The Bucs could look to upgrade the tight end position again in this year’s draft

Cade Otton stepped up last season and showed he can be a TE1 in the NFL, especially for this Bucs offense. And while they used a draft pick on Payne Durham last year, the position could still be upgraded moving forward. Ko Kieft has his role as a blocker while Otton and Durham flashed as pass catchers with Durham coming on late in the year, However, Otton took 97% of offensive snaps in 2023 and that just isn’t sustainable. The Bucs are going to need another pass catching threat to alleviate some of the pressure for him.

Ja’Tavion Sanders’ Collegiate Career

Ja’Tavion Sanders was a wide receiver and defensive end – as well as a basketball player – for Billy Ray High School in Denton, Texas. He was a first team All-District at defensive end while adding 63 receptions for 1,161 yards and 16 touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball earning him district Co-MVP honors. He was a five star recruit and chose Texas over Alabama, Ohio State, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Notre Dame, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M.

As a Longhorn, Sanders started off his first pre-season by playing on both sides of the ball before coaches made the decision to place him at tight end. While he was primarily a special teams player as a freshman, he became their top tight end in his sophomore season – twice being named to the All-Big12 team. Sanders finished 2022 with 54 receptions, 613 yards, and five touchdowns and followed that up in 2023 with 45 receptions, 682 yards, and two touchdowns while increasing his yards per catch from 11.4 to 15.2.

He performed at his best against Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl, snagging 8 receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown before facing Washington in a 37-31 loss on New Year’s Day, finishing that game with 6 receptions for 75 yards.

Scouting Combine and Pro Day

Sanders had a solid showing at the NFL Scouting Combine, running a 4.69 40 with a 1.59 10-yard split and finishing with an NFL NextGen Stats composite score of 81 – second among all tight ends.

However, Sanders struggled at Texas’ Pro Day where he had just eight bench press reps, a 30” vertical jump, and a 9’ 6” broad jump – all considered below-average. Sanders told the media afterwards;

“I just overestimated my warmup at my pro day testing. I had a lot of adrenaline rushing, you know what I’m saying? It was coaches everywhere. So I just kind of overestimated it, thinking that adrenaline was going to help me. So that was on me. That’s why my numbers was bad, but I definitely, definitely play faster on the field. I feel like my film is showing that.”

Pro Football Focus has him as the number two tight end in the class behind Brock Bowers, with an overall offensive grade of 75.6, pointing to Baylor, Oklahoma State, and TCU as his three best games.

Sanders has a Relative Athletic Score of 8.06, placing him 217th among all tight end prospects since 1987;

What Sanders Can Do For The Bucs In 2024

The Bucs currently have their locked and loaded top tight end, but as I stated earlier Otton’s 97% snap count is unsustainable. While you would expect a larger role for Payne Durham this season, the Bucs really don’t have much after him in terms of pass catching threats. Yes, it’s fun to watch Ko Kieft catch a pass here and there, but he was drafted as a blocker and that’s the role he plays. If Otton or Durham go down, that leaves David Wells to fill in the gap and the production – and threat – at tight end likely goes out the window.

Sanders doesn’t have to be a day one, plug-and-play guy but he would add another layer to the Bucs’ offense and instantly becomes a viable red zone threat. At 6’ 4”, 245 lbs, Sanders can line up on the line, move into the slot, or shift all over to create mismatches against smaller defensive backs and slower linebackers. This opens up the ability to get inside the 10 yard line and run three tight end sets with Otton, Durham, and Sanders where you can keep some in to block, put others out on routes, and all three of them can do either of those jobs which keeps the defense guessing.

Three-Year Outlook

Within three years, Sanders is likely going to emerge as a top level tight end in the NFL for whoever drafts him. So, yes – if the Bucs take him he will likely take over the top tight end role from Cade Otton but that also gives the Bucs a threatening two headed monster at the position that will create problems for opposing defenses – not to mention, open things up for Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and the running back group to make plays in space out of the backfield.

The Bucs would have at least two years of an Otton/Durham/Sanders trio before the Bucs have to make a decision on Otton and see if this is a trio they want to keep moving forward. There’s also the chance Durham’s late surge in 2023 doesn’t carry over and it remains more of a duo with Otton and Sanders.

However, there’s no question as to what Sanders can do offensively and that he would absolutely help Baker Mayfield and the rest of the offense.

Stock Report

Sanders is widely considered the second best tight end in the draft but is projected to be a day two pick. Now, while it is more likely than not he goes in the second round, if he’s there at 57 for the Bucs the value may be too good to pass up. He’s currently projected to go around pick 49 on average, but a recent late surge in mock drafts have him going as early as 29 and the teams he’s most often linked to are the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, and San Francisco 49ers.

One mock draft from Pro Football Network, has the Bucs taking him at 26 where author Joe Broback says;

“The Tampa Bay Bucs have the quarterback situation figured out with Mayfield, so they can use the offseason to add further weapons if they re-sign him. With Bowers being the consensus top tight end, guys like Ja’Tavion Sanders are getting overlooked somewhat. While the Texas playmaker must stay healthy, he gives Tampa Bay a talented playmaker who refuses to quit on any play.”

Can’t say I would personally agree with this selection at this pick, but a player like Ja’Tavion Sanders to the Bucs does make sense overall.

On The Clock…

So, what are your thoughts on Ja’Tavion Sanders? Could he be the guy that takes the Bucs’ red zone offense up a notch? Or is he just not the right fit at this point in time? Let us know what you think in the poll below and in the comment section!