A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough Bucs question. This week’s prompt: Who is Jason Licht’s best Day 2 Bucs draft pick?

Scott Reynolds: Jason Licht’s Day 2 Success Started With Ali Marpet

Bucs general manager Jason Licht has become one of the most skillful draft GMs in the league over his 12 years in Tampa Bay. From nailing his first-ever draft pick in future Hall of Famer Mike Evans with the No. 7 overall pick in 2014, to last year’s successful draft which produced four impact players in center Graham Barton, defensive back Tykee Smith, wide receiver Jalen McMillan and running back Bucky Irving, Licht and the Bucs continue to stockpile talent every April. Licht and Co. have become adept at not just hitting on the team’s first-rounders, but also finding a great deal of success in rounds two and three on Day 2.

Former Bucs LG Ali Marpet – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Licht and the Bucs have drafted a lot of talented players on Day 2 over the past decade, but in my opinion, it all started with former guard Ali Marpet in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. After selecting quarterback Jameis Winston with the No. 1 overall pick and then drafting left tackle Donovan Smith near the top of the second rounds, Licht traded up into the second round to select Marpet, a tough, athletic interior lineman from tiny Hobart College. Marpet not only kick-started Licht’s affection for hard-working, small school offensive linemen, but also his penchant for draft day trades and maneuvering through the rounds.

Marpet only made one Pro Bowl, which came in his final season in 2021, but he was underappreciated for most of his elite career because Tampa Bay wasn’t winning from 2015-19. The same fate fell upon linebacker Lavonte David and wide receiver Mike Evans during that span – neither of whom got the respect they deserved. But Marpet did help the Bucs win Super Bowl LV and was a great culture-building guy due to his blue collar work ethic and leadership style. Marpet suddenly retired at age 28 – still at the top of his game – due to concussion concerns, and could have been a five-time Pro Bowler by now had he elected to continue playing.

Matt Matera: Antoine Winfield Jr. Was An Instant Success

Even years later it feels like an absolute steal that the Bucs were able to get safety Antoine Winfield Jr. in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The first two picks of that year with Tristan Wirfs in the first round and Winfield in the second will go down as a historic one-two combo by Jason Licht. Winfield saw immediate success with the Bucs by winning Super Bowl LV during his rookie season, which was the second championship in franchise history. He also recorded an interception off of Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, that also happened to take place at Raymond James Stadium.

Bucs FS Antoine Winfield Jr. – Photo by: USA Today

Winfield followed that up the following season by making his first career Pro Bowl, even recording an interception in that game as well. His best season by far came in 2023 when he became a name that everyone in the league would not forgot when it came to game-planning against the Bucs defense. Winfield recorded 122 combined tackles, six sacks, three interceptions, 12 pass breakups and a league-leading six forced fumbles. This all earned him first-team All-Pro honors.

While injuries slowed him down during the 2024 season, there’s no doubt that when healthy, Winfield is an impact player in Tampa Bay who changes the landscape of Todd Bowles’ defense when he’s playing. The Bucs sorely missed him when he was out for eight games, but a bounce-back year should be coming in 2025, which means more success for the team and maybe another opportunity for a Super Bowl title.

Bailey Adams: In Time, Tykee Smith Could Be In The Conversation

Look, the answer to this question is probably Chris Godwin. I hear the cases for Ali Marpet and Antoine Winfield Jr., too. But because we don’t like to double up on answers for our PR Roundtable discussions, let me present an alternative look at this question. In time, I think Tykee Smith could find himself in the conversation with Godwin, Marpet and Winfield. He’s only one year into his career, but the arrow is certainly pointing up for the former Georgia Bulldog.

As a rookie, Smith started at nickel cornerback for the Bucs and despite missing some time due to injury, he led Tampa Bay in forced fumbles (three) and interceptions (two). That was even with him missing four games, and there’s a case to be made that year two could be even better. There’s a good chance Smith moves to safety and plays alongside Winfield, which would give the Bucs an intriguing playmaking duo on the back end of the defense. And it could allow Smith to take his game to another level.

Bucs S Tykee Smith – Photo by: Cliff Welch P/R

When Jason Licht and his staff drafted Smith with the No. 89 pick in last year’s draft, it was clear he had it in him to create turnovers. He had four interceptions in his two years at West Virginia and then, once given a shot to really contribute at a high level in his final year at Georgia, hauled in four interceptions. With a move back to safety, Smith may have an even better chance at getting his hands on more footballs and elevating his game to another level.

Plus, ever since Smith arrived in Tampa Bay, coaches and teammates have raved about the mental side of his game and how quickly he was able to pick up the defense, adapt to the NFL and look like more than just a rookie. The 24-year-old is a football guy through and through, with the type of mentality and smarts to have a long career in the NFL. And given the way the Bucs like to take care of their own, a long career in the NFL could mean a long career in Tampa for Smith. And if that’s the case, why couldn’t he be in the conversation for Licht’s best Day 2 pick?

Josh Queipo: Chris Godwin Embodies The Buccaneer Way

Now on his third contract, Chris Godwin has emerged as both an on-the-field and off-the-field gold standard for the Buccaneers organization. He has been a proven producer, amassing almost 600 catches and over 7,000 yards over eight seasons. That includes a 1,333-yard 2019 that earned him a second-team All-Pro. He earns this yardage the hard way, playing the power slot role that asks him to go over the middle and take shot after shot from linebackers and box safeties, while digging out defenders as an integral part of the run game. On the field there is no job too big or too small for Godwin.

Beyond his production, he has endeared himself to the fanbase by working through not one, but two catastrophic lower body injuries, without so much as a peep about the toll it has taken on his body or mind. The cart scene will leave lasting memories for multiple generations of Bucs fans.

Chris Godwin realizing his season is over and flatly saying, “Back to work” is incredible. What a gamer. You’d win a lot of championships with 53 Chris Godwins. pic.twitter.com/xMlWAuCgFZ

— Damon Amendolara (@DamonAmendo) October 22, 2024

Godwin just re-upped for another three seasons in Tampa Bay. And by ALL accounts he did it at a steep discount when compared to the money he could have received elsewhere. When you add in everything, he and his wife Mariah do for the Tampa Bay community through their foundation and the person he has constantly shown himself to be, you get the quintessential player Jason Licht continually says the team is after. No wonder the team is betting on him coming back from an ankle dislocation to return to form yet again.

For a third-rounder to rank second in team history in receptions and receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, while quite possibly ranking first in grit and tenacity before his 30th birthday, this pick was one of the best in franchise history regardless of context or filter.

Adam Slivon: Luke Goedeke Has Been Key To Bucs Offensive Line Success

Imagine putting Luke Goedeke on this list after the struggles he had as a rookie. Playing left guard, Goedeke struggled to make the kind of switch other Jason Licht offensive line draft picks have done from college tackle to NFL guard. After the 2022 season, he moved back to being a right tackle when Tampa Bay released left tackle Donovan Smith that offseason. The team felt comfortable moving Tristan Wirfs over to protect Baker Mayfield’s blindside. It was a risk to trust Goedeke in Wirfs’ old spot, but that move has paid off in a major way.

Bucs RT Luke Goedeke – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Over the past two seasons, it is fair to say that Goedeke has more than lived up to the investment that made him a second-round pick. In the process, he has become a top 5 player at the right tackle position. That has done wonders for the offensive line and run game in general, as he played a vital role in Tampa Bay having a top run game. Goedeke is not only a mauler who opened up plenty of holes for Bucky Irving last season, but he is a certified trash-talker who has aptly shut down some of the league’s best pass rushers.

After Wirfs was the last starter standing from the Bucs 2020 Super Bowl squad, the offensive line was in disarray and quickly needed to be revamped. Adding Graham Barton and Cody Mauch have been great selections in their own right, with Mauch being another solid Day 2 find who might someday be in this conversation. For now, it’s safe to say that Luke Goedeke has been one of the better Day 2 picks for this team and will only entrench himself further in this discussion as he continues to don the red and pewter.