The Tampa Bay Buccaneers set lofty goals when they made Lee Roy Selmon the first draft pick in franchise history back in 1976. The Pro Football Hall of Famer could be seen as the bar for all future picks to hit and while many have failed to live up to his standard for the team, some have. While there were some growing pains in the 70s and 80s, the 90s saw real growth, with the Bucs’ defense emerging as one of the best in the NFL.
That brings us to 2000, where the team has won two Super Bowls since, with many of its homegrown talents being the reason for their success.
With the NFL Draft just six days away, we wanted to look back and see who are the 11 best draft picks by the franchise since 2000. Since we are just focusing on 11, that means some notable names may be left out, but we will do our best to mention the most deserving ones.
Let’s kick things off with number 11.
11) Cadillac Williams, Running Back
Year: 2005
Notable State with Bucs:
- 3,677 rushing yards
- 21 rushing touchdowns
Accomplishments with Bucs:
- NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2005)
10) Kwon Alexander, Linebacker
Year: 2015
Notable State with Bucs:
- 271 tackles
- Seven sacks
- Six interceptions
Accomplishments with Bucs:
- All-Rookie Team (2015)
- NFL Tackles Leader (2016)
- Pro Bowl (2017)
9) Doug Martin, Running Back
Year: 2012
Notable State with Bucs:
- 4,633 rushing yards
- 30 touchdowns
Accomplishments with Bucs:
- All-Rookie Team (2012)
- Pro Bowl x2 (2012, 2015)
- First-team All-Pro (2015)
8) Ali Marpet, Guard
Year: 2015
Notable State with Bucs:
- Played in and started in 101 games for the Bucs
Accomplishments with Bucs:
- All-Rookie team (2015)
- Pro Bowl (2021)
- Super Bowl LV Champion
7) Antoine Winfield Jr., Safety
Year: 2020
Notable State with Bucs:
- 444 tackles
- 17 sacks
- Seven interceptions
- 11 Forced fumbles
Accomplishments with Bucs:
- Pro Bowl (2021)
- First-team All-Pro (2023)
- All-Rookie team (2020)
- Super Bowl LV Champion
6) Vita Vea, Defensive Lineman
Year: 2018
Notable State with Bucs:
- 138 tackles
- 30.5 sacks
- Three forced fumbles
Accomplishments with Bucs:
- Super Bowl LV Champion
- Pro Bowl x2 (2021, 2024)
5) Chris Godwin, Wide Receiver
Year: 2017
Notable State with Bucs:
- 7,266 receiving yards
- 39 touchdowns
Accomplishments with Bucs:
- Super Bowl LV Champion
- Second-Team All-Pro (2019)
- Pro Bowl (2019)
4) Tristan Wirfs
Year: 2020
Notable State with Bucs:
- Played in and started in 79 games for the Bucs
Accomplishments with Bucs:
- Super Bowl LV Champion
- 2x First-team All-Pro (2021, 2024)
- 4x Pro Bowl (2020-2024)
- All-Rookie Team (2020)
3) Gerald McCoy, Defensive Lineman
Year: 2010
Notable State with Bucs:
- 297 tackles
- 54.5 sacks
Accomplishments with Bucs:
- First-team All-Pro (2013)
- Second-team All-Pro x2 (2014, 2016)
- Pro Bowl x6 (2012-2017)
2) Lavonte David, Linebacker
Year: 2012
Notable State with Bucs:
- 1,111 tackles
- 39 sacks
- 31 forced fumbles
Accomplishments with Bucs:
- Super Bowl LV Champion
- First-team All-Pro (2013)
- Pro Bowl (2015)
- Second-team All-Pro (2016, 2020)
1) Mike Evans, Wide Receiver
Year: 2014
Notable State with Bucs:
- 12,684 receiving yards
- 105 touchdowns
Accomplishments with Bucs:
- Super Bowl LV Champion
- Second-team All-Pro x2 (2016, 2023)
- NFL Record of 11 consecutive 1,000 yard receiving seasons to start a career (tied with Jerry Rice)
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Who are the best picks in Bucs history since 2000? We find out