is an athletic dynamo of an offensive tackle. He’s set to cash in on a mega-contract extension this offseason.

Wirfs has made two All-Pro teams, and after switching from right tackle to left tackle in the 2023 season, he’s looking to get back to his All-Pro form this season. The Iowa product has stepped up as a leader with the sudden retirement of Ali Marpet and the career-ending knee injury to Ryan Jensen and became a team captain in 2023.

3. FS Antoine Winfield Jr. – Second Round, 2020

Bucs FS Antoine Winfield, Jr. – Photo by: USA Today

Selecting offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs and then Winfield in the first two rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft was akin to the Bucs drafting a pair of Hall of Famers in defensive tackle Warren Sapp and linebacker Derrick Brooks back-to-back in 1995. Licht rolled the dice on a short, yet athletic playmaker whose ballhawking skills are up there with Ronde Barber’s – and it paid off as Winfield has turned into an All-Pro. Winfield started every game of his rookie season and even recorded an interception in Tampa Bay’s 31-9 win over Kansas City in Super Bowl LV.

In 2023, Winfield led the league with six forced fumbles, six sacks, four fumble recoveries and three interceptions, in addition to six tackles for loss and a career-high 122 tackles. Winfield was given the franchise tag this season and is about to reset the safety market with a new contract extension. Bucs G.M. Jason Licht calls Winfield the best safety in football and is prepared to make him the highest-paid safety, too.

4. G Ali Marpet – Second Round, 2015

Jason Licht took a chance on Marpet, an athletic left tackle at Hobart College, by trading up to get him in the second round of the 2015 draft. Marpet starred at the Senior Bowl that year, and after playing next to left tackle Donovan Smith in Mobile, he wound up eventually playing next to him in Tampa Bay after Licht drafted Smith near the top of the second round.

Marpet quickly became a Pro Bowl-caliber guard and was finally recognized with that distinction once the Bucs won Super Bowl, becoming a Pro Bowler after the 2021 season. A multi-year team captain, Marpet was well respected by his teammates and known for his no-nonsense, business-like approach. Marpet abruptly retired at age 28 after the 2021 season and remains one of Licht’s favorite draft picks of all time.

5. WR Chris Godwin – Third Round, 2017

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: USA Today

Not only did Jason Licht draft the best wide receiver in franchise history in Mike Evans in 2014, he also drafted the second-best wide receiver in Tampa Bay in Godwin three years later. With 529 career catches for 6,690 yards and 34 touchdowns, Godwin ranks second in team annals behind only Evans at the wide receiver position.A team captain and respected leader, Godwin has produced four 1,000-yard seasons, beginning with a Pro Bowl season in 2019.

He’s topped 1,000 yards receiving in each of the last three seasons and has thrived as one of the league’s best slot receivers since Bruce Arians began using Godwin in the Larry Fitzgerald role in 2019, and he helped Tampa Bay win Super Bowl LV during the 2020 season. Godwin is entering a big contract year at the age of 28, but after seeing more time as an outside receiver last year, he’s back in his familiar role in the slot in Liam Coen’s new offense and should thrive.

FAB 3. The Next Five Best Bucs Draft Picks By Jason Licht

Jason Licht has drafted a total of nine players who have been to at least one Pro Bowl. But not every one of those players makes the list of his next five top draft picks in Tampa Bay. Jameis Winston, who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie after being the No. 1 overall pick in 2015, is the franchise’s all-time leading passer for example, but didn’t lead the Bucs to the playoffs, nor did he get a second contract from the organization.

Middle linebacker Kwon Alexander, a fourth-round pick in 2015, is another example. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017 and played at a high level for three seasons, but suffered a knee injury during his contract year in 2018 and wasn’t re-signed. His career has never been the same as a result.

So here are the next best five draft picks by Licht.

6. DT Vita Vea – First Round, 2018

Bucs DT Vita Vea and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Jason Licht traded down a few spots in the first round to pick up more draft capital in the second round, but still managed to get his top target in Vea with the No. 12 overall pick. At 6-foot-4, and weighing over 350 pounds, Vea is an athletic freak. Strong and agile, Vea has developed into a Pro Bowl-caliber player, making his first Pro Bowl in 2021 after helping Tampa Bay win Super Bowl LV in 2020.

Vea’s ability as pass rusher has improved over time. He led the Bucs in sacks in 2022 with a career-high 6.5 and had 5.5 sacks last season. A lynchpin at nose tackle in Todd Bowles defense, Vea was signed to a massive contract extension in 2021 that pays him $17.75 million per season. That’s a relative bargain right now given how much the defensive tackle market has exploded in free agency, and Vea is worth every penny.

7. ILB Devin White – First Round, 2019

Some fans may scoff at this selection given White’s sub-par play and poor attitude over the last two seasons in Tampa Bay. But his first two seasons with the Bucs were borderline brilliant, as Jason Licht took a chance on drafting an off-ball linebacker with the fifth overall pick. There is no doubting that White helped the Bucs win Super Bowl LV in his second season in 2020 with a commanding performance in the postseason that year. White was a five-year starter and a multi-year team captain.

In White’s first two years, he recovered five fumbles, including two for touchdowns, forced four fumbles, recorded 11.5 sacks and had one interception, in addition to tallying 231 tackles. But fame got to his head and his ego got the best of him after making his lone Pro Bowl in 2021, which is a shame considering the hot start to his career. White started to get soft in the run game and didn’t improve much in coverage. He lost his starting job at the end of his contract year in 2023 and the Bucs wisely decided to move on as a result. The lesson learned is to draft team-first players who check their ego at the door in Tampa Bay.

8. CB Carlton Davis III – Second Round, 2018

Former Bucs CB Carlton Davis III – Photo by: USA Today

Davis didn’t make a Pro Bowl in his six seasons in Tampa Bay before being traded to Detroit this offseason, but did gain a reputation of being the team’s top cover cornerback for most of his time in red and pewter. Davis struggled to produce interceptions and stay healthy in Tampa Bay due to his physical brand of football, but he did lead the team with a career-high four interceptions in 2020 and helped the Bucs win Super Bowl LV that season.

Davis also proved to be a good mentor to his former Auburn teammate Jamel Dean, who was drafted by Tampa Bay the following year in 2019, and has also helped groom his eventual replacement, cornerback Zyon McCollum. Davis earned a massive contract extension in 2022, but injuries caught him with him over the past two seasons and prompted Jason Licht to trade him while he still had trade value.

9. Jamel Dean – Third Round, 2019

Like Carlton Davis III, Dean was battle-tested in the SEC at Auburn before being drafted in the third round in 2019. Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles loved Dean’s 4.3 speed and his length as a 6-foot-1, 205-pound outside cornerback. It didn’t take long for Dean to crack the starting lineup opposite Davis and he helped the Bucs win Super Bowl LV as a member of the “Gravediggers” secondary.

Dean was rewarded with a lucrative contract extension in 2022. At the time, the deal was well deserved as he supplanted Davis as the Bucs’ best cover cornerback. He’s now making $12 million per season, but coming off a down year in which he struggled with injuries and didn’t produce an interceptions. It was Davis’ lack of interceptions and oft-injured nature that prompted Licht to trade him this offseason. A similar fate awaits Dean unless he becomes more of a ballhawk and stays healthy in 2024.

10. Donovan Smith – Second Round, 2015

Former Bucs LT Donovan Smith – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Smith’s addition to this list over the likes of Kwon Alexander and Jordan Whitehead may seem suspect, but the reality is that good left tackles are incredibly hard to find. They rarely hit free agency, and after selecting quarterback Jameis Winston with the first overall pick in 2015, Jason Licht wisely sought some protection for Winston by drafting Smith at the top of the second round.

Smith had his ups and downs as a Buccaneer, but did play in Tampa Bay for eight years after signing a lucrative contract extension following the 2018 season. He played his best football down the stretch in 2020, protecting Tom Brady’s blindside and helping the Bucs win Super Bowl LV. Smith’s best season actually came in 2021 as he helped the franchise win a record 13 games during the regular season. Poor play in 2022 ultimately cost him his career in Tampa Bay, but he went on to win another Super Bowl in Kansas City in 2023.

FAB 4. Jason Licht’s Top 10 Worst Draft Picks – And The Lessons Learned

Not every general manager hits on each draft pick, and Jason Licht is no different. He’s had some clunkers in over a decade on the job and learned some hard, valuable lessons along the way. Licht and the Bucs have done a remarkable job in drafting over the past three seasons because of those lessons learned, so let’s take a look at his five worst draft picks in Tampa Bay and how they helped Licht become a better drafter as a result.

1. K Roberto Aguayo – Second Round, 2016

Former Bucs K Roberto Aguayo – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Jason Licht didn’t make a single draft trade in 2024 and has learned to become a patient drafter. But that wasn’t always the case. Licht was more of a wheel-and-deal GM in his earlier days in Tampa Bay. Sometimes those trades paid off with selections like Pro Bowl guard Ali Marpet. But sometimes the result of being too eager resulted in trading up for a kicker in the second round like Aguayo.

Licht was burned by some bad information from Florida State regarding Aguayo and revamped his pre-draft recon and due diligence as a result. Ridiculed by the media for trading up and drafting a kicker in the second round – and a lousy one at that – the Aguayo pick was just bad value. Licht cut his losses the next year by moving on from the Lou Groza Award winner after just one season. The biggest lesson he learned – aside from not drafting a kicker on Day 2 – was to not compound mistakes by hanging on to them.

2. CB Vernon Hargreaves III – First Round, 2016

Hargreaves is the worst first-round miss by Jason Licht, who quickly found out that short, slow cornerbacks can’t play outside in Todd Bowles’ defense. After three and a half seasons of Hargreaves getting burned in coverage, head coach Bruce Arians had enough and cut him midway through the 2019 season. Originally drafted by Licht and former head coach Dirk Koetter, Hargreaves gave up the most passing yardage by any defensive back his rookie season.

With just two interceptions during his time in Tampa Bay, Hargreaves was a bust, and that stung considering the Florida product and Tampa native was the 11th overall selection. At 5-foot-10, 204 pounds, Hargreaves wasn’t big enough to thrive in the NFL, nor was he fast enough. The Bucs needed a cornerback and Licht admittedly reached and drafted for need instead of the best player available, which was a painful lesson to learn. Hargreaves was overrated and burned Licht and the Bucs in the end, and he’s been out of football since 2021.

3. TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins – Second Round, 2014

Former Bucs TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It’s amazing that after drafting one of the highest-character Buccaneers in franchise history, wide receiver Mike Evans, in the first round of the 2014 draft that Jason Licht’s next pick would turn out to be a turd of a human being. But Licht got suckered into selecting Seferian-Jenkins by being mesmerized by his 6-foot-5, 262-pound frame and the fact he ran a 4.56 in the 40-yard dash.

Seferian-Jenkins was a bad dude who had a big ego and his play didn’t warrant it in the end. In his third season in Tampa Bay, the Washington product was arrested for a DUI and released later that day in late September. Licht would go on to acquire a few more people with questionable character over the years, but Seferian-Jenkins would serve as his first big lesson in not just looking at player’s game tape, but also study the person as well.

4. CB MJ Stewart – Second Round, 2018

Jason Licht wanted a tougher Bucs team in 2018 and that was his motive that offseason – find tough guys on defense. The lesson Licht learned was that he can’t brush with a broad stroke and just draft tough, physical players. They have to be NFL-caliber athletes, too. Stewart, who was actually drafted before Carlton Davis III in the second round in 2018, wasn’t a good athlete.

A slow cornerback with 4.54 speed and lacking the agility to play in the slot, Stewart was an awful nickel cornerback. And at 5-foot-11, 200 pounds he wasn’t tall enough to play outside and match up against bigger, faster receivers. Licht took note that Stewart was the Defensive MVP during the week of practice at the Senior Bowl, but that didn’t matter in the end. After lasting just two seasons, Stewart is now on to his third team where he had to transition to safety. He has just two career interceptions and 13 pass breakups.

5. DE Noah Spence – Second Round, 2016

Former Bucs DE Noah Spence – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Spence was part of Jason Licht’s awful 2016 draft class, which was a huge whiff and a massive and painful learning experience for Tampa Bay’s general manager. Spence started off at Ohio State but ran into trouble and transferred to Eastern Kentucky. He had a lot of sack production at a smaller school, notching 11.5 sacks during his senior season. But at just 6-foot-2, 251 pounds, Spence was too small to play defensive end in a 4-3 defense, and after running a 4.8 he didn’t have enough speed off the ball either.

Spence was drafted for need and it was a big swing and a miss for Licht. He wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, and after a promising start to his career with 5.5 sacks and three forced fumbles as a rookie, Spence didn’t take his game to the next level. He needed to learn how to play chess as an NFL pass rusher, but was always stuck playing checkers instead. Licht needed to draft smarter players. Shoulder problems didn’t help Spence’s time with the Bucs, either, and his NFL career ended in 2021 at age 27 with just 7.5 career sacks.

FAB 5. The Next 5 Worst Draft Picks By Jason Licht – And Lessons Learned

The first five whiffs by Jason Licht were obvious and easy to list. However, the next five are a bit more difficult to assess. Instead of listing Day 3 selections who were clear misses, let’s focus on some Day 1 and Day 2 draft duds instead, as those high-round mistakes proved to be more costly.

6. RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn – Third Round, 2020

Former Bucs RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Vaughn was the fourth running back Licht had drafted by 2021, and that position was clearly his kryptonite. Licht had failed to really hit on a franchise running back despite drafting three of them, including Vaughn, on Day 2. Without a fourth-round pick that season, Licht reached for Vaughn, who had a pair of 1,000-yard seasons at Vanderbilt, but was just an average athlete, running a 4.51 in the 40-yard dash. NFL running backs don’t have to be fast, but they need to have toughness and the ability to break tackles, and Vaughn had very little wiggle to his game.

Vaughn didn’t warrant a Day 2 draft grade, and really had fourth- or fifth-round talent. But the Bucs were desperate for a running back that season to either complement or replace Ronald Jones II on the roster and his selection proved to be Licht’s biggest reach in any draft outside of trading up to get kicker Roberto Aguayo in 2016. Vaughn was cut at midseason last year after rushing for just 384 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 3.5 seasons in Tampa Bay.

7. RB Charles Sims – Third Round, 2014

It didn’t get much better for Jason Licht in the 2014 NFL Draft after selecting Mike Evans in the first round. After finding a flop in the second round with tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Licht reached for Sims, a running back out of West Virginia, in the third round. Sims was really a Day 3 prospect, but Licht had some concerns about Doug Martin and wanted to bolster the running back position. Sims proved to be nothing more than a pass-catching third down back as he lacked true runner instincts.

The lesson learned was to not draft backup-caliber running backs in the third round. Oh wait, Licht made that same mistake again in 2020 with the selection of Ke’Shawn Vaughn in the third round. The selection of Sims was so bad that he didn’t sign with any other team after his four years were up in Tampa Bay. Sims never played another down of football anywhere else and proved to be a bad value pick.

8. TE O.J. Howard – First Round, 2017

Former Bucs TE O.J. Howard – Photo by: USA Today

Howard was an athletic marvel, running a 4.51 time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and starring at the Senior Bowl that offseason. The Bucs felt like they had a steal when he fell to them at No. 19 in the first round. The 6-foot-6, 251-pound Howard started off his Bucs career with a bang, averaging 16.6 yards per catch over the first two seasons and totaling nearly 1,000 yards with 11 touchdowns. But his production regressed in 2019 and he never got better as a blocker or a receiver.

Howard seemed poised for a breakout season in 2020 with Tom Brady’s arrival and had two touchdowns in the first four games of that season. But a torn Achilles tendon not only ended his 2020 season, but derailed his career. Howard was never the same and played just one more year in Tampa Bay where he was an afterthought on offense. He latched on with Houston during the 2022 season, but at age 28, his NFL career is already over. The lesson learned with Howard is to not draft a tight end in the first round as they rarely pan out.

9. QB Kyle Trask – Second Round, 2021

Jason Licht’s process was a sound one – find a young quarterback to groom behind the legendary Tom Brady, who was 43 years old, and ultimately succeed him in Tampa Bay. The problem was the execution, as Trask has not shown the ability to be a starting-caliber quarterback in the NFL after three seasons as a Bucs backup. On one hand, Trask is a blown second-round pick. On the other hand, he was the last pick in the second round by virtue of the Bucs winning Super Bowl LV the season prior, so he’s actually a borderline third-rounder.

The lesson learned was that the Bucs’ Super Bowl window was still open in 2021, evidenced by the team’s 13-4 record. When Tampa Bay saw right tackle Tristan Wirfs go down in the playoffs with an ankle injury and miss the Rams game, and his backup Josh Wells also suffer an ankle injury, drafting a tackle in the second round that year would have been a better investment than Trask. As a backup quarterback, Trask could do nothing to help the Bucs that season. And he didn’t even emerge as a starter after Brady retired, losing the QB job to Baker Mayfield last year.

10. RB Ronald Jones II – Second Round, 2018

Former Bucs RB Ronald Jones II – Photo by: USA Today

Jones was one of Jason Licht’s three second-round picks in 2018 and shook off a disastrous rookie season in which he ran for just 44 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries (1.9 avg.) with a bounce-back season in 2019. After topping 700 yards that season, Jones nearly hit 1,000 yards during the Bucs’ Super Bowl run in 2020 and averaged 5.1 yards per carry with seven touchdowns.

But after being injured during the 2020 playoffs and battling COVID-19, Jones was beaten out by Leonard Fournette for the starting job in 2021. His downfall in Tampa Bay was his lack of maturity and his reliance on speed rather than studying the playbook and getting better at honing his skills. Licht learned that college speed doesn’t always translate to the NFL, and that tackle-breaking ability is better than breakaway speed. Also drafting smart players who have high character really matters in the end.