Buccaneers Head Coach on Draft Strategy: Never Pass on a Great Player for Defensive Needs

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles brings a defensive background to the table, having played safety and served as a defensive coordinator. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the team will focus on bolstering the defense with their top draft pick.

During his press conference at last week’s team meetings, Bowles was asked about his approach for the upcoming draft. He emphasized that his coaching experience has taught him the importance of prioritizing players who can contribute to scoring over reinforcing the defense.

“Being a defensive coach, I learn that you win by scoring points,” Bowles said, via a transcript from the team. “I don’t ever want to bypass a very good offensive player, I can figure things out enough on defense to keep us competitive. I would like to have some defensive players if that presented itself, but by no means will I bypass a very good offensive player just to satisfy my needs on defense. We can figure out how to keep the score down, but you can’t figure out a way to keep scoring points, especially if your horses go down. You can never have enough horses on offense. But, yes, I’d like to add some pieces [on defense] if that’s what you’re asking me, but whether they come in the first or whether they come in the middle, remains to be seen.”

Bowles also mentioned that he’s not one to pass on talented players just because the team already has strengths in certain positions. Instead, he believes in continually building and loading up with top talent, letting the roster develop from there. The Buccaneers’ draft strategy will become clearer in a couple of weeks when they make their picks.