NFL Draft Chaos: Final Pick Of First Round Stuns League Insiders
By 813 Staff
League insiders were caught off guard as NFL Draft Chaos: Final Pick Of First Round Stuns League Insiders, according to Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) (in the last 24 hours).
Source: https://x.com/RapSheet/status/2047512068723494956
Here’s something that hasn’t hit the mainstream ticker yet: league sources confirm the second of two first-round picks the Tampa Bay Buccaneers held last night was never really up for debate inside the building—not even when the phone started ringing. The front office has been quietly projecting confidence for weeks that their top target would fall to pick No. 32, and when Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams slid past several teams who needed pass rush help, the Bucs made the selection official without hesitation. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network first reported the final selection of the first round, and those close to the situation say Tampa Bay’s war room was unified by the time the clock started.
Here’s the background: The Bucs entered Thursday night with the 19th overall pick, acquired a second first-rounder at No. 32 via the Carlton Davis trade earlier this offseason, and used that capital to address two distinct needs. At 19, they grabbed a cornerback. At 32, they circled back to a player who had been in their crosshairs since the Senior Bowl. Williams, 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds with a freaky 34-inch arms, is raw but explosive—a Todd Bowles prototype who can set the edge and has shown flashes of bending the arc as a rusher.
Why it matters: This is a direct bet on culture and development. The Bucs have been one of the league’s best at taking physical traits projects and turning them into starters—think of how they developed Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Anthony Nelson’s game. Williams won’t be asked to start Week 1. The plan, per team sources, is to rotate him in behind Yaya Diaby and Chris Braswell, with a long-term eye on replacing one of those veterans if the production warrants it.
What happens next: Williams will be at the team facility for rookie minicamp in early May. The Bucs will spend the next few weeks finalizing his contract—slot value at No. 32 is roughly $12 million over four years with a fifth-year team option. Uncertainty? Sure. He needs to add functional strength at the point of attack. But in a division where you have to chase quarterbacks in the pocket—and with Atlanta and New Orleans loading up—this is the kind of risk worth taking on Thursday night.
