The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in win-now mode. That’s not to say that the Bucs wont still be a talented team in the future, but the team’s identity right now is so inextricably tied to the presence and performance of Tom Brady.
In what is expected by most to be Tom Brady’s final year in Tampa Bay, Jason Licht, Bruce Arians, and company were charged with building a team that could maximize the immediate improvement of a Tampa Bay group that failed to make it past the Divisional Round last year. So, one of the most important questions when grading the results of Tampa Bay’s draft, is how much each player will contribute in this next season.
Below, is the list of Tampa Bay’s draft picks, ranked by how much they are expected to play at their position for the Super Bowl hopeful Buccaneers.
1. Jake Camarda – P (Round 4, Pick 133)
The drafting of Jake Camarda was met with some head-scratching by Buccaneers faithful. After all, there were depth pieces available that could have been contributors at much more vital positions. And even if the Tampa Bay front office was sold on selecting a punter, the near-consensus best punter available (Matt Araiza) was still on the board.
But, that being said, there is little doubt that Jake Camarda will be the member of this Tampa Bay draft class that will take the highest percentage of available snaps for the Buccaneers, simply because he will likely have very little competition.
His selection in the draft is a clear signal that the Buccaneers are looking to move on from the higher salary of Bradley Pinion. So Camarda, though not the Buccaneers’ most valuable selection, will most likely be the one that plays the highest percentage of possible snaps.