Buccaneers Select Athletic Pass Rusher With Final Selection of 2023 NFL Draft

With his final pick in the 2023 draft, Bucs' GM, Jason Licht, double-dipped on a position for the first time, selecting another undersized pass rusher with exceptional speed and agility.

Collin Haalboom | Apr 29, 2023

In this story:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' final pick of the 2023 NFL Draft (196th overall) they have selected edge rusher, Jose Ramirez, out of Eastern Michigan.

Listed at 6'1" and 242 pounds, Ramirez is certainly on the smaller end of the edge rusher spectrum. What he lacks in size, though, he makes up for with exceptional speed, agility, and a relentless motor.

Ramirez is from Lake Alfred Florida, where he once attended Auburndale high school. He has traveled many roads along the collegiate football landscape, starting at Arizona, then Riverside City College, before eventually settling down at Eastern Michigan. In 2021 he put up really solid production for the Eagles, registering 6.5 sacks, 12 TFL, 3 FF, 4 PBU. In his final season, he exploded for 12 sacks, 19.5 TFL, 2 FF, 2 PBU.

Ramirez has exceptional agility, and his three cone and short shuttle scores were some of the best among all defensive linemen in the draft. Ramirez was described by Dane Brugler as, "fluid with the hip flexibility to work in tight spaces". Jose Ramirez is also viewed as a high character teammate, and was voted as a team captain at Eastern Michigan as a senior.

Although he does lack the ideal height, weight, and length measurements, he has a lot of desirable traits that could allow him to excel as a special teams player. If his quickness, versatility, and motor are as impressive as advertised, then maybe we could see him working himself into the lineup as a stand-up, rotational pass rusher for the Buccaneers.

For continuing coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, make sure to check out the Bucs Banter YouTube channel.

Stick with BucsGameday and the Locked On Bucs podcast for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the offseason.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook

Published Apr 29, 2023

COLLIN HAALBOOM

Prior to joining BucsGameday and Sports Illustrated, Collin's written content was provided through Bucs Banter, and NFL Draft Lounge. He is also the creator and host of the Bucs Banter Podcast. He is a graduate of the Communication Studies program at McMaster University, where he was also a varsity basketball player, and later an advanced scout. He lives with his wife and two children in Hamilton, ON. You can follow Collin on YouTube and Twitter.