The 2022 NFL Draft has officially kicked off, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made their first selection. As the seven rounds progress and the team makes all of their picks, we will provide a live draft grade and analysis for each of the Buccaneers’ selections. How do these new prospects fit with the roster, what kind of impact will they have on the team, and what do the team’s needs look like now that the draft is complete?
Make sure to continue to check back as the 2022 NFL Draft continues for live Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ draft grades and analysis.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers grades for 2022 NFL Draft
What are the Buccaneers‘ grades for their selections in the 2022 NFL Draft as they look to address their main needs this offseason?
Round 2, Pick 33: Logan Hall, DT, Houston
The Bucs moved out of Round 1 and found themselves opening the Day 2 festivities. With that first pick of Round 2, Tampa selected Houston DT Logan Hall. The first pick under Todd Bowles as the new head coach in Tampa comes fittingly on the defensive line. Hall is a potential game-changer in the middle with fierce hands and a terrific get-off at the line of scrimmage.
The Bucs have few holes on their roster, and it seems as if they’ve found their solution to their lone weak spot on the defense with Hall’s selection. Even if the Bucs re-sign Ndamukong Suh, Hall is the long-term solution to their defensive tackle problem. He’s a three-down rusher who can influence the point of attack in the run game and wreak havoc in the passing game.
Grade: B+
Round 2, Pick 57: Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan
Though he’s not the Central Michigan lineman you thought would be the first drafted from the Chippewas, Luke Goedeke is the pick for the Bucs at No. 57. Moving up three spots to select Goedeke, the move to the inside appears confirmed for the former CMU lineman as he played right tackle for the Chips in 2021.
A dominant run blocker, Goedeke didn’t get to showcase his skills on the national level after he left the Senior Bowl injured. Still, he has all the ability to be a stalwart on the inside for Tampa. He has great strength and sound technique. Goedeke is a Bucs lineman through and through. He’ll fit in nicely and figures to slide into the left guard spot immediately.
Grade: B+
Round 3, Pick 91: Rachaad White, RB, Arizona State
It’s rare to find a running back with the burst and acceleration that Rachaad White has. It’s even rarer to find someone with the shiftiness and elusiveness who can maintain the burst and speed White has. He loses nothing through his breaks and has some of the best pass-catching skills in this running back class.
White may not be the most sound nor technically proficient at running between the tackles. But given any space, he’s a threat to take it the distance. He’s a large running back at 6’0”, 214 pounds, yet plays like a smaller back with bad intentions. It’s a running back pick on Day 2, but he’s more than just a running back. White is an offensive weapon.
Grade: B+
Round 4, Pick 106: Cade Otton, TE, Washington
Washington tight end Cade Otton lands in Tampa Bay as the heir apparent to Rob Gronkowski. A solid all-around tight end prospect, Otton has demonstrated the ability to block with power, decent strength, and technique. Additionally, he provides an underrated presence in the passing game. The Washington tight end is the 109th overall prospect on the Pro Football Network Top 300 Consensus Big Board, presenting decent value at a position of need.
Grade: B
Round 4, Pick 133: Jake Camarda, P, Georgia
A run on punters in the fourth round was something to be expected. Neither of them being Matt Araiza definitely wasn’t. While Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans might be disappointed with the selection of Jake Camarda out of Georgia, allow me to dry your tears and quell your fears. Yes, Camarda might not have the same booming leg of Araiza and Stout. Nonetheless, he has got enough leg to get the ball downfield, as amply demonstrated in the rain at the Senior Bowl.
What Camarda does do at an exceptional level is punt with consistency. His punting average has been within a yard during the last three seasons. Meanwhile, he routinely puts the ball inside the 20. Camarda has consistently put the Georgia defense in position to succeed with his ball placement. With two punters already on their roster, there might be some question marks about team needs, but there certainly shouldn’t be any talent ones.
Grade: A-
Round 5, Pick 157: Zyon McCollum, CB, Sam Houston State
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded a 2023 fourth-round pick to have this opportunity. But at this point in the 2022 NFL Draft, it’s well worth the upside that Sam Houston State CB Zyon McCollum comes with. We’ve seen the Buccaneers invest in and develop elite athletes at the CB position before. McCollum fits that description.
At 6’2”, 199 pounds, he has 4.33 speed, a 39.5” vertical, an 11’ broad, and a freakish 6.48 three-cone. He needs to improve his ball tracking a bit, as well as keep refining his technique. But he’s a sticky cover man with rare corrective athleticism – a low-risk, uber-high-upside proposition in Round 5.
Grade: A+
Round 6, Pick 218: Ko Kieft, TE, Minnesota
After selecting Cade Otton at the start of Day 3, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers returned to the tight end talent pool to take underrated Minnesota tight end Ko Kieft. The magnificently mustachioed Minnesotan is an extremely aggressive blocker whose play style is somewhat reminiscent of a mauling guard than a tight end. While he hasn’t quite got the receiver upside, his special-teams experience on kick and punt coverage could see Kieft stick on the Bucs’ roster come September.
Grade: B
Round 7, Pick 248: Andre Anthony, EDGE, LSU
A 16-game starter during his six-year college career, Andre Anthony has had relatively meager college production for the LSU Tigers. His final season, however, was cut short by injury when he was entering a possible breakout season. He’s a fluid athlete who has the ability to get skinny between offensive linemen, also possessing some decent bend off the edge. His transition to the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will likely have a ceiling of a situational pass rusher.
Grade: C
What were the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ biggest needs entering the draft?
- DT, G, CB, EDGE, QB
The Buccaneers roster is built in such a way that there are not really any glaring needs. Vita Vea needs a partner, and the retirement of Ali Marpet has left a big hole in the offensive line. They also brought back Carlton Davis but have Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting set to hit free agency next year.
Meanwhile, you can never have too much depth when it comes to pass rush, so that is always an area of value. Depending on how they feel about Kyle Trask, finding a long-term replacement for Brady needs to be in their mind.