Bucs work on draft-day trade scenarios in case opportunity arises

TAMPA — Owning the 26th overall pick is a mixed bag for the Bucs.

Congratulations, they made the playoffs and even won a postseason game. But the reward is potentially having to watch 25 very good prospects go to other teams while hoping one of the players they fell in love with isn’t already spoken for.

“I would say that the biggest challenge, at least for me, is you’re trying to target who might be there,” general manager Jason Licht said Thursday. “We say this all the time — we say it to all the prospects that are coming in and visiting — no one knows how this is going to go. If somebody is telling you they know where you’re going, they’re lying. ...

“Right now, we have five to seven guys we think might be there. Then you start kind of falling in love with them and you’re like, ‘Okay, one of these guys is going to be there, and we’re going to be so happy.’ Then, there’s the chance that none of them are. I think that’s the hardest part about picking down there late.”

Which brings us to the most difficult decision any general manager must make during the draft: trade up, trade down or stay put.

The best trade Licht has ever made came in 2020. He sent a fourth-rounder to the 49ers to move up one spot at No. 13 overall to select tackle Tristan Wirfs, while receiving San Francisco’s seventh-rounder.

Wirfs is an All Pro, a guy who could wear a gold jacket one day if he continues to dominate at left tackle for another four or five years.

The Niners selected defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw at No. 14.

When are decisions made to move around in the draft? Licht said his team of scouts and coaches are already pulling together a game plan with the various scenarios.

“You don’t want to make rash decisions — at least I don’t — on draft day ... emotional decisions that can come back and bite you ...,” he said. “I’d say around pick 20, we’ll know if we want to start attempting to move up or not.”

On draft day, Licht said they typically won’t make calls to other teams about trading the No. 26 overall pick until about six picks earlier. First, they have to determine what, if any, players will still be available when they’re on the clock.

Part of the process is to predict and monitor when there is going to be a run on a certain position group.

“We have a little bit better success knowing what positions teams are going to go after and not necessarily the specific player, after the first round,” he said. “... You start to realize it on the fly. After three receivers go, you know that it’s probably going to start going. If everybody thinks that there are six high-caliber receivers, the next three are probably going to go pretty quick.”

The Bucs have some draft capital to utilize, or “ammo” as Licht called it. They received a third-round pick from the Lions in exchange for cornerback Carlton Davis.

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Will Rachaad White be unopposed?

Rachaad White had a breakout year, falling just 10 yards shy of the 1,000-yard rushing plateau. (Shame on the Bucs for not keeping better track and making sure he got it.)

He is the Bucs’ solid RB1. But it is a deep draft for running backs, although none may go in the first round. Remember, White is also part of the league-worst rushing attack the past two seasons.

“I think if we feel that we need to upgrade the room or the running game, not necessarily the player, but just the running game, we can’t be afraid to take another player,” Licht said. “I think if we had two Rachaads, we’d find a way to use two Rachaads. ... You kind of want one to balance the other.

“You want good football players and you can’t be afraid to tell your player, ‘Hey, you’re great, but if (we) have another you, we can spell you.’ We’ve got to also have insurance. There are always injuries that come into account. I think one thing we’ve learned, or I’ve learned, in the 2020-21 seasons is that we had a lot of great depth. We had a lot of players that could step in when we had injuries. You can’t have enough good depth.”

The Bucs re-signed Chase Edmonds and return Sean Tucker, an undrafted free agent last season who rushed only 15 times for 23 yards as a rookie.

Winfield, Wirfs updates

The Bucs are expected to make safety Antoine Winfield Jr. the highest-paid player at his position, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. No surprise there considering Winfield is an All Pro. He’s currently set to play under the franchise tag, but that always was considered a place-holder until they can reach a new deal.

The same is true with Wirfs. He is set to play under the team’s fifth-year option but the club is actively trying to sign him to a long-term deal before the start of the season.

“We’ve had really good discussions there,” Licht said. “Once again, it’s like the same thing when we were at the combine talking about Baker (Mayfield) and Mike (Evans) and Lavonte (David). We really want them here, we want them here long term, I think they want to be here long term. We’ve had a good track record with getting things done. I feel pretty good about things getting done.”

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