The Sports Xchange

TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht called it the most important draft in franchise history.

Who can argue with him?

It starts with quarterback Jameis Winston, the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner and the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, who lost only one game in his two-year playing career at Florida State. (If Winston loses twice that many in the first month this season, he would take a commanding lead for rookie of the year.)

Winston was one of the most polarizing players in the draft because of his off-field issues at Florida State: stealing soda at Burger King, participating in a BB gun fight in which Seminoles players shot out more than $4,000 worth of windows, shoplifting crab legs at Publix, getting suspended for a game after standing on a table at the student union and shouting a vulgar phrase, being sued over a sexual assault allegation and countersuing for defamation.

However, with his performance with the Bucs so far, he is minimizing doubts about his ability to make the transition to the pro game at 21 years old.

“He’s done everything,” Licht said “He’s been a model student, he’s been a model worker, everything that we’ve talked about when we drafted him. He has an A-plus work ethic, intelligence and motivation.

“He’s got a chip on his shoulder. He wants to prove to everybody, the naysayers, that he was not what was painted. I mean, I’ve been more than happy with him.”

Protecting Winston’s blindside at left tackle is rookie Donovan Smith, a second-round pick from Penn State.

After quarterback, a franchise left tackle has the highest value of any player on offense. However, few players hold up at that position as a rookie. At worst, the 6-foot-6, 338-pound Smith will be an upgrade from the swinging saloon door that was Anthony Collins last season. At best, Smith will protect Winston well enough to allow the lineman to start 16 games.

The projected starter at right guard is rookie Ali Marpet, a second-round pick from Division III Hobart College in Hastings, N.Y. Seven months ago, he proved he could be a dominant blocker against the Saints. But those Saints were from St. Lawrence, N.Y., not New Orleans.

Marpet won’t be making just a leap in competition, he will be making a pole vault. The Bucs allowed 52 sacks last season, which tied for third most in the NFL. Add a pair of rookies to that, and the total could rise.

“I’m a former offensive lineman, so I’ll definitely have my eyes on them,” Licht said. “It’s the one area that could really surprise people the most. That’s where you could see the most improvement, I think. The fact that we have (offensive coordinator) Dirk Koetter makes a bigger difference in the offensive line than people realize.”

Tampa Bay also might count heavily on rookie receiver Kenny Bell, a fifth-round pick from Nebraska. The self-proclaimed “Afro Thunder” gives the team something it did not have in abundance on offense: a burner who can stretch the field and defenses.

Bell might work some as a slot receiver or enter the game in three-wideout sets while also returning kicks.

“He’s unlike a lot of our receivers in that he’s a speed guy,” Licht said. “He’s smart, and he’s already picked up our offense so far.”

Before the season ends, Kwon Alexander, a 20-year-old fourth-round pick from LSU, might emerge as the starting middle linebacker.

Howewer, no player in the past 15 years will be as important to the Bucs’ success as Winston.

An interesting anecdote: Winston threw an interception during an early offseason practice, failing to fit a football through a keyhole in the defense, and he shrugged.

“Well, that’s just me,” Winston said.

Koetter responded to his rookie quarterback: “Well, it’s not going to be you anymore!”

Koetter’s job will be to coach the turnovers out of Winston. But the Bucs know they drafted a gunslinger and there will be interceptions. Oh, will there be interceptions.

The Bucs have other concerns, like protecting Winston. Smith and Marpet will grow together. That is the good part. The bad part is the rest of the offensive line isn’t stellar.

Defensively, the Bucs need to show big improvement under coordinator Leslie Frazier.

The Bucs acquired three players they believe will help them do that — defensive tackle Henry Melton and linebacker Bruce Carter from the Cowboys and safety Chris Conte from the Bears. All have experience in the Tampa 2 defense.

Tampa Bay’s defense thrives on turnovers. The unit needs more from linebacker Lavonte David, who should receive a contract extension soon.

Carter gives the Bucs a more athletic middle linebacker than Mason Foster, who signed with the Bears via free agency.

The Bucs also have to get more from their running game. Doug Martin hasn’t shown the ability that helped him rush for 1,154 yards as a rookie. Shoulder and knee injuries limited him to 17 games in the past two seasons. The Bucs did not pick up his fifth-year option.

Tampa Bay possesses depth at the position with Bobby Rainey and Charles Sims, a 2014 third-round pick from West Virginia who missed the first eight games as a rookie.

Even so, Winston and Koetter — the guy who will run the offense — are the biggest keys to the Bucs’ improvement as the team begins training camp.

CAMP CALENDAR

July 27: Rookies report

July 31: Veterans report

Aug. 1: First practice

–Team strength: Receiver

The Bucs have an elite, young wideout in second-year pro Mike Evans. Veteran Vincent Jackson is 32 but coming off his third consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season and still effective. The Bucs also have high hopes for rookie Kenny Bell, Nebraska’s career all-time leading receivers. Louis Murphy Jr. provides experience and production as the third wideout.

–Breakout player: TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins

Seferian-Jenkins played in only 11 games as a rookie. However, at 6-foot-5 with great hands and excellent speed, he has the ability to catch 50 to 60 passes and could become a favorite target of quarterback Jameis Winston.

–Work in progress: Offensive line

The offensive line isn’t complete — not by a long shot. The Bucs hope second-round pick Donovan Smith can take over at left tackle, and they plan for Hobart College lineman Ali Marpet to start at right guard if he can make the big transition from Division III football to the NFL.

Guard Logan Mankins must emerge as a leader. A year ago, after being traded to the Bucs 10 days before the season opener, he didn’t assert himself in the meeting rooms as much.

Center Evan Smith should benefit from having Dirk Koetter as the play-caller, but he must help Winston. A training camp holdout is looming for right tackle Demar Dotson, and the unit is very thin.

“I think we’ve got a mindset that we want to be good,” Dotson said. “Hop (offensive line coach George Warhop), from the first day, he said that we’re not going to be the same group that we were last year. We’re not going to do the same dumb stuff that we did last year. We’re going to weed out all the bad stuff.”

The performance of an offensive line is always important to a quarterback, but it will be especially so for the Bucs with No. 1 draft pick Jameis Winston trying to prove himself as an NFL signal-caller.