Tampa Bay makes final selection of the 2022 NFL Draft

Bucs draft an SEC defensive end who will hope to make the team as a rotational pass rusher.

Collin Haalboom | Apr 30, 2022

With the 248th pick in this year's NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected defensive end Andre Anthony from Louisiana State University.

In what is more than likely the team's final selection of the 2022 NFL Draft, Jason Licht has officially stamped his seal of approval on this year's draft class.

Andre Anthony is a 6'3", 245 pound defensive end. He's been described as a player who consistently generates leverage, while also possessing enough burst to give himself an advantage versus offensive linemen. He is good at using his hands to create space, and has enough agility to slash through gaps and get into the backfield.

Athletically, he's not someone who will blow you away. This has often caused him to get handled by offensive tackles with quick feet and long arms. He is a little undersized, and unfortunately lacks the explosive athleticism that would allow him to make up for it.

Despite having some obvious flaws, he still managed to produce nine sacks, and nine and a half tackles for loss over his final two seasons at LSU, with injuries limiting him to only playing in 11 games during that time. That's pretty impressive production when you consider the number of games played and the quality of competition he was facing in the SEC.

The hope for Jason Licht, Todd Bowles, and the rest of the Bucs brass is that Anthony could make the team and eventually develop into an effective rotational pass rusher in the NFL.

That's far from a guarantee though, as is the case with any player drafted in the final round.

So to put a bow on what has been a very eventful draft weekend for the Bucs, let's take a look back at the players they selected, and the positions they addressed in doing so.

The Bucs have officially added eight new players to the roster, while targeting seven different positions in the 2022 NFL Draft:

Round 2 (33): Logan Hall, DT, Houston
Round 2 (57): Luke Goedeke, OL, Central Michigan
Round 3: (91): Rachaad White, RB, Arizona State
Round 4: (106): Cade Otton, TE, Washington
Round 5: (133): Jake Camarda, P, Georgia
Round 5: (157): Zyon McCollum, CB, Sam Houston State
Round 6: (218): Ko Kieft, TE, Minnesota
Round 7: (248): Andre Anthony, DE, Louisiana State

The work doesn't end here for Jason Licht and the rest of his staff, though. The Bucs will be very busy tonight, and in the coming days, as they work the phones to try and come to terms with a number of undrafted free agents.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook

Published Apr 30, 2022

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.