In the “Free Agent Focus” series running on Buccaneers.com in the leadup to the start of the new league year on March 15, we are looking at 10 of the 22 potential unrestricted free agents on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ current roster. Our next entry, due to be published on Friday, concerns veteran defensive lineman Will Gholston.
Gholston, who was a fourth-round draft pick in 2013, has already lasted a decade in Tampa and has played in a total of 153 games. That’s the ninth most in franchise history, five more than Shelton Quarles and five fewer than Mike Alstott. Surprisingly, though, Gholston is not the former fourth-round pick with the highest number on that list. That would be former Pro Bowl center Tony Mayberry, who played in all 160 Tampa Bay games from 1990-99 after also being selected in the fourth round.
The Buccaneers have actually on a bit of a roll with their first-round picks recently. The two players they selected in that frame last spring, tight end Cade Otton and punter Jake Camarda, look like definite keepers and the team may try to re-sign 2019 fourth-round edge rusher Anthony Nelson after he had a bit of a breakout season. Jordan Whitehead, a fourth-rounder in 2018, was an impact starter during his four years in Tampa, performing well enough to land a lucrative second contract with the Jets.
You could say pretty much the same thing about 205 fourth-rounder linebacker Kwon Alexander, who eventually signed with the 49ers. Jaelon Darden never really developed into the splashy return man or run-after-the-catch receiver the team envisioned when they took him in the fourth round in 2021, but CB Ryan Smith (2016), defensive tackle Akeem Spence (2013), tight end Luke Stocker (2011) and wide receiver Mike Williams (2010) were all useful players at the very least.
Noting that Gholston could pass Mayberry and several others on that games played list if he returns for at least one more season in Tampa, got me thinking about this: Who are the most productive fourth-round draft picks in franchise history. I know that’s a pretty arbitrary topic but once I hit on it I needed to know. So here are the leaders in a variety of categories in Buccaneers franchise history among players drafted by Tampa Bay in the fourth round:
- Games Played: 160, Tony Mayberry
- Games Started: 145, Mayberry
- Passing Yards: 6,094, Craig Erickson
- Touchdown Passes: 34, Erickson
- Rushing Yards: 34, Horace Copeland
- Rushing Touchdowns: N/A
- Receiving Yards: 2,947, Mike Williams
- Receptions: 215,…
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