For most NFL clubs during the pre-draft process, talent usurps everything. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, character supersedes all. The Bucs put names up on the board like all league teams, but with a pivotal caveat. If the player has any character questions marks or attitude problems, the Bucs turn the name over. If the answer to the question, 'Is this that man?' is not a resounding yes from personnel, staff, executives and scouts, Tampa Bay moves on. The scouting department and front office spend a week solely on character evaluation prior to the draft and grade based on a tier system. The same thoroughness that is spent on examining talent and fit, is spent on dissecting a player's makeup and moral compass.
"It was about five years ago and we were not having the success that I wanted, and we had a pow-wow, got together - all of us, the whole staff – just talking about, 'What are the picks that have made it? In the history of the Bucs, what are the guys that have made it? It was the person," described General Manager Jason Licht via the Pat McAfee show. "We are rarely missing on the player, we are missing on the person and what are these qualities of a person that made them successful, and we came up with a little slogan. John Spytek was a part of this too, it is called, 'I Am That Man.' We have a silhouette in our draft room and Lavonte David is actually the silhouette because he epitomizes everything about what we are looking for. You could say the same thing about Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and a host of others but it is a quality we are looking for…We mitigate our risk. We are taking great players that are great humans."
The process extends from first exposure to players during the summer, to the last exposure. Input is gathered from practices, interviews, the Combine, Pro Days, demeanor on the field, 30-vists and others. The attributes of each person usually show up on the field in each individual's respective play style. The two almost always coincide. Much like life mimics art, football reflects a player's intrinsic core. The Bucs' brass and scouts ask themselves a variety of questions during the assessment, including:
Is this kid tough?
Does he love football?
How do his teammates perceive him?
Do you want this player in your home?
What is the why?
There is no set science or magical potion to predict whether or not a collegiate prospect will have success in the National Football League or if an individual will meet expectations. Many times, it is a gut feeling that persists. However, the Bucs have found that being critical in deducing who a player fundamentally is as a human being is the greatest determinant on value and presupposed production.
Tampa Bay bets on the players that are innately wired to reach their ceiling through dedication and self-awareness. Everyone battles adversity and at some point, will reach a crossroads. The players that are consistent regardless of circumstances and whose endurance cannot be broken are the ones that the Bucs covet and seek out. Tampa Bay is able to identify that mold after having experienced it with cornerstones in the building such as the aforementioned David, Evans and Godwin. The secret ingredient for the Bucs is finding players that fight through the whistle and impact the locker room by example.
"I think our recipe for winning is finding great dudes who are great men and great ball players and men that are used to winning," said Vice President of Player Engagement Duke Preston. "So, when it goes bad, they hang around longer and when it goes bleak, they maintain a level of faith and hope. To me, it has been a cool thing to see. It is not like we are looking for choir boys, we are just looking for guys that are committed to being great on-and-off the field."
20-of-22 of Tampa Bay's 2024 Week One starters were originally drafted by the Buccaneers – the most in the NFL. Across the last 10 seasons, the Bucs have ranked in the top-10 in cumulative EPA by rookie classes. Under Licht, the Bucs are No.1 in the NFL with 1,873 games started and 132,091 snaps played from their own players drafted between the first through fifth rounds (2014-2024). All 38 of Licht's draft selections first-sixth rounds from 2019-2024 are on an NFL roster. That hit rate is predicated on the team's unwavering commitment to drafting men of undisputed character. The Bucs have not compromised on those principles, producing a juggernaut that has won a historic four-straight division titles.
"We spend a lot of time talking about this and I want to be able to do it again," stated Assistant General Manager Rob McCartney. "I'm proud to be able to stand up here and represent all of the people that were so impactful to the draft this year. So, with the college scouts: Tony Hardie, Byron Kiefer, Antwon Murray, Andy Speyer, Brian McLaughlin, Cesar Rivera, Zach Smith, Emmett Clifford, Korey Finnie. Those guys put in a lot of time on the road [and are] very impactful to everything we do with the draft. All of the character stuff, they are crucial to that. All of the culture in the locker room that we all speak about, they are the lifeblood of that – they get the process started. They do a tremendous job. Pro scouts that help out with the draft, Sean Conley, Donovan Cotton, Shannon Hogue, Shane Scannell, as well, with all the team needs. Football technology – Spencer Dille, Joey Lawra, we wouldn't be able to do this without those two. Our scouting assistants, Jeremiah Bogan and Jordan Morrow – all the point of attack tapes they make, labels, magnets…Along with Peighton Roth, our scouting coordinator.
"Shoutout to our player engagement staff Duke [Preston] and Tyler [Thompson]. We've got all of the medical assistants we had, too. We had a lot of conversations with Bobby [Slater] and his crew, 'Dutchie' (Scott DeGraff), John [Amos], Sammy [Richter] and all of the doctors. [We had] a lot of great conversations with them over the past few weeks, trying to make sure we're on our P's and Q's with all of the medical stuff. The video staff, for all the help – Brett [Greene], RJ [Harvey], Levi [Lewis] and Justin [Camp]. 'Q's' (Shelton Quarles) guys, Timmy [Jarocki], Zach [Orth] and Joe Dowell for driving everybody around on all of the [top] 30 visits did a great job, too. Then, obviously, Jackie [Davidson] and 'Greeny' (Mike Greenberg) for all the stuff they supported us with throughout the last few weeks. Then, [Mike] Biehl and obviously Jason [Licht] and everyone else that comes with this process. We're jacked upstairs. I think the theme of this is we got to draft a lot of the guys that really brought joy to us in this process and who were fun to watch throughout the whole entire process. I think there's been a lot of energy I saw from some of the guys you got to talk to already – that was definitely a point of emphasis there, too. I'll open it up to whatever questions you guys have."
