The Athletic Gives Buccaneers Low Draft Ranking For 2024

While some have lauded Tampa Bay's draft, The Athletic's Dane Brulger had mixed feelings.

Nov 27, 2021; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils offensive tackle Graham Barton (62) / Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a solid draft in the eyes of many, but some weren't as ready to praise them as others.

While quite a few pundits had the Buccaneers ranking high in their draft rankings, The Athletic's Dane Brugler ranked the draft classes from all 32 NFL teams, and he had the Bucs at a surprisingly low number, ranking them at No. 22. While Brugler gave some praise to the team, he mentioned that he was conflicted about the class overall.

"Though I have mixed feelings about Tampa’s overall haul, the Buccaneers hit a home run with Barton, who should be the immediate starter at left guard. Aside from locking down a starting role, his value will be felt in his versatility, which will help Tampa get its best five linemen on the field — even if injuries happen."

Brugler also mentioned a Day 3 pick that he thought could be a surprise in Oregon's Bucky Irving, who the Bucs took in the fourth round.

"With his average size and athletic testing, Irving is a trust-the-tape kind of player. He skillfully uses his size and patience to hide behind blockers and pick his way through the heart of the defense. I’m interested to see how the backfield touches will be distributed behind Rachaad White this season."

Barton will indeed be quite a versatile player (and will likely play center, contrary to what Brugler mentioned in this write-up), and it is true that Irving's unwillingness to go down on first contact mostly shows up on film as opposed to his combine measurables.

Brugler didn't really go into those mixed feelings about the class, so it's hard to tell exactly where the qualms were — but on paper at least, Tampa Bay did good to attack areas of need with picks like Barton and Alabama edge rusher Chris Braswell while also attending to the future with picks live wideout Jalen McMillan. Overall, there are arguements to be made for and against any draft class, but Tampa Bay certainly cast a wide net in 2024.

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

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