Coming off another season where they claimed the crown in the NFC South, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers find themselves picking near the middle to late area of the first round of the NFL Draft. When the Bucs are finally on the clock, there is plenty of reason for excitement with regard to who they select.
Last offseason, the Bucs nailed their draft process, finding Graham Barton, Bucky Irving, Tykee Smith and Jalen McMillan. Each of these players played a role in Tampa Bay's success through the 2024 season.
Most recently, a strong free agency period has set them up for success in the coming weeks. The Bucs made a splash with the signing of Haason Reddick to aid their pass rush while retaining key veteran pieces including Lavonte David and Chris Godwin.
Heading into the draft, general manager Jason Licht and his team wanted to focus on acquiring talent, possessing some freedom to adjust their pick based on the draft board. They have done exactly that with their roster construction at late.
So with that freedom, the Bucs' needs could fluctuate throughout Day 1. However, ESPN analyst Field Yates believes Tampa Bay will target some help in the secondary at No. 19.
"Tampa Bay allowed the fourth-most passing yards per game last season (243.9) and desperately needs a partner for All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. at the third level of the defense," Yates writes.
"Starks was not as impactful this past season as he was in 2023.... but the high-end skill set is still there. Starks is a versatile, instinctive safety who is willing to help in any phase of the defense."
Related: Bucs Coach Todd Bowles Reveals 'Tweaks' Necessary to Get Better
While much of the concern around the Bucs' defense after last season came from their pass rush, the secondary was a major issue. The numbers tell that story enough, but injuries played a significant role in those struggles as well.
When the injury bug hit Winfield Jr., it became even harder for the team to piece together much of a threat from the third level. Starks makes for a solid partner for Winfield Jr. and have the capacity to shoulder more of a workload down the line.
Starks is a strong find in the first round if Tampa Bay goes that route. But again, the beauty of this Bucs' draft remains in their not being tied to a single positional need.
Related: Bucs GM Hints at Position Change for Star Defender
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published April 2, 2025 at 8:20 PM.