Buccaneers: Ranking first-round draft picks under Jason Licht

The fifth-best first-round pick for the Buccaneers by Jason Licht

Jameis Winston, QB, 2015

There is no pleasing anyone with this ranking. Fans will believe that Winston deserves to be number one or number seven, and there is likely no in-between with that consensus. In the end, Winston was a decent quarterback for the Buccaneers, but it is hard to be higher on this list if you can’t stay on the team.

The Bucs had no choice but to move on from Winston this past offseason, and they were more than justified. Had Tom Brady struggled, Winston’s stock would probably be higher, but a Super Bowl win is hard to ignore.

During his time in Tampa, Winston’s inconsistency made it hard to garner as much steam on this list as the other players. A Pro Bowl appearance and one of the highest-passing yard seasons in NFL history are major plusses, but the interceptions and suspensions are big detractors.

This polarization has been why Licht “missed” on Winston. Taking a great player is one thing, but general managers need to find players that fit on the team and can make a case to stay above all else.

Winston did enough during his time to be well above a tight end that misses half of the games and a corner that was beyond a liability on the field, but the turnovers are too much to overcome to end up higher on this list.