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. This May Be The Home Run Draft The Bucs Need

After winning a Super Bowl and back-to-back division championships, the Bucs had to pay their credit card bill for the money they continued to roll over into the 2023 salary cap. Tampa Bay quickly became a much younger team with the retirement of 45-year old Tom Brady and the team parting ways with several veteran starters either through release, trade or just not re-signing them.

In a salary cap-strapped offseason, the Bucs were limited with what they could do in free agency and would really need to turn to the draft to find a couple of starters and a handful of contributors. Coming off an underwhelming 8-9 season and a disappointing 31-14 playoff loss to Dallas, Bucs general manager Jason Licht said he didn’t necessarily feel any more pressure for this draft than in any other year.

But the reality is that with several teams needs, the Bucs did need a home run draft to stave off emerging threats in Atlanta, Carolina and New Orleans – all of which finished just a game behind Tampa Bay at 7-10.

None of the eight players drafted have laced up the cleats nor have they put on a Bucs helmet yet and hit the practice facility at the AdventHealth Training Center, so dishing out letter grades when they haven’t played a down of NFL football yet seems foolish. But there is a lot to get excited about from this year’s Bucs draft class from what these players did in college from an athletic and production standpoint, to how they project to Tampa Bay’s offense and defense.

Bucs’ 2023 Draft Class

ROUND 1: Pittsburgh DT Calijah Kancey
ROUND 2: North Dakota State G Cody Mauch
ROUND 3: Louisville OLB YaYa Diaby
ROUND 5: Pittsburgh ILB SirVocea Dennis
ROUND 5: Purdue TE Payne Durham
ROUND 6: Kansas State nickel/S Josh Hayes
ROUND 6: Nebraska WR Trey Palmer
ROUND 6: Eastern Michigan OLB Jose Ramirez

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles, DT Calijah Kancey and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

This feels like a home run draft right off the bat. Quietly behind the scenes, the Bucs brass feels the exact same way and is very excited about every single player it drafted and their chances of making the 53-man roster.

This may not be a 2020-type draft that has a pair of instant impact players and eventual Pro Bowlers in it like Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield Jr. were. Rather, this draft may resemble Licht’s 2018 class that produced an eventual Pro Bowler in Vita Vea and three other very solid starters in Carlton Davis III, Alex Cappa and Jordan Whitehead – all of whom started during the team’s Super Bowl LV season.

The Bucs needed to hit on quality and quantity in this year’s draft given the current state of their roster. Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey could be an impact starter from day one, and third-round outside linebacker YaYa Diaby from Louisville should be a rotational edge rusher. We’ll see if North Dakota State guard Cody Mauch can nail down a starting spot as a rookie, or if he’ll need to follow the Cappa route and develop for a year before cracking the starting lineup in 2024.

And after years of scant production from Day 3 draft picks outside of Whitehead and wide receiver Scotty Miller (really just during 2020), Tampa Bay’s Day 3 selections this year appear to have some real promise for a second year in a row. Last year, the Bucs found a starting punter in Jake Camarda and two tight ends who played significant roles in Cade Otton and Ko Kieft, while the jury is out on cornerback Zyon McCollum.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and GM Jason Licht – Photo courtesy of the Buccaneers

All of this year’s Day 3 picks make the team this year and provide upgrades in talent at certain positions. Purdue tight end Payne Durham, Kansas State nickel Josh Hayes and wide receiver Trey Palmer could receive significant playing time on offense (Durham, Palmer) and defense (Hayes) as rookies.

The obvious miss in this draft was not landing an offensive tackle to replace Donovan Smith. As vice president of player personnel John Spytek said after the draft, you can’t get everything you want and fill all of your needs in a single draft class.

Can’t fault the Bucs for staying true to their draft board. They just believed Kancey was a superior player to Oklahoma left tackle Anton Harrison, who was picked by Jacksonville eight spots later in the first round. We’ll see if moving Tristan Wirfs to left tackle and replacing him with either Luke Goedeke, Matt Feiler or Brandon Walton on the right side can get the job done.

FAB 2. SR’s Favorite Bucs Draft Pick: DT Calijah Kancey

While the selection of Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey was a surprise to Pewter Report because his size – or lack thereof, at 6-foot-1, 281 pounds – is such an extreme outlier, the talent is certainly there to be special. The reason why Todd Bowles has always gone with bigger defensive tackles is because fast, quick, athletic defensive tackles like Kancey are rare and don’t grow on trees. So, Bowles signing 300-pounders like Ndamukong Suh and Akiem Hicks was more out of necessity than preference.

Bowles’ trend towards acquiring faster, more athletic defensive linemen began last year with the selection of Logan Hall at the top of the second round. Hall had a 9.38 RAS (Relative Athletic Score) coming out of Houston, as determined by Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb on Twitter). Kancey was even more athletic, registering a 9.60 out of a possible 10 score.

If Kancey can be schemed to where he’s playing the 3-technique tackle and getting isolated one-on-one against guards in the B gap regularly, he could have a huge impact as a backfield penetrator, generating sacks, QBs hits and tackles for loss. He was special over the last three years at Pitt, where he notched 64 pressures, 38 QB hits and 16 sacks. Last year, Kancey registered 30 QB pressures, 9 QB hits and 7.5 sacks, becoming a consensus All-American and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

Bucs DT Calijah Kancey – Photo courtesy of Pitt

Playing alongside Pro Bowl nose tackle Vita Vea, Hall, and outside linebackers Shaq Barrett and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Kancey’s elite athleticism and quickness should allow him to make an instant impact as a pass rusher. Either he’ll pile up the sacks or he’ll penetrate and flush quarterbacks toward his teammates. Kancey has the tools to not only become an eventual Pro Bowler, and don’t count him out for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, either.

And where Kancey will have a big impact that no one is really talking about right now is in training camp – against his own teammates. The Bucs could be starting a pair of new guards this year, and facing an ultra-quick defensive tackle like Kancey in practice all August will only help prepare the eventual starting guards for the regular season.

I love defense, and in theory, a team can never gone wrong picking a defensive lineman as long as he’s got lots of talent and character. Kancey has both in bunches.

FAB 3. SR’s Favorite Bucs Sleeper Pick – ILB SirVocea Dennis

You may be surprised that I didn’t select Wildcats defensive back Josh Hayes, given my status as a Kansas State alum. I do like the Hayes pick, and feel like he has a legitimate shot emerging as the Bucs’ nickel defensive back in the slot as a rookie. But Dennis, who was the first pick on Day 3 by Tampa Bay, really intrigues me. I’m just not impressed with the reserve inside linebackers behind Devin White and Lavonte David. The trio of KJ Britt, JJ Russell and Ulysses Gilbert all seem like special teams players to me.

Pittsburgh LB SirVocea Dennis – Photo courtesy of USA Today

Dennis was a three-year starter at Pitt and has a great football I.Q. and the instincts needed to quarterback the defense, as well as enough athleticism to be a playmaker. He notched 232 tackles, 36 tackles for loss and 15 sacks in his Panthers career, including seven sacks as a senior.

“I was pleased, I was surprised we got him in the fifth round,” Bucs inside linebackers coach Larry Foote said of the Dennis selection. “Like every year, I was surprised [about] the other linebackers that were picked before him, but good for us. He’s a smart guy. When you watch him on film you can tell he plays above the neck. He’s a good athlete, he’s savvy. He plays the game like it should be played. He can blitz – he’s got some ability. He can wear a lot of hats for us and [I] was definitely excited about getting him.

“We are a team that blitzes. … As linebackers, we look for if they can blitz. A lot of teams, they don’t do it in college, but that’s what we’re here for – to teach them how to do it. It’s definitely a plus if you can blitz.”

I could see Dennis, who played both the Mike (middle) and Mo (weakside) linebacker spots at Pitt, becoming an eventual starter for the Bucs. Either replacing Lavonte David in 2024 if he doesn’t return at age 34, or possibly replacing Devin White if he leaves for more money elsewhere in free agency next March.

I would be shocked if Dennis doesn’t make the team and ascend up to the No. 3 inside linebacker spot this year. If he doesn’t, it might be because Jeremy Banks, an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee, has grabbed that spot instead. Banks is definitely one to watch out of the Bucs’ undrafted free agents this year.

FAB 4. Analyzing Every Bucs Draft Pick, And A Few Undrafted Free Agents

I don’t do draft grades and believe it’s kind of a futile exercise. But I do really like the talent that Bucs general manager Jason Licht, head coach Todd Bowles and his scouting staff added during and after the draft. I’ll give my succinct analysis on each pick plus a couple of undrafted free agents who stand out to me – and excite the Bucs brass.

2023 Bucs’ Draft Picks

Pittsburgh DT Calijah Kancey

Bucs DT Calijah Kancey Photo By: USA Today

Kancey’s floor is undersized Buffalo defensive tackle Ed Oliver (6-1, 287), the ninth overall pick in 2019, who is a very good run defender, but has underwhelmed as a pass rusher. His ceiling may not be as high as Minnesota Hall of Famer John Randle or future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, but with his elite quickness and athleticism, it could be close.

North Dakota State G Cody Mauch

Love this guy’s personality off the field and his tenacity as a run blocker on it. It may take Mauch a year to make the necessary improvements in pass protection, as it did with Alex Cappa, but he has the chance to be a dominant in the running game. Mauch is an incredibly good athlete with great mobility.

Louisville OLB YaYa Diaby

Diaby is a speed-to-power edge rusher that certainly has both speed (4.51) and power at 6-foot-3, 263 pounds. The light came on for the Louisville pass rusher last year as he finished with a career-high nine sacks. Don’t be surprised if Diaby ascends up the depth chart in time – possibly becoming a starter – and makes an immediate impact on special teams.

Pittsburgh ILB SirVocea Dennis

A smart, team captain at Pittsburgh, the entire defense ran through Dennis during his senior year. What I like about this pick is that Dennis and Kancey have played together for three years in college. He and Kancey already have chemistry, so that when Dennis blitzes he is used to reading off of and playing off of what Kancey is doing up front.

Purdue TE Payne Durham

Durham scored 21 touchdowns in four seasons at Purdue – 21! Can you say “red zone threat?” At 6-foot-5, 255 pounds, Durham is a bigger, stronger, slightly more athletic version of Cam Brate. All Brate did in Tampa Bay was score 33 touchdowns in his productive Bucs career.

Kansas State nickel/S Josh Hayes

Bucs DB Josh Hayes Photo By: USA Today

Hayes, who was a teammate of Mauch at North Dakota State before transferring to K-State, hits like a safety and covers like a cornerback. He’s an ideal option at nickel, as the 6-foot speedster (4.41) played in the slot in his lone season for the Wildcats and starred there.

Nebraska WR Trey Palmer

Bucs VP of player personnel John Spytek was clear when he said after the draft that Palmer isn’t DeSean Jackson, but his speed and ability to track the deep ball reminds me of the former Bucs receiver. With 4.33 speed, Palmer can stretch the field on offense and possibly return kicks and punts, too.

Eastern Michigan OLB Jose Ramirez

Spytek said that Ramirez’s 6-foot-2, 242-pound frame and the way he gets to the quarterback are reminiscent of Shaq Barrett coming out of Colorado State. Sounds good to me, and the film backs that up. He’s a longshot to stick, but I like the pick and Ramirez is hungry. Look for him to make an impact on special teams early.

2023 Bucs’ Top Undrafted Free Agents

Syracuse RB Sean Tucker

Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo courtesy of Syracuse

A heart issue that was detected at the NFL Scouting Combine caused him to go undrafted. But it will clear up in time and Tucker could be a real steal for the Bucs. He’s a one-cut runner that runs with a purpose and enough speed and power to make the team as at least RB4 on the depth chart.

Oklahoma C-G Chris Murray

Just watch the tape. Murray is an absolute ass-kicker up front, especially in the run game. He’ll move from guard to center, where his lack of ideal size (6-1, 294) and short arms won’t matter as much. If Murray was three inches taller with longer arms, he could’ve been a Day 2 selection.

Kansas State WR Kade Warner

The son of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, he transferred from Nebraska to Kansas State where he used his grittiness, good hands and route-running ability to improve each year. Warner finished with five TDs as a senior, and he’ll remind Bucs fans of a slightly bigger Adam Humphries.

Tennessee ILB Jeremy Banks

Bucs ILB Jeremy Banks – Photo by: USA Today

Banks could be the steal of the undrafted free agent class for the Bucs. With 4.53 speed and the ability to hit like a hammer, Banks might have been a Day 2 pick if not for some questionable character concerns at Tennessee. If he matures quickly, Banks could stick on the 53 and has the talent to eventually start.

Rutgers DB Chris Izien

At 5-foot-9, 199 pounds, Izien is undersized … just like Antoine Winfield Jr. is. That’s not a bad comparison because Izien is fast (4.41) and physical and has a 41.5-inch vertical. Like Hayes, he can play safety or nickel, so he gives the Bucs great position flexibility, and he’ll star on special teams.

Iowa S Kaevon Merriweather

Merriweather is a tough, physical defensive back. He’s the classic Iowa defensive back. He made a ton of plays as a senior (three INTs, scoop-and-score fumble recovery), and with the Bucs’ lack of numbers at the safety spot, Merriweather has the chance to make the 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent.

FAB 5. Pewter Report Breaks A Bucs Best Bet Record

Pewter Reporters Matt Matera, Adam Slivon, Bailey Adams, JC Allen, Scott Reynolds and Josh Queipo (kneeling)

Part of the fun of Pewter Report’s draft coverage is trying to predict which players the Bucs will draft each year. There were 259 players drafted across the league in 2023, and Tampa Bay wound up drafting eight of them. With the Bucs at the whim of 31 other NFL teams when it comes to making their draft selections, it’s incredibly difficult to forecast which players Tampa Bay will ultimately end up with – and what round.

We try our best to guess which draft prospects will become Buccaneers with the annual Bucs Best Bets in our positional draft previews. At each position, we come up with two Bucs Best Bets – a early selection in Rounds 1-3 and a late selection in Rounds 4-7. This year, Pewter Report was fortunate enough to hit on four Bucs Best Bets, which is a new record.

In the past couple of years, we were able to accurately predict the Bucs’ first-round picks with Bucs Best Bets like nose tackle Vita Vea (2018), linebacker Devin White (2019), outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (2021) and defensive tackle Logan Hall (2022). Pewter Report has also hit on several other picks, such as wide receiver Chris Godwin (2017), cornerback Jamel Dean (2019), quarterback Kyle Trask (2021) and tight end Cade Otton (2022).

While we didn’t nail the selection of Calijah Kancey, we did accurately forecast the selections of second-round guard Cody Mauch and third-round edge rusher YaYa Diaby. On Day 3, we also correctly picked tight end Payne Durham and wide receiver Trey Palmer as Bucs Best Bets.

Simply put, no other media outlet prepares Bucs fans for the NFL Draft like Pewter Report. We hope you enjoyed this year’s draft coverage and our three-day Pewter Report LIVE Draft Show live from the AdventHealth Training Center. There was a lot of time and energy put into our draft coverage from attending the Senior Bowl to the NFL Scouting Combine and literally hundreds of hours of watching film and doing player interviews. And a BIG thank you to all of the great Pewter Reporters on our staff, including Matt Matera, Bailey Adams, Josh Queipo, JC Allen and interns Adam Slivon and Matthew Perry.

We thank all of you Pewter People for reading our draft coverage at PewterReport.com and watching our Pewter Report Podcasts (and thanks for the SuperChats!). Stay tuned to Pewter Report for Bucs rookie mini-camp coverage coming up next week!

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