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Buccaneers GM Jason Licht Talks Trading Up, Trading Down Before NFL Draft
Here are the Tampa Bay general manager's thoughts on his potential moves on draft night.
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht has surprised plenty of people during draft night a few times, and now, many are wondering what his plan is for the 2024 NFL Draft.
There have been plenty of mock drafts out there (that Licht himself has even admitted he peruses every once in a while). That's led some to wonder if Licht plans to trade up to get a player he wants — or perhaps trade down and acquire picks.
Licht isn't really someone who is known to trade up. He's done it just once, trading up just a single spot to acquire offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs. He's traded down plenty, though, most recently trading out of the first round in 2022 to acquire defensive tackle Logan Hall. And while evaluation of where his favorites are and aren't on draft night is important, Licht stressed that he's already thinking about potential scenarios where both happen.
“In the past, our trade ups and trade downs, we’ve started that process typically around now. We are too, right now. You don’t want to make rash decisions – at least I don’t – on draft day," Licht said. "Emotional decisions that can come back and bite you. You want to be as clear-minded as you can when you’re putting that together."
That being said, Licht also said something towards the end of his explanation that makes it seem like trading up isn't exactly in the cards — he seems to like the number of picks the Bucs have at the moment.
"I’d say around pick 20, we’ll know if we want to start attempting to move up or not. I would say right now, I like the thought of the way I really have a lot of trust in my staff – both the coaching staff and the scouting staff – and how we’ve been operating," Licht said. "Those picks seem pretty important to me, right now.”
Given that Licht likes his picks at the moment, it seems unlikely the Bucs are thinking about trading up. If Licht really likes those picks, though, trading down could become an option, and he could accrue more of them if a player the team likes is projected to still be around at the end of the first round.
We'll find out soon enough what Licht's masterplan is for the Bucs — the first round of the NFL Draft starts on April 25 in Detroit.
Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 offseason.
