Why the Buccaneers 2024 NFL Draft Is So Important

This could be a big draft for general manager Jason Licht.

The NFL Draft provides franchises the opportunity to get better each year as long as the front office does their due diligence in vetting former collegiate athletes who can come in and make a seamless transition into the highest level of football.

Things are no different for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and ever since Jason Licht became the Buccaneers' general manager back in 2014 the Bucs' organization has reaped the benefits. Now, no franchise or front office is perfect and that also goes for Licht and the Bucs, but his track record of building Tampa Bay into a desirable location to play has come to the forefront over the past five years or so.

The Bucs have shown a knack for being great evaluators in the draft and have also done a fantastic job in free agency. Now, with the draft looming large, Licht and Co. will once again look to knock it out of the park with the full understanding of how important their 2024 draft class will be.

A large reason that the 2024 draft is so important for the Buccaneers is to maintain the momentum they have had ever since Brady made his way to Tampa Bay. He immediately changed the culture and perception of the Bucs during his short tenure with the team before retiring and once he did retire there was an expectation that the Bucs would need to rebuild and likely wouldn't be able to be competitive with Baker Mayfield at the helm.

Those perceptions were wrong.

The Bucs beat the odds and once again won the NFC South, and even made it to the divisional round of the playoffs. The front office was able to put together a great free agency period following the 2023 season, and a strong rookie class will do wonders in remaining a legitimate contender in the league.

There is also one person in particular who would find it increasingly important to put together a strong draft class in 2024, and that is head coach Todd Bowles. Bowles is always at the head of the snake when fans are looking to place blame on someone. Much of that is out of his hands thanks to the less-than-stellar previous HC gig he had, but at the same time, there are instances where Bowles capabilities are called into question.

We know players aren't going to make or break a coach's career or job in a single season, but being able to build the most talented roster to give you the best chance at being successful will go a long way in being able to retain his position as the head guy in Tampa Bay.

Keeping Tampa Bay a desirable destination to play is also an important factor in this. Recently, playing for the Bucs has become that ever since Brady made his way to the Sunshine State and maintaining success and winning will continue to help that other than just locating because of the area. The best way to do that is to kill it in the draft and then be able to keep those special players within the organization.

If the Buccaneers can keep up their strong work in the draft as they have recently, then they can continue to build upon what has already been built by other legends who have stepped foot in Raymond James Stadium.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 offseason.

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