PFF Names Bucs Day 2 And 3 Fits In 2024 Draft

PFF’s Dalton Wasserman first took a look at Day 2 fits for all 32 teams, and for the Bucs, he suggested a familiar face — at least a face that is familiar to one prominent Bucs coach.

Wasserman linked Tampa Bay with Kentucky running back Ray Davis, who played under new Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen, the Wildcats’ play-caller in 2023.

Originally spending two years at Temple and two more at Vanderbilt, Davis spent his final collegiate season at Kentucky and really took off. A year after totaling 1,042 yards and five touchdowns on 232 carries (4.5 avg.) for the Commodores, he led the Wildcats with 1,129 yards and 14 touchdowns on 199 carries (5.7 avg.) last year.

He was also a force in the passing game, catching 33 passes for 323 yards (9.8 avg.) and seven touchdowns. Going for 1,452 total yards and 21 total touchdowns was a great way for Davis to set himself up for the 2024 Draft.

Here’s what Wasserman had to say about this fit for the Bucs:

“Rachaad White has played reasonably well during his first two years in Tampa Bay, but he profiles as more of a committee option. New offensive coordinator Liam Coen could lobby for the team to draft Kentucky’s Ray Davis, whom Coen coached during his time there. Davis was one of the best backs in the country despite running behind a subpar offensive line. The contrast between White and Davis would be a nice pairing in the Buccaneers’ backfield.”

White is coming off a season in which he was among the top-five most-productive running backs in the NFL, surpassing 1,500 total yards and scoring nine total touchdowns. But Licht said Thursday that the team can’t be afraid to take another running back in 2024. In fact, the Bucs probably should.

“I will just say this… 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. But I understand what you mean – 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.”

Another Pass Rush Project For The Bucs On Day 3?

As for a fit on Day 3, PFF’s Gordon McGuinness linked the Bucs to UCLA edge rusher Grayson Murphy. Tampa Bay could certainly use another pass rusher, but Murphy isn’t yet the alpha-type edge defender that the team needs. Maybe he could be in time, but can the Bucs afford to roll the dice on another developmental pass rusher right now?

If Licht decides the answer to that question is yes, there could be something there with Murphy.

Murphy started his college career at North Texas before transferring to UCLA. In his final year at North Texas in 2021, he totaled 10 sacks and 37 quarterback hurries. Then, over two years at UCLA, he posted 13 sacks and 65 hurries. Murphy projects as a later Day 3 pick, due in part to being undersized for his position.

Here’s what McGuinness wrote about Murphy:

“While he is a little on the small side, Murphy showed he is a good athlete in pre-draft workouts this offseason. Coupled with a solid college career that saw him win 14.8% of his pass-rush reps last season, that athleticism is enough to give him a shot at developing in the NFL.”

The Bucs recently signed veteran Randy Gregory to bolster their outside linebacker room, but that move doesn’t preclude them from adding another pass rusher in the 2024 Draft. Licht said as much on Thursday, though he seemed to hint that he’s looking for a higher-end rusher than a Day 3 pick. That makes more sense for Tampa Bay, anyway, given the current state of the room.

“We were just looking for some depth there, however it turns out. I think [Gregory] even answered that he didn’t have his [mind] set on being a starter,” Licht said. “He just wants to contribute. He has to earn it. We wanted some depth there, but it’s not going to affect how we approach the draft. We could always use a higher-end pass rusher – I think every team can. It’s not going to affect the way we approach it.”