Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2022 NFL Draft guidebook and strategy

Buccaneers need the best player available

Drafting for need is a mistake. Yes, teams may always want to address their biggest needs, but this is not an option that the Bucs should follow.

Tampa drafted for need last season. Anyone feel good about a handful of special teamers joining the roster when a Super Bowl was on the line? The special teams unit struggled before the draft, but it’s not even like those picks turned those problems around either.

The Buccaneers of this season may have several pressing needs, but looking to fill these positions at the expense of any other options is foolish.

This class may not be great, but if one of the top players slips to the Bucs at the end of the first round and they still spend the pick on a guard or a defensive lineman, the pick becomes wasted.

Drafting for need is how teams reach on prospects and minimize value of their selections.

However, it is also important to note there is a middle ground between player talent and value. Taking the best player at a position of no need leads to a misallocation of resources, so the plan of going after the best guys every single time is predicted on knowing which positions players can actually contribute in.

For example, a great tackle could be available at the end of the first round, but the Bucs have very little need for a tackle anytime soon. Tampa would then move down to the next player, run a similar evaluation, and then move on.

Here’s how they need to look at positions.