Bad NFL teams have one thing in common: bad drafting. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have only one winning season in the past five years due in large part to their ineptitude on draft day.
The Bucs haven't drafted well since Rich McKay bolted for the Atlanta Falcons. Former Bucs head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen wasted nearly a decade of draft picks on players who made no impact in the NFL.
The Bucs' maladroit drafting continued under general manager Mark Dominik. His failures are now reflected in the poor state of the roster and continued need for free-agent signings.
While not every Bucs pick over the past five years was terrible, poor evaluation and bad luck led to the overall weakness of the roster and inability to climb out of the cellar of the NFL.
2010
The Bucs' 2010 draft began with significant promise when they picked defensive tackle Gerald McCoy third overall. Obviously McCoy is now the franchise player, deserving of the seven-year, $98 million contract he signed last year.
The rest of the 2010 draft wasn't half as successful as that first pick. McCoy is the only pick still on the roster, and only three other players are still on NFL rosters.
Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press Dominik's biggest failures came in the second and third rounds, beginning with the 2010 draft. Defensive tackle Brian Price and wide receiver Arrelious Benn both struggled to find their footing due to injuries. Price is currently out of the league while Benn recently signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Dominik's most egregious pick was cornerback Myron Lewis in the third round. Lewis, who now plays in the CFL, possessed ideal size (6'2", 203 lbs) but was allergic to tackling and couldn't cover. For whatever reason, Dominik kept Lewis on the roster for three long years before cutting him prior to the 2013 season.
Wide receiver Mike Williams appeared to be a steal in the fourth round, leading the Bucs in receiving yards in 2010 and 2011. Unfortunately predraft concerns seem to have been justified, as he found himself in compromising situations leading up to his trade to the Buffalo Bills last year.
The rest of the 2010 draft picks ultimately proved ephemeral. Punter Brent Bowden didn't even make it to the regular season. Safety Cody Grimm is no longer in the league, while linebacker Dekoda Watson and fullback Erik Lorig are on other teams.
Missed opportunities abound in the Bucs' 2010 draft class. With two second-round picks, the Bucs could have drafted the likes of defensive end Carlos Dunlap, safety T.J. Ward or middle linebacker Daryl Washington, all representing current positions of need in Tampa Bay.
2011
Where 2010 was marred by missed opportunities, the Bucs' 2011 draft class is marked by bad luck and bad fits. 2011 was arguably Mark Dominik's worst as general manager.
Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images Dominik employed the same doubling-down strategy he used in 2010 when he picked defensive tackles with the Bucs' first and second picks. This time he took defensive end Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers, both of whom might not be Buccaneers in 2015.
Clayborn started hot with 8.5 sacks in 2011, but like so many others drafted by Dominik, injuries kept him from fulfilling his potential. At one point it looked as if Bowers might possibly be the first overall pick. Nothing he's done in the NFL since justifies such a ranking.
The Clayborn pick was unfortunate because of the immense talent and successful players taken ahead of him. The rest of the first round after Clayborn was very much a mixed bag, so only some outside-the-box thinking would have netted the Bucs a more successful player in the first round.
Only MLB Mason Foster and tight end Luke Stocker made any sort of impact for the 2011 class. Both have talent and utility, but right now they aren't great fits for the Bucs.
2012
The 2012 draft began with promise but looks like yet another Mark Dominik debacle.
The Bucs spent their first pick on Alabama safety Mark Barron in an effort to counter the likes of New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham. Their plan clearly didn't work, as they never beat the Saints with Barron on the roster. Now they never will; they traded Barron to the St. Louis Rams last year.
Chris Graythen/Getty Images Running back Doug Martin started hot, running for 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns in his rookie season. Yet again, injuries put the breaks on Martin's momentum—he hasn't run for more than 500 yards in two seasons since 2012.
Dominik did make his best value pick by taking linebacker Lavonte David in the second round. David looks like the Derrick Brooks to McCoy's Warren Sapp and should expect a big contract extension in the near future.
David will likely end up the sole achievement of the 2012 draft. The Bucs still have safety Keith Tandy, but none of their other picks are on the roster.
2013
Stephen Brashear/Associated Press In 2013, the Bucs traded for stud cornerback Darrelle Revis for the price of their first-round pick. It was an ill-fated and short-lived decision on the road to firing Mark Dominik and head coach Greg Schiano.
For one year of Revis' services, the Bucs gave up a potentially vital pick (though the Bucs' recent draft record suggests otherwise). Though the Bucs might have whiffed on whatever player they would have taken, that player would probably still be on the roster rather than in New England with a fresh Super Bowl ring.
The Bucs' first pick of the 2013 draft was cornerback Johnthan Banks, once again doubling up on one position. As in 2010, the Bucs enjoyed a 50 percent success rate, as Banks looks like a legitimate starter.
Save for defensive end Steven Means, the rest of the 2013 class is still on the Bucs' roster. Quarterback Mike Glennon is the only passer the Bucs have at the moment, though that could change if they take Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston in this year's draft.
Defensive tackle Akeem Spence and defensive end William Gholston both spent significant time in the defensive line rotation. Both are serviceable but could be subject to upgrades in the near future.
2014
Offense was the clear theme of the Bucs' 2014 draft. For the first time in team history they drafted no defensive players.
Lovie Smith and general manager Jason Licht's first pick with the Bucs was an apparent home run. Former Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans dominated the competition last season with 68 receptions for 1,051 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The picks following Evans didn't have the same immediate impact. Tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins struggled with injuries from the get-go, missing seven games.
Paul Sancya/Associated Press Running back Charles Sims shared the dim fate of the rest of the Bucs running backs in 2014, averaging a paltry 2.8 yards per carry. Just like the rest of the Bucs ball-carriers, his potential for success remains a mystery.
Offensive linemen Kevin Pamphile and Kadeem Edwards saw little playing time, but that could change in 2015. Wide receiver Robert Herron didn't make a strong impression in his limited time on the field.
A key contributing factor to the rookies' meager contribution was the absence of offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford. With Dirk Koetter replacing Tedford, the members of the 2014 class can relaunch their Bucs careers on a stabler platform.
The overall failure of the Bucs' draft efforts belies their success in finding cornerstone players like McCoy, David and possibly Evans.
Unfortunately, a good team isn't comprised of just a handful of great players. The Bucs need a comprehensive roster, which can take years to build. It could take another two drafts before the Bucs' roster is good enough to compete for a spot in the playoffs.
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