Bucs Nation
The picks have been made, now let’s see how they graded
The Buccaneers made their first three selections in the 2025 NFL Draft and there were certainly some interesting and surprising choices made. Let’s break them down and give each one a letter grade.
The Bucs surprised many when they turned the card in for their first round pick and it was receiver Emeka Egbuka. The first reaction for a lot of people was probably why? Well, Mike Evans isn’t getting any younger and is a free agent after this season and Chris Godwin is coming off his second major injury. I’m not sure people were so surprised they picked a receiver, but it’s where they did it that raised some eyebrows.
Regardless, Egbuka is a good football player and has drawn a lot of comparisons to Chris Godwin. He will help Tampa Bay a lot this year but also in the future. This is the highest Jason Licht has drafted a receiver since his first ever draft pick as general manager which was Mike Evans at 7th overall in 2014. At the end of the day, the Bucs added a good one, but passing on some of the perhaps more pressing needs was a bit questionable.
Grade: B
The Bucs did address the defensive side of the ball on day two, going with Benjamin Morrison out of Notre Dame. Morrison was a guy who may very well had been a first round pick if he were 100% healthy, however he had a hip injury during the season that required surgery and ended his season. He missed 10 games, and it certainly impacted his draft stock.
Morrison is a ballhawk, having nine interceptions in three seasons for the Fighting Irish and that is something the Bucs secondary lacked in 2024. If Morrison is healthy, the Bucs could have found themselves a steal and their long-term solution at outside good. A solid risk to take on day two.
Grade: A-
With their second pick on day two, the Bucs went with another corner in Jacob Parrish. The Kansas State Wildcat does not fit the usual size profile Tampa Bay typically looks for in their corners at just 5’10”, 191 pounds but he plays with an edge. Adding depth to the corner back room was clearly something the Bucs wanted to upgrade and it was an issue last season.
Parrish cannot only serve as depth for the Bucs, but he could also very well find himself in the mix to be the team’s starting nickel corner. This pick fills a potential need for Tampa and the player has some upside, so it’s a solid selection.
Grade: B
Tampa Bay was able to fill some needs with the cornerback depth but investing that high of a pick in a receiver is still...
