Ex-Buccaneers Exec Details Team’s Rise, Sustained Success

It’s the NFL Draft as former Buccaneers executive John Spytek sees it. Now the general manager for the Las Vegas Raiders, Spytek recently talked with independent NFL podcast host Ari Meirov about how the Buccaneers were built before Tom Brady and beyond.

Spytek immediately credited Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht for masterful drafting. The Buccaneers already had a title-contending roster before Brady arrived as a free agent in 2020, and Tampa Bay continued the success after Brady’s retirement in 2023.

“[Jason] said all the time, ‘We don’t miss on the player, we miss on the person,'” Spytek told Meirov on Tuesday. “We really believed in that. We made that a central piece of our scouting process — we were gonna commit to the person.”

Since 2020, the Buccaneers have won a Super Bowl, made five-straight playoff appearances and won four-straight NFC South titles.

Buccaneers Embrace the ‘Draft and Develop Model’

Buccaneers draft picks shining has been a seamless part of the franchise from before Brady’s arrival, his three years in Tampa and since his retirement.

The 2020 Super Bowl roster included starters such as linebackers Lavonte Davids and Devin White, wide receiver Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and offensive linemen Tristan Wirfs and Ali Marpet. Since Brady’s retirement, players for the 2023 and 2024 drafts have been impact players.

That includes offensive tackle Cody Mauch, defensive linemen Calijah Kancey and YaYa Diaby plus running back Bucky Irving and wide receiver Jalen McMillan. The Buccaneers drafted 44 of the 53 players on the 2024 roster.

“It wasn’t something that we had thought of that much. We were just trying to select and sign good players,” Spytek explained. “We talked about the draft and develop model — it’s hard to stick to that.”

“You start chasing free agents… it takes discipline from Jason and Joel Glazer and Todd Bowles to stick to the plan and reward your own players, but I really think that’s the best way to do it,” Spytek added.

Spytek left the Buccaneers this offseason for the Raiders, and he now works with Brady, who is a part owner of the team. The Raiders are rebuilding this offseason around new head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith.

Buccaneers 2025 Draft Class Has Promise Though Early

For the Buccaneers, this year’s draft class will be looked to for contributing right away. The Buccaneers can get wide receiver depth from new wideouts Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson. Cornerbacks Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish could boost the defensive backfield, and linebacker David Walker and Elijah Roberts could give the Buccaneers more depth in the front seven.

That said, the Buccaneers don’t jump to conclusions on their draft picks either. Bowles didn’t want to get too glowing about the rookies during minicamp.

“I think it’s a little early for that. I think everybody is attentive right now because everybody is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and everything is new,” Bowles told reporters on May 9. “We’ll see when the vets come in and it gets to be an everyday grind how they pick up things and how they treat it from day to day.”