Back when the 2022 NFL Draft rolled around, the Bucs needed some youth on both sides of the football. Having the league’s oldest team, and it becoming clear that quarterback Tom Brady would be playing his last season, the future needed a foundation. Players who could step into big roles and form the next contending core in Tampa Bay.

It has paid off for the team, and it will now start to pay off for the players. Thanks to the NFL’s Proven Performance Escalator (PPE), four members of that draft class are getting noticeable bumps in pay next season.

Bucs’ Young Talent Getting Rewarded For Its Contributions

The Bucs’ seamless transition from the oldest team in the NFL to the second-youngest can be credited to the front office. Pointing at the 2022 draft class, it was clear the team needed to hit a home run with its selections to stay afloat.

It’s safe to say they did in selecting right tackle Luke Goedeke, running back Rachaad White, tight end Cade Otton and cornerback Zyon McCollum. Per Fox Sports’ Greg Auman, they will be getting large bumps in their 2025 salaries based on the amount of playing time they have accrued.

Bucs RT Luke Goedeke – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Each player’s respective raise is similar to the one backup center Robert Hainsey received going into this season. For the quartet, it is well deserved as each has settled into their respective posts.

Goedeke has played 38 total games (35 starts) so far in his career, and while he is set to get this pay bump, he may get a bigger one with a new contract extension over the offseason. After struggling his rookie year at left guard, he has been an above-average right tackle across the past two seasons.

Per Pro Football Focus, he ranked as the 27th-best offensive tackle out of 81 tackles at 73.4 in 2023. This year he has improved, as he currently ranks 24th out of 80 tackles with a 74 grade.

White has had a different role in each season of his young career up to this point. After serving as Leonard Fournette’s understudy in 2022, the former Arizona State running back took over the backfield reins last season and had 272 carries for 990 rushing yards.

After the selection of rookie running back Bucky Irving this year, White has played in the 1B role to Irving’s 1A as the rookie has emerged down the stretch. White has been more efficient in a lesser role, increasing his yards-per-carry average from 3.6 to 4.2. Playing in 47 games (38 starts), he has gotten more than enough playing time to meet the PPE requirement.

Speaking of playing time, Otton gets the biggest salary increase of the four players as he has played 85% of the offense’s snaps since being drafted. That included 96.5% last season and 92.4% so far this season. He has made the most of his time on the field this year, as he has set new career highs with 59 receptions for 600 receiving yards across 14 games and has made strides as a blocker. He will look to add to those numbers with three more games left.

Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: Cliff Welch P/R

Lastly, McCollum played the least out of this group across his first two seasons as he spent time learning behind Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis. He saw the field sparingly as a rookie in 2022, while in 2023 he filled in when one of Dean or Davis was injured and spent time learning other positions in the secondary. After starting just 12 games in his first two seasons, the athletic cornerback has taken a big step in his first year as a full-time starter.

McCollum has been vastly better in coverage and started the year off hot, rating as the league’s top cornerback per PFF in the season’s first half. While his play has slipped of late, he has still emerged as a No. 1 cornerback with all the tools and traits head coach Todd Bowles covets from the position. Like Goedeke and Otton, McCollum has had his best year to date. In 14 games, he has 68 total tackles, 11 passes defended, and the first two interceptions of his career.

Each player has made their mark across the Bucs’ roster and will now reap what they have sown. Tampa Bay should be glad to pay them slightly more, knowing they have found four starting-caliber players for a roster with playoff aspirations.