Not only did the Tampa Bay Buccaneers add seven new players over the weekend at the NFL Draft, they also move one step closer to completing the Carlton Davis trade.
The deal itself is complete in terms of what exchanged hands. Davis and a pair of sixth round picks are in Detroit and the Bucs landed the No. 92 pick in the draft, but we found out how some of those picks were used over the weekend.
Adjacent to the picks Tampa Bay sent to Detroit, the Lions used their first two picks of the draft on cornerbacks despite having traded for Davis. Do with that information what you will, but it was an interesting twist on Detroit’s draft plans.
Trading Davis made cornerback a need for the Bucs in ways it might not have been had he stayed, although that’s up for debate. Tampa Bay’s secondary needed some work — and still does — but they didn’t use the No. 92 pick to replace Davis.
Carlton Davis III trade is one step closer to being complete after 2024 NFL Draft
Tampa Bay used the pick it received from the Lions to help out Baker Mayfield, drafting Washington wide receiver Jalen McMillan. He’s already shaping up to be a potential steal of the draft, something Mel Kiper pointed out when praising the Bucs for landing him in Round 3.
As for the Lions, they acquired the No. 201 pick but didn’t actually use it. Instead, they. Traded it along with two other picks to the Eagles in order to trad up in thr fourth round. Detroit still has Tampa Bay’s sixth round pick for next year, but we don’t know the exact value of it right now.
Here's a more complete look at the Carlton Davis trade now that all of the picks have been used.
Tampa Bay’s side of the deal is completely revealed, as they essentially flipped Davis and a pair of Day 3 picks for Jalen McMillan. It’s hard to argue with the value the Bucs are getting in giving Baker another target alongside Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
It could also give the Bucs a potential replacement for Godwin if he ends up leaving in free agency next offseason when his contract is up.
Davis was an important piece in the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl defense back in 2020, but he’s missed 16 games over the last three seasons and wasn’t the player he used to be. Hopefully be can figure things out in Detroit, while Tampa Bay moves forward with a potentially important piece on offense.