Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Their No. 1 Draft Picks Since 2000 By Michael Ward March 21, 2014 8:42 pm 
The first round of the NFL Draft is where you are expected to find your team’s next superstar. Picking wisely will allow you to find the face of your franchise, a superstar with the team for the next decade with the potential to lead them to the Promised Land. Make the wrong move though and you set the wheels in motion for a disastrous season and delay any hope you had for your team to lift the Vince Lombardi trophy. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the first round of the draft has sadly comprised of too many disaster picks. Since 2000 the Bucs have traded away four first round picks, in return they have received mixed success. In 2000 the Bucs traded their first round pick to the New York Jets in exchange for motor mouth wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson. Johnson instantly provided the Bucs with a legitimate No. 1 receiver which was reflected in his on the field production. In four seasons with the team Johnson caught 298 passes for 3,828 yards. Despite solid on the field production Johnson’s ego led to confrontation with coaches and ultimately his trade to the Dallas Cowboys. Prior to the 2002 season the Bucs traded an unprecedented two first round picks to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for head coach Jon Gruden. In his first season as head coach Gruden led the Bucs to Super Bowl glory against his former team. The two first round picks then seemed a small price to pay to be the champions of the world. Finally in 2013 the Bucs once again traded their first round pick to the Jets in exchange for star corner back Darrelle Revis. Released after just one season with the Buccaneers the offseason trade for Revis was a disaster. Yes Revis helped improve a pass defence which ranked dead last in the season prior but he was unable to stop the Bucs from once again finishing with a losing record. In the end the Bucs plan backfired, gambling far too much for the little they got in return. Now to look at the players the Buccaneers have actually drafted in the first round. 2000 Traded
2001 – 14th Pick – Kenyatta Walker The expectations were high for Florida’s Walker who was considered by experts to be one of the best players available in the 2001 Draft. Despite starting 73 games for the Bucs at both left and right tackle and being an integral part of the Bucs' championship winning team Walker in many people’s eyes failed to live up to expectations. Often inconsistent he was considered the weak link in the Buccaneers' offensive line. After being released by the Bucs Walker had a brief stint with NFC South rivals the Carolina Panthers, followed by time in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts.2002 Traded2003 Traded
2004 – 15th Pick – Michael Clayton In his rookie season Clayton firmly established himself as a legitimate No. 1 receiver catching 80 passes for 1,193 yards and 7 touchdowns. Unfortunately for the Bucs Clayton was to be a one hit wonder. A series of injuries alongside a perceived lack of effort meant he could never replicate his sensational rookie form. His next best season was to come in 2008 when he caught 38 passes for 484 yards. Released by the Bucs Clayton had an ineffective stint with the New York Giants and now aged 31 finds himself out of football. 
2005 – 5th Pick – Carnell Williams It did not take long for Williams to establish himself as a force to be reckoned with in the NFL. The 2005 rookie of the year gallivanted his way to 1,178 yards and 6 touchdowns during an impressive first season with the Bucs. Williams' promising career was to be derailed by injuries which saw him tear his left and right patellar tendon in consecutive seasons. Injuries meant Williams never reached full potential and it was to leave fans wondering what if. 
2006 – 23rd Pick – Davin Joseph Until his release prior to free agency, which saved the Bucs $6 million in cap space Joseph was the longest serving of the Bucs drafted in the first round. Joseph spent eight seasons with the Bucs which included two pro bowl appearances in 2008 and 2011. Despite this early success Joseph found himself on injured reserve for the 2012 season and has since failed to regain his form. According to pro football focus Joseph was the second worst guard in the league last season. Joseph is evidence of yet another first round pick for the Bucs who’s professional career was hampered by injuries and failed to live up to his true potential. 2007 – 4th Pick – Gaines Adams 
The big defensive end from Clemson never reached his potential, registering just 13.5 sacks in three seasons with the Bucs before tragedy struck. Adams passed away aged just 26 from an undetected heart condition. 
2008 – 20th Pick – Aqib TalibHaving recently just signed a six – year deal worth $57 million with the Denver Broncos it is clear that Talib is one of the league’s best corners. His on the field talent has always been there and he is capable of shutting down the opposing team’s most dangerous threat. Although never doubting his talent the Bucs were concerned with his off the field issues which included being charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. In 2012 Talib was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. This proved to be the final straw for the Bucs who traded Talib to the New England Patriots in exchange for a fourth round pick. 
2009 – 17th Pick – Josh Freeman Drafted in 2009 Freeman was expected to be the Bucs franchise quarterback for the significant future. He had all the physical attributes to be an NFL success, tall with a canon for an arm and the ability to extend the play outside of the pocket. At times Freeman looked elite; in 2010 he passed for 3,451 yards with 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions. It was these glimmers of brilliance which made the Bucs believe they had found a superstar. But it was also these flashes of brilliance that made Freeman’s time in the sunshine state so frustrating. Inconsistency alongside irrational decision making led to an ugly fall out with the franchise. During the 2013 season Freeman had a public bust up with coach Schiano which initially led to his benching after just three games, followed by his removal from the town. He now resides in Minnesota as the third-string quarterback who realistically won’t start a game again. 
2010 – 3rd Pick – Gerald McCoy With Ndamukong Suh drafted with the second overall pick in the 2010 Draft the pressure was on McCoy to perform. At first McCoy struggled at the professional level and at times it looked as if he was out of his depth. Persistence and hard work has meant McCoy has become the Buccaneers' best pick in the last decade. Now he is arguably the league’s best defensive tackle coming off a season in which he dominated the line of scrimmage to register 9.5 sacks and earn his second trip to Honolulu. Expect McCoy’s success to continue in a push to create an elite defence. With the Bucs' offseason acquisitions McCoy is in a position to establish himself as an all-time great.
2011 – 20th Pick – Adrian ClaybornDuring his rookie season Clayborn showed star potential registering 7.5 sacks. Like so many other first round picks of the Bucs he spent most of 2012 out injured playing in just 3 games in which he failed to register a sack. In 2013 Clayborn once again flashed potential but his season did not reach the heights of his rookie season. The belief now is that 2014 is a make or break season for Clayborn. With the free agency additions of defensive end Michael Johnson and underrated defensive tackle Clinton McDonald to a defensive line which already includes Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy, the belief is Clayborn has to finally step up and show the potential he has failed to reach. If he fails to show significant improvement Clayborne could be counting down his days in Tampa.
2012 – 31st Pick – Doug Martin Martin’s NFL career saw him burst out of the blocks and firmly establish himself as one of the league’s elite backs. In his first season Martin powered his way to 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns, this impressive form earned him a trip to Honolulu and arguably should have won him the Rookie of the Year award. Optimism surrounded Martin’s second season but injury saw him miss the final ten games of the season, until the injury hit Martin had amassed 456 yards but had found the end zone only once. With a revamped and younger offensive line expect Martin to bounce back from an injury shortened season and return to the dominant form shown during his successful rookie campaign.2013 TradedOverall the Bucs' first round draft picks have consisted of a lot of what-ifs, but more recently they have found success with the elite performances from McCoy and Martin. http://www.footballnation.com
