Bucs GM Jason Licht Evaluates 2022 Draft Class
Jason Licht’s first pick of the 2022 Draft at No. 33 overall, Hall did little more than get his feet wet during his first NFL season. The 6-foot-6 defensive lineman played in all 17 games as a reserve and totaled 2.5 sacks and five tackles for loss. His first career sack came against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in Week 3, then he picked up sack No. 2 two weeks later in a win over the Falcons. But he didn’t add that final half-sack until Week 11 in a loss at Cleveland.
Prior to going in-depth on Hall, Licht mentioned the success of some of the top players from the class before forecasting progress in 2023 for his first pick (Hall) and his second pick (Luke Goedeke).
“I think Luke [Goedeke] and Logan [Hall] are going to take big steps this year,” Licht said.
Asked how Hall can get better in year two, Licht pointed to weight and strength as two potential areas of improvement before touting his athleticism and work ethic.
“He needs to add some good weight, but he has to get some strength,” Licht said. “I think he’s so athletic and he’s doing all the right things. I definitely think we’re going to see progress this year.”
OL Luke Goedeke
Goedeke was thrown head first into the fire as a rookie in 2022, earning the starting left guard position out of training camp and starting the first seven games before a foot injury – and subpar play – cost him that starting role. Nick Leverett took over at guard and never looked back, but Jason Licht mentioned Tuesday that Goedeke may have been unfairly evaluated for his play as a rookie.
“Well, I think Luke last year – as a rookie coming in from playing right tackle at Central Michigan to left guard, which is a move to the other side which is never easy – started the season off well, but then went through a gauntlet of some of the top premier three-techniques in the NFL,” Licht said. “He was maybe a bit unfairly evaluated for a rookie. I think he is going to take a big step up.”
Goedeke graded out with a 46.7 from Pro Football Focus, with a matching 46.7 pass blocking grade and a 47.8 run blocking mark. However, his best two games of the season came in his last two appearances. In Week 18, he got the start at right tackle – his position in college – and graded out with a regular season-high 67.0 PFF grade. That included a 70.2 pass blocking grade, too. Then, in the Wild Card round, Goedeke shifted back to left guard and managed a career-best 67.0 grade, with a 76.6 pass blocking mark.
The clear signs of improvement down the stretch provide interesting context to the potential for him to make a permanent move to right tackle, should the team move Tristan Wirfs to the left side after the expected release of left tackle Donovan Smith.
