The Tampa Bay Bucs drafted Bo Jackson once. Here’s their other notable 1st round picks

Hours before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were on the clock to make the 19th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, the final mock draft from ESPN’s longtime draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. was released.

It offers a glimpse into who the Bucs might target in Thursday’s first round. Kiper Jr. projected Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones to fall to Tampa Bay at No. 19.

The only time the Bucs picked 19th overall was in 2017 when they selected Alabama tight end O.J. Howard, who played five seasons in Tampa before playing for the Houston Texans in 2022.

He’s currently signed with the Las Vegas Raiders.

In franchise history, though, the Bucs have landed some notable names in the first round.

Their first draft pick in history was future Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon. Out of the five players to play a majority of their career with the Bucs, Selmon, former Miami Hurricanes star Warren Sapp and former Florida State star Derrick Brooks were selected in the first round.

Tampa Bay picked Sapp and Brooks in the first round of the same draft, too, in 1995.

But one notable name that the Bucs selected first overall never played in the old school creamsicle uniforms: Bo Jackson.

Yes, the Bucs picked Jackson, a Heisman Trophy-winning running back at Auburn, with the No. 1 pick in 1986, despite the multisport star telling the team he would never play for them.

The reason for that decision was when then-Bucs owner Hugh Culverhouse told Jackson it was clear with the NCAA and SEC for him to fly on his private jet, Sports Illustrated reported. Jackson wasn’t cleared, though, and the NCAA informed him he lost his remaining college baseball eligibility, which made Jackson upset and he vowed not to play for the Bucs, the outlet reported.

Jackson chose baseball, signing with the Kansas City Royals, rather than play for the Bucs. A year later, the Raiders chose Jackson in the seventh round with the 183rd overall pick — there were 12 draft rounds in 1987 — according to Raiders.com.

The 2023 NFL Draft begins Thursday at 8 p.m. in Kansas City, Missouri. The Carolina Panthers have the No. 1 pick.