Draft Day Gambles.

He was a second-round pick in the same draft

Tampa Bay drafted both Oklahoma brothers in 1976: Lee Roy first overall and Dewey in the second round. They were not consecutive Buccaneers selections, though. Running back Jimmy DuBose came between them, adding a small trap for anyone who remembers only the famous family connection.

Offensive tackle

The 1976 Steve Young was a Colorado offensive tackle, selected 61st overall in the third round. He started at left tackle during Tampa Bay’s inaugural season. The familiar name can fool fans into blending two different players from two different chapters of Buccaneers history.

Seventeen rounds

The 1976 draft stretched across 17 rounds. Tampa Bay actually made 20 selections because a team’s pick total need not equal the number of rounds. The league reduced the draft to 12 rounds in 1977, so the Buccaneers experienced the longer format only in their inaugural year.

Wide receiver

The 2008 Dexter Jackson was an Appalachian State wide receiver, taken 58th overall in the second round. He was a different player from the safety Tampa Bay drafted in 1999. Matching a familiar name without checking its draft year can produce a very convincing wrong answer.

Zero

All six Buccaneers selections in 2014 were offensive players. The class opened with wide receiver Mike Evans and closed with another receiver, Robert Herron. Lovie Smith’s defensive reputation made the result memorable, but the team’s draft board produced an entirely offensive first class for general manager Jason Licht.

Jimmie Giles

Jimmie Giles arrived as part of the deal that let Houston take Earl Campbell first overall in 1978. Tampa Bay moved to No. 17 and selected quarterback Doug Williams. That transaction connected a veteran tight end and a new quarterback to the same roster-building decision.

Dallas Cowboys

Dallas sent pick 28 to Tampa Bay for second-round selections 41 and 63. The Buccaneers used the acquired first-rounder on Derrick Brooks, completing a draft-day pairing with Warren Sapp. Rather than waiting for two later opportunities, Tampa Bay spent both picks to secure one targeted linebacker.

Keyshawn Johnson

Tampa Bay traded both of its 2000 first-round choices, Nos. 13 and 27, to the Jets for Keyshawn Johnson. That meant the club’s biggest first-round investment arrived as an established NFL receiver. It was a particularly bold way to turn draft capital into immediate offensive help.

Josh Allen

Buffalo used the acquired seventh pick on Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen. Tampa Bay dropped to No. 12 and drafted Vita Vea, adding two second-round selections in the trade. The same deal therefore produced a quarterback decision for one club and a defensive-line investment for the other.

One spot

The Buccaneers moved just one place, from No. 14 to No. 13, in a deal with San Francisco. Tampa Bay then selected Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs. The short jump shows that a draft trade can be about securing one specific target, even when the destination looks almost identical.

Third round

Barber was the 66th overall selection, a third-round pick in 1997. He went on to play all 16 of his NFL seasons for Tampa Bay and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023. His draft slot is a reminder that lasting franchise figures can emerge well after Round One.

Al Harris

Tampa Bay drafted Al Harris in the sixth round in 1997 and kept him on its practice squad that season. Philadelphia claimed him the following year, and Green Bay came later. His Buccaneers connection belongs to the beginning of his development, rather than to regular-season starts in Tampa.

Hobart

Marpet came from Hobart, a Division III program, and went in the second round at No. 61 in 2015. His Senior Bowl experience helped demonstrate that he could compete with players from larger programs. Tampa Bay’s evaluation looked beyond the size and profile of his college.

Lavonte David

The target was Nebraska linebacker Lavonte David. Tampa Bay was not scheduled to pick again until No. 68, but a trade with Houston moved the club ten places to No. 58. The deal carried the Buccaneers back into the second round to secure the defender they wanted.

Fourth round

Irving was a fourth-round selection, No. 125 overall, in 2024. Tampa Bay’s scouting staff thought he might be taken on the second day, but he was still available when the Buccaneers picked on the third. The opportunity came from how the board actually unfolded, rather than a guaranteed forecast.

Florida Marlins

Lynch was a pitcher in the Florida Marlins’ minor-league system when Tampa Bay selected him 82nd overall in 1993. The Buccaneers’ retrospective recounts coach Sam Wyche checking his willingness to commit to football. Scouting the player therefore included understanding which professional sport he would choose.

Defensive tackle

Dotson had played defensive tackle at Southern Miss before Tampa Bay signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2009. His college football résumé covered only six games after a basketball background. The Buccaneers converted him to offensive tackle, making his path a project in both experience and position.

Adam Humphries

Adam Humphries arrived at Tampa Bay’s 2015 rookie minicamp as a tryout player, not as a draft choice or an already-signed rookie. He earned a contract and later made the opening roster. The Clemson receiver’s first hurdle was simply getting invited to continue competing.

New Orleans Saints

Brate briefly joined the Saints’ practice squad before Tampa Bay signed him back to its active roster in September 2015. The Harvard tight end had originally entered the NFL with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2014. His route to a lasting role included a short divisional detour.

Tight end

Mauch began at North Dakota State as a roughly 220-pound walk-on tight end. He moved to the offensive line in spring 2018 and developed into a tackle before Tampa Bay selected him 48th overall in 2023. The player drafted by the Buccaneers had grown into a very different assignment.