On Saturday afternoon, Bucs general manager Jason Licht continued to display his penchant for trading up in the draft to get “his guy.” Licht traded picks No. 175 (fifth round) and No. 252 (seventh round) for pick No. 171, and with it, he selected Purdue tight end Payne Durham. Durham, a fifth-year senior, is 6-foot-5 and 253 pounds.

Purdue TE Payne Durham Photo By: USA Today

Durham wowed at the Senior Bowl back in February, finishing the week as one of the biggest winners at the tight end position. He can go up and get the ball, plus he plays with a fearless edge when going over the middle of the field. Per Pro Football Focus, he hauled in 50% of his contested catch opportunities for his career. His touchdown production at Purdue was impressive, as he totaled 21 in 45 games (32 starts).

He has to improve his pad level as a blocker, but he does play like someone who enjoys that gritty side of the game. Durham is a true competitor, playing to the end of the whistle on every rep. The Bucs will surely like that Durham also offers special teams utility, having played 530 snaps over his college career.

While Durham does not have blazing long speed (4.87 seconds), he does possess some quickness (1.61 10-yard split) along with solid explosive scores (34.5″ vertical and 117″ broad jump). For his career at Purdue, Durham had 126 catches for 1,275 yards and 21 touchdowns. He played 57.2% of his career snaps in the slot and 39.4% inline, giving him some versatility to work with. What also helps Durham is that he’s a strong leader and proved to be exceptionally durable during his college career, missing only one game in four years in West Lafayette.

Bucs Bolster Tight End Room With Addition Of Payne Durham

Purdue TE Payne Durham Photo By: USA Today

The Bucs’ tight end group was incomplete prior to the draft. Veteran Kyle Rudolph is a free agent after a forgettable one-year stint in Tampa. Longtime Buc Cameron Brate was released this offseason as a cap casualty, too.

That leaves 2022 fourth-round pick Cade Otton and 2022 sixth-rounder Ko Kieft as the remaining tight ends on the roster who have seen the field for Tampa Bay. David Wells, a San Diego State product, was on the Bucs’ practice squad last year and signed a reserve/future contract with the team in January. Dominique Dafney was also signed to a reserve/future contract last month.

Otton is far and away the best tight end on the Bucs’ roster. He had a strong rookie season, leading all rookie tight ends with 42 receptions while totaling 391 yards and two key touchdowns. And while he has to find some consistency in his game going forward, he’s set to be Tampa Bay’s TE1 in 2023.

Kieft is more of a TE3 for Tampa Bay, as the former Minnesota man offers a ton as a run blocker but is a limited pass catcher. He’s still likely to have a role on the roster given new offensive coordinator Dave Canales’ need for tight ends who contribute in the run game.

But now, with the addition of Payne Durham, the Bucs have a true TE1-TE2 combo. Durham definitely isn’t a flashy guy, but he’s a phenomenal red zone threat. He and Otton will surely see the field together in Canales’ offense, and that will allow Tampa Bay to employ some unique looks.

Having a reliable pass-catching tight end duo in Otton and Durham will help whoever ends up winning the Bucs’ starting quarterback job. Whether it’s 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask or free agent signee Baker Mayfield, they’ll benefit from having Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Russell Gage, Rachaad White and two sure-handed tight ends to throw to.