Was Tampa Bay Considering a Linebacker in Round 1 of the NFL Draft?
Most people who follow the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were surprised when the team bypassed drafting an offensive tackle or edge rusher in order to select DT, Calijah Kancey, with the 19th pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Prognosticators and fans had assumed the Buccaneers would use their first pick to address an obvious position of need. But they didn't.
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It's natural to assume that a team would pay special attention to the positions that are widely considered to be the weakest on the roster. But the fact is, the best general managers in professional sports don't allow their team's positional needs to blind them.
I'm not an NFL general manager. I'm not a scout. And I've never been inside a war room. But it's my belief that a proper draft evaluation and execution process can be broken down into five simple steps.
1. Scout the talent
2. Scout the person (due diligence)
3. Create consensus (discussion amongst personnel department/coaches)
4. Create a big board
5. Select the highest-ranked player on the board
For the best GMs, it all comes down to trusting the process described above, and ultimately, never wavering from the plan that has already been set in place. Trust your homework.
Easier said than done, of course. But it appears the Buccaneers followed the correct procedure, stuck to their board, and selected the highest-rated player when they were on the clock for the first time in 2023.
But what if Kancey wasn't available? Who would have been the highest-ranked player on the Bucs' board?
Well, a recent behind-the-scenes video released by the Buccaneers shows some interesting discourse that took place between head coach, Todd Bowles, and GM, Jason Licht, when Detroit was close to making their second selection in the first round before the Bucs would have the chance to make their first.
Many people who have seen the clip view it as a clear indicator that had Kancey been selected by Detroit at 18, then the Buccaneers would have selected Jack Campbell, an inside linebacker from the University of Iowa, who ended up being Detroit's selection at 18.
You be the judge...
There have already been articles written from the Lions' perspective interpreting this video as one that clearly indicates the Buccaneers were prepared to take Iowa's Jack Campbell if Kancey was no longer available.
The Lions took a lot of heat for drafting Campbell at 18th overall, especially after having selected Jahmyr Gibbs at 12. Both players, though well respected for their talent, were viewed as reaches based on where they went compared to where they were expected to be drafted. Campbell and Gibbs were generally viewed as fringe first-rounders by media experts and non-NFL draft evaluators.
The comments from Bowles in the Buccaneers' draft war room are interesting, but also, not exactly an indication of who the Bucs were considering beyond Calijah Kancey.
"We still had two guys that we really liked on the board with Kancey being one of them. And, we had a shot either way Detroit picked, and then when Detroit picked the other way, and picked the linebacker and we got a chance to get Kancey, you know, it was pretty good... a great feeling, actually."
It's easy to see how this video might lead one to assume the Buccaneers' were in fact prepared to draft Jack Campbell had the Lions selected Kancey. The uncertainty regarding Devin White's future in Tampa also adds to the likelihood of the team considering a linebacker so early.
That said, based on what we see in the video clip shown above, it would still be nothing more than an assumption. Bowles mentions Campbell by name, and both he and Jason Licht refer to another highly-ranked player on their board who was still available, but none of the comments necessarily suggest that Campbell was that other player.
If Jack Campbell was in fact that player, and ended up being the pick by the Bucs, it's hard to predict how the fanbase would have reacted. But the reality is, he wasn't. And although the selection of Calijah Kancey at 19th overall didn't fill a glaring hole on the roster, it does add a dynamic piece to the Bucs' defensive line, while at the same time, showing us that the Buccaneers trusted their process, and ultimately selected the highest ranked player on their board when it was time to make their pick.
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