Watch for live Rich McKay press conferences
No other sports draft in the world is as eagerly anticipated as the National Football League's selection weekend. For 64 years, the NFL has used the draft as the primary method of bringing new players into the league, and it has gone from an obscure back-rooms proceeding to a nationwide spectacle.
Likewise, the Buccaneers placed increasing importance on the draft in recent years, with General Manager Rich McKay steering the franchise towards a draft-first, free agency-second approach. Of course, the Bucs swerved spectacularly off that course this week, when the prospect of landing Pro Bowl WR Keyshawn Johnson for the team's two first-round picks was too tempting to pass up.
Nevertheless, the Bucs will start the weekend with six remaining picks and are a good bet to use them wisely. Since McKay took over as primary director of the Bucs' draft, the team has developed into perhaps the NFL's most successful franchise on draft weekend. Weeks and months of preparation by the team's scouting department will still be put to good use this April, as evidenced by such middle-round picks-turned key contributers as Ronde Barber, John Lynch, Jamie Duncan, Patrick Hape, Donnie Abraham, Jason Odom and Chidi Ahanotu.
And you'll find all the Bucs' breaking draft news here, on Buccaneers.com's special draft area. As Tampa Bay makes its selections throughout Saturday and Sunday, you'll find stories on each new Buccaneer here on the main page. In addition, you will be able to watch all Buccaneer draft press conferences live from the team's headquarters, or refer back to archived videos of those media sessions. Transcribed quotes from the new Bucs as well as McKay and Head Coach Tony Dungy will also be made available, and all of this content will be easily linked from the draftees' stories.
In addition, please utilize the links above to look back at the team's draft history, keep abreast of NFL draft news as it happens and enter an exciting contest with a chance to win Buccaneer tickets!
