The Bucs are in good shape with the core of their group thanks to the team constantly being able to replenish its roster through the draft in recent years.

The 2024 draft class might just be the best one they’ve had since Tampa Bay’s famous start in the 2020 draft that brought in Tristan Wirfs in the first round and Antoine Winfield Jr. in the second round, which helped the Bucs win a Super Bowl that season.

This current group might be even more well rounded considering how deep it goes. Take running back Bucky Irving, for instance. Irving was a fourth round pick, but the only Bucs player to make the All-Rookie team. The Bucs found impact players immediately and also saw more emerge as the season went on.

Bucs DB Tykee Smith – Photo by: USA Today

Rookie center Graham Barton was expected to contribute right away. He had a solid year, starting 16 regular season games. Tykee Smith was another who was given tons of compliments from the first day in the building and he wound up tying for the team lead in interceptions and forced fumbles.

Jalen McMillan is a great example of someone who came on later in the season from a production standpoint. After dealing with some injuries earlier in the year, McMillan finished the regular season by scoring a touchdown in five straight games and hauled in seven during that streak.

Even seventh-rounder tight end Devin Culp made some plays at the end of the season with Cade Otton out. Fifth-round pick Elijah Klein showed versatility in the preseason and will be important for depth next season.

The only player that didn’t exactly pan out the way everyone wanted him to was second-round outside linebacker Chris Braswell, who recorded 1.5 sacks on the season and received very little playing time down the stretch even with a lack of production from others at the position.

With that said, the Bucs will be moving on from Joe Tryon-Shoyinka while Anthony Nelson is a free agent, so Braswell may have more of role going forward.

Bucs Had A Great Rookie Class

How good was Tampa Bay’s rookie class? In rankings compiled by deputy editor Gennaro Filice on NFL.com of all the rookie classes, the Bucs came in at fifth on the list. First was the Commanders, followed by the Rams, Chargers and Raiders. This is what was said about the Bucs.

“The running back position is returning to prominence in the NFL, while nickelback has never been hotter. So, kudos to you, Jason Licht, for uncovering a dynamic talent at each spot in the middle rounds of the ’24 draft. The sixth running back selected in what was widely viewed as an underwhelming prospect crop at the position, Bucky Irving wasn’t just the best rookie RB but one of the most elusive players in the entire league.

Bucs C Graham Barton and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Next Gen Stats credited him with forcing a missed tackle on 35.8 percent of touches — the top rate in the NFL (min. 100 touches). NGS also had him averaging 5.5 yards per carry on rushes outside the tackles (fifth-best, min. 50 such carries) and 5.3 yards per carry on rushes inside the tackles (second-best). Oh, and he paced all rookie backs in catches (47) and receiving yards (392). Just an all-around baller — like Tykee Smith, who flourished in the nickel role as a savvy defender against the run and pass.”

“With Todd Bowles praising the versatile DB throughout his rookie campaign, the only thing that really held Smith back was a midseason knee injury that cost him four games. It’s a testament to Irving and Smith’s stellar play that I’m only now getting to Tampa Bay’s first-round pick, Graham Barton, who provided exactly what the Buccaneers desired at the pivot. Like Irving, Barton played a huge role in the Bucs’ rushing offense vaulting from dead last in 2023 to fourth in ’24. In the passing game, Jalen McMillan started slow but finished with a flurry, catching seven touchdown passes in the last five weeks of the regular season.”

Should The Bucs Be Ranked Any Better?

It’s hard to find any flaws with the Bucs being near the top of the list at five. But Bucs fans wouldn’t be wrong in saying that they should potentially be one spot up or even in the top three.

The rankings evidently have a pattern of advocating for a top talent over the bulk of a whole class. The Commanders are at one largely because of Jayden Daniels, though Mike Sainristil had a great year and Johny Newton, Brandon Coleman and Luke McCaffrey all had important roles. Plus, going from a long season to the NFC Championship deserves credit.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: USA Today

There’s no arguments for the Rams at two either. Jared Verse was the defensive rookie of the year for a reason and Braden Fiske was also great. The Chargers found talent early on with Joe Alt and Ladd McConkey. They’re probably at three because of their fifth-round picks at corner. An argument can be made that the Bucs had more contributions from players at several rounds than the Chargers did.

Having the Raiders at four ahead of the Bucs is a bit head scratching. Understandably, Brock Bowers is a great talent and already a star in the league, but you could say that about Tampa Bay’s running back with Bucky Irving. Las Vegas had two starting offensive linemen, but the Raiders quarterbacks were sacked 50 times on the season.

Are we going to say that Barton, Smith, McMillan and Irving don’t match equally or even better than the best four of any of the groups in front of them? The Bucs make a great case.

It’s splitting hairs at this point and overall, it’s good to see that many hold Tampa Bay’s draft class at a top level. Let’s see how they progress in year two on the way to helping the Bucs make another championship run.