Who are the five biggest draft steals in Buccaneers franchise history?
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The 2017 NFL Combine is in full swing. Jason Licht and his Buccaneers colleagues are watching, studying, interviewing, and going about the business of finding the stars of tomorrow. The veterans of yesterday get replaced with the college players of tomorrow and the evaluation process has begun in Indianapolis.
Soon enough, it will be on to the all important pro days and finally the draft. The Bucs have holes to fill, as we all know, and the staff is busy figuring out the best way to fill those holes.
While the team is doing that, we are taking a step back into history. Draft steals are a fun topic, aren’t they? When your team gets that player later in the draft, it doesn’t get much attention at first. But when that player becomes a star, the move looks that much better. “Wow, what a steal!”, you might say. You might wonder how that player was available after so many picks! These are the players we are talking about today.
We have gone back through history to find the five biggest draft steals in franchise history. Any long-time Bucs fan knows this wasn’t the easiest list to pull together. We managed, however, so let’s get started with number five.
5. Mark Carrier
When a third round pick is your franchise all-time leading receiver, he clearly was a steal.
Mark Carrier joined the Bucs in 1987 as their third round selection, 57th overall. He had a slow start as his rookie campaign yielded 26 receptions for 423 yards and three touchdowns. His next three years, however, were his biggest in Tampa. In ’88, he finished with 57 receptions for 970 yards and five touchdowns. Carrier’s only Pro Bowl appearance came in 1989 as he posted career highs in receptions (86), yards (1,422), and touchdowns (9). That year, he eclipsed the 100 yard mark on nine separate occasions, a staggering number for any receiver.
The Bucs may have only won five games that year, but amazingly, Carrier went over 100 yards in the final four straight games and five out of the final six. That’s about as good as it gets folks. Imagine how good he might have been if the team had been good that year.
He never approached those types of numbers again. In 1990 Carrier went for 813 yards on 49 catches on 49 catches, and his catches jumped up to 56 in his final year with the Bucs (1992).
For his 88 game career in Tampa, Mark Carrier caught 321 passes for 5,018 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Our number five steal, number 88, Mark Carrier!
4. Donnie Abraham
Bucs fans began cheering for Donnie Abraham in 1996 when he was the third round selection, 71st overall. He began his career with a bang, starting 12 games that season and posting two fumble recoveries to go along with five interceptions. His first career interception came in a week three loss to the Denver Broncos. He posted five more interceptions in 1997 followed by one in 1998.
Things really got cooking for Abraham in 1999. That was the first year of back to back seven interception performances. In ’99 he also ran back two for touchdowns to lead the league. The one against the Falcons put the Bucs ahead to stay in a 19-10 victory. Abraham was also credited with two sacks in 1999.
The Bucs saw the playoffs in 2000, and although they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, Donnie Abraham did manage an interception in the game. He made his only career Pro Bowl appearance that season as well. He finished his Tampa career in 2001 with six interceptions before heading up to New York to finish his career with the Jets.
His 31 interceptions for the Bucs place him second on the franchise list. All of that for a third round cornerback from East Tennessee St.
Our number four steal, number 21, Donnie Abraham!
3. Kwon Alexander
When a fourth round draft pick steps in as a rookie and leads your defense, you have a steal.
Kwon Alexander was the Bucs fourth round selection in 2015, the 124th overall. He did have a drug suspension that cost him four games, but he immediately became the starter at middle linebacker when he returned, making him the quarterback of the defense. His debut was on September 13, 2015 against the Titans, and though the Bucs lost, Alexander noted five tackles.
He showed the world how great he could be on November 1st when the Bucs took on the Falcons. It was the week that his brother passed away, and Kwon played the game of his life. 11 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery showed just what kind of player Alexander is. To be able to play under that type of stress is a trait that not many have. He finished his rookie year with 93 total tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
So, what does Alexander do for an encore in his second season? Get better, that’s what. He opened the 2016 season with 17 total tackles and a sack in the week 1 victory of the Falcons, and he just went off from there. Alexander finished his sophomore season with 145 total tackles, three sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
In just two years, Alexander has already recorded 238 tackles. Now THAT is a steal.
Our number three steal, number 58, Kwon Alexander!
2. John Lynch
Now what is the 49ers general manager doing on this list? Ha ha, just kidding of course. How could this guy not be on the list, at or near the top?
John Lynch was drafted by the Bucs in the third round of the 1993 draft, the 82nd overall choice. It took him a few years to crack the lineup, as he didn’t earn a full-time starting job until 1996. However, from that point forward, Lynch changed the position of safety. He led the way as a safety that could play the pass, get after the quarterback, and stop the run. John Lynch did it all. From 1996-2001, Lynch did not record a year of less than 85 total tackles.
He was known for being a fierce hitter as well. Take a look at some of his best:
From 1999-2002, Lynch was invited to the Pro Bowl four straight times, and if you go back to 1997 it’s five out of six seasons. He was first team All-Pro in back to back seasons (1999-2000).
During his time in Tampa Bay, he recorded 787 total tackles, 23 interceptions, 13 sacks, seven forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries. Many believe he should have been elected to the Hall of Fame this year, including our own James Yarcho.
He is still our number two steal, number 47, John Lynch!
1. Ronde Barber
If a guy going to the Hall of Fame as a third round selection isn’t a steal, I don’t know what is.
Like Lynch, this man doesn’t need a lot of introduction. Ronde Barber was drafted in the third round of the 1997 draft with the 66th overall selection. He stayed with the Bucs through the thick and the very thin, spending his entire career in Tampa until he retired after the 2012 season.
He started nine games in 1998, recording the first two interceptions of his storied career. He started 15 in 1999 and then all 16 in the year 2000. That year he earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in week two. That day against the Bears he recorded three tackles, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for a score (retrieved from Wikipedia). Barber also posted at least 70 tackles each year starting in 1998.
In 2001 he was selected to his first Pro Bowl and his first All-Pro team. (He would be selected to the Pro Bowl four more times and All-Pro twice more). Barber was dominant in 2001, leading the league with ten interceptions. In a December win over the division rival Saints, Barber notched three of his ten interceptions, including a pick six.
The following year, Barber came up in the NFC Championship game. That day he took an interception 92 yards to the house to cement the 27-10 victory over the Eagles and send the Bucs to their eventual Super Bowl title.
For his great career, Barber racked up 1,231 total tackles, 28 sacks, 47 interceptions, 166 passes defended, 15 forced fumbles and 12 fumble recoveries.
Easily our number one steal, number twenty, Ronde Barber!
What do you think of this list? Sound off in the comments below.
Stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.