Bucs assistant general manager Rob McCartney loves coming to work early the day after the Super Bowl, when only one team is celebrating and the playing field is level for the next season.
If anything, Seattle raising the Lombardi Trophy lifted spirits in Tampa Bay. The Bucs beat the Seahawks in Week 5 when both teams were missing stars. Of course, Seattle rebounded and the Bucs retreated, going from a 5-1 team to 8-9 and missing the playoffs for the first time in six years.
“I do not enjoy watching the Super Bowl,” McCartney said. “That Monday morning is always like one of the earliest days I get in the office because it’s so refreshing. Everybody is kind of in our misery at that point except Seattle. That’s always a great day to kind of flip the page.
“I think beating them in Week 5 was a great day for us. Obviously, they had a great season and won the Super Bowl. But I think the guys on our roster know what we’re capable of.”
The Bucs have a chance to add to that roster beginning Thursday with the first round of the NFL draft.
Tampa Bay has seven draft picks, one per round, beginning at No. 15.
Improving the defense will be the goal, with significant needs for an edge rusher, inside linebacker, defensive lineman and maybe another cornerback or two.
The list isn’t very different from a year ago when general manager Jason Licht surprised the pundits by selecting Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka at No. 19 overall. He became a Rookie of the Year finalist after amassing 938 yards receiving and five touchdowns.
“We narrow it down to about 150 (prospects). That’s what we go off of, and every year we always have players left,” Licht said.
This draft may not have as many elite players in the first round as in the past. But the Bucs have an opportunity to address some needs early Thursday night.
Let’s take a look at the biggest needs and how the draft could shake out for the Bucs in the opening round.
The Bucs admittedly have failed with some attempts to improve the rush off the edge. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, the 32nd overall pick in 2021, never had more than five sacks. Chris Braswell, a second-rounder from Alabama, has only 2.5 sacks in two seasons.
“It is tough,” Licht said. “There are only so many that you could call truly impactful players. We found going back over the last few years that the players that we thought were going to be good, most of them ended up being good. We just didn’t have the opportunity to take (them) or we took another position before them that we’re happy with in most cases.”
The elite pass rushers such as Texas Tech’s David Bailey, Ohio State’s Arvell Reese, Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. and Auburn’s Keldric Faulk are expected to be gone by No. 15.
A consensus of many mock drafts have the Bucs selecting Miami’s Akheem Mesidor. Unlike some other edge rushers the Bucs have drafted, Mesidor was highly productive with 35.5 career sacks, including 12.5 last season. Mesidor has spent six years in college and at 25 would be the oldest player Licht has drafted.
Other edge rushers in play include Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell (SEC Defensive Player of the Year, 11 sacks) and Missouri’s Zion Young (first-team All-SEC, 16.5 tackles for loss)
Lavonte David is retired and Lions free agent Alex Anzalone has replaced him. But Anzalone is 31 and SirVocea Dennis hasn’t played well. Panthers free agent Christian Rozeboom was added for depth.
Keep an eye on Georgia linebacker C.J. Allen. Head coach Todd Bowles has an affinity for Bulldogs and Allen was a first-team All-American who led his team with 88 tackles and eight tackles for loss. Other inside linebacker prospects include Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez and Missouri’s Josiah Trotter, the son of former Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter. Rodriguez forced seven fumbles and was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
Would the Bucs dare begin the draft with another offensive player despite the needs on defense? Well, yes.
“This year’s draft has a lot of tight ends, so we just wanted to do our due diligence and get to know them as much as we can, just like we do most positions,” Licht said. “So yeah, it would be great to add a tight end to the roster that brings an element that maybe some of the others don’t. We’re happy with our group right now, but we’re just doing our due diligence.”