With 2022 NFL Draft is just nine days away, Bucs general manager Jason Licht held his annual pre-draft press conference. He covered a range of topics, from the team’s offseason moves, to his thoughts on the upcoming draft. While it’s no secret this draft is devoid of top tier talent, teams will undoubtedly fall in love with certain players. As draft day approaches teams get excited at the chance to improve their franchise. There are no generational talents and few true first round graded prospects this year. However, that doesn’t mean this draft isn’t full of good players. Especially in the middle rounds.

“As you start diving in and doing more and more work, as we have the last couple months, you start to get more and more excited about it,” Licht said. “That happens every year with the draft. Initially you think, well maybe it’s not going to be as strong, but it does look like a draft [where] there’s going to be some good players in the mid rounds, for sure. There may not be 30 guys that you think are legit first-round picks but there’s going to be a lot of good players in the middle rounds.”

One of the reasons this draft is so deep in the middle rounds is a product of the COVID-shortened – or in some cases cancelled – season in 2020. Players who normally would have elected to enter the draft, decided to go back to school for another year. Tampa Bay has needs at defensive tackle, tight end, running back and possibly outside linebacker and the secondary. Rounds 3-4 seem ideal to select a tight end and a running back this year with the volume of mid-round talent.

Florida RB Dameon Pierce – Photo by: USA Today

As it stands now, the Bucs have picks in rounds 1-4, as well as a pair of seventh-rounders. But Tampa Bay traded away its fifth- and sixth-round picks for veteran players. One of the big topics of discussion recently is whether the Bucs should consider trading back to recoup those picks. Licht said that scenario will really depend on how the board falls ahead of them.

“It just depends on how the board is going to fall,” Licht said. “It depends on how the flow goes during the day, whether it’s Day One, Two or Three. Depends on what players are left on the board. It’s always something … I always had a thought of trading for picks for next year. It just hasn’t really worked out that way because there’s been players that we’ve liked. I’ll say it every year, you guys probably get sick of me saying it: All options are on the table right now.”

Licht has been no stranger to making moves in the draft. If the board falls certain ways, he will certainly field calls to move around the board. Trade discussions will start heating up next week leading into the draft. If we know one thing, it’s that Licht is always willing to listen – and move.