Rankings Of The Rookies – JoeBucsFan.com – Tampa Bay Bucs Blog, Buccaneers News

Best Bucs 2022 draft pick?

Look, when a team is on top of the hill, rarely does it have a home run draft.

So with the Bucs being one of the best in the NFL in 2020 and 2021, that meant they were drafting near the bottom of the draft. There is a reason teams invest capital to trade up. Because the better players are available earlier.

So it didn’t make Joe want to stomp on a dead soldier (empty can of Big Storm Brewing beer) when Nick Shook of NFL.com slapped a C+ grade on the Bucs’ 2022 draft class, worst grade in the NFC South. It’s tied to the slimy Saints, the Stinking Panthers and the Dixie Chicks selecting players before the Bucs in each round.

Still, Joe sort of agrees with Shook.

Joe will briefly go through the 2022 drafted rookies that saw action:

Logan Hall: MIA. Joe’s not going to kill the guy because he was a rookie. But Bucs coaches and Hall himself need to find a way to get him on the field more and find ways for him to make more of an impact in games.

Luke Goedeke: Struggled too often. Joe knows the team isn’t giving up on him. Hey, Alex Cappa wasn’t any good his rookie year and looked how he turned out. Joe knows Goedeke came into the league with a lot of chatter about how he’s a mean SOB and won’t back down from anyone. Cool, that may get you likes and flags but worry about the fundamentals first and the ‘tude later.

Rachaad White: Showed flashes and Joe loved his game against Seattle in Munich. But at the end of the day, White was still the RB1b on the worst rushing team in the NFL. So let’s not get our briefs all bunched up if the Bucs ponder drafting another running back. White, you have the power to force the Bucs to keep you on the field. Don’t worry about anyone else.

Cade Otton: Flashed in the passing game with 42 catches but faded down the stretch. Joe hopes Otton hits the weights hard this offseason. Joe wasn’t overly impressed with his blocking. Still, rookie tight ends don’t normally do much.

Jake Camarda: Best punter in the game? Maybe. Best player the Bucs drafted in 2020? So far, yes.

Zyon McCollum: Joe was shocked he had more snaps on defense than special teams. McCollum was overmatched on defense most of the time. As a gunner, he’s fantastic. Right now he’s Ryan Smith II and Joe’s typing that as a compliment.

Ko Kieft: Love how he owns linebackers. Love his attitude. Underrated hands. If he works on catching the ball, Kieft will become a steal. (Joe had a Bucs fan gripe to him that Kieft can’t block defensive ends. Most tight ends can’t. So guess what? Don’t have him block defensive ends!)

And for the Devin Thompkins fans out there, don’t be surprised to see Thompkins log more snaps on offense this year.

A “C+” for this draft class is more than fair in Joe’s eyes. But if a punter is the best player in the draft class, well, that’s all you need to know.

That’s not a knock on Camarda, who was a damn good pick. There just isn’t a general manager alive whose draft goal is to have a punter be the best pick in a draft.

And yes, Joe understands it’s unfair to grade a draft class until the players have logged three seasons in the NFL.

Ira Kaufman Talks Dave Canales Philosophy, Who Will Choose The Starting QB, Mike Evans Trade Talk And What Drives It, And Says Sources Tell Him Donovan Smith Will Not Return, And More