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Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Best and worst draft picks

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In the days leading up to the 2013 NFL Draft, NFL.com will allow users to determine the best and worst draft picks for every team. We continue the proceedings with the team that owns the No. 13 overall pick in this year's draft, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Top picks

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Ronde Barber -- 1997 (No. 66 overall)
With their fourth selection in 1997, Tampa Bay struck gold. Barber is a five-time Pro-Bowler, and three-time All-Pro. He has started every game for the Buccaneers the past 13 seasons. His 47 career interceptions ranks fifth among active players.
» 1997 NFL Draft | Video: NFL Films: Barber

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Derrick Brooks -- 1995 (No. 28 overall)
The second part of undoubtedly the best draft class in Buccaneers history, the former Florida State linebacker started 221 of 224 games from 1995-2008. He has 25 career interceptions, and returned three of those picks for touchdowns during the Bucs' 2002 Super Bowl season. Brooks was the 2002 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and an 11-time Pro-Bowler.
» 1995 NFL Draft | Video: Brooks on set

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Warren Sapp -- 1995 (No. 12 overall)
The anchor of Tampa Bay's defense for nine seasons, Sapp was the 1999 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, in which he totaled 16.5 sacks. Sapp -- a seven-time Pro Bowler -- anchored the defense that brought Tampa Bay its first Super Bowl in 2002, a 48-21 victory over the Oakland Raiders.
» 1995 NFL Draft | Video: Sapp getting into HOF

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John Lynch -- 1993 (No. 82 overall)
A stalwart of the "Tampa 2" defense for 11 seasons, Lynch was a two-time All-Pro and nine-time Pro-Bowler. Throughout his career, he was known as being one of the hardest hitters in the NFL. While many think he'll eventually be enshrined in Canton, he's already in Cooperstown. Lynch, once a top pitching prospect, threw out the first pitch in the history of the Florida Marlins baseball team, and for that his jersey is now in baseball's hall of fame.
» 1993 NFL DraftPhotos: Lynch through the years

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Paul Gruber -- 1988 (No. 4 overall)
The giant left tackle from Wisconsin played in 183 games for Tampa Bay from 1988 through 1999, and started all 183. Gruber was the consummate professional during a nine-year run of futility from 1988-1996, in which the Bucs never won more than seven games in a season. He was inducted to the Bucs Ring of Honor in 2012.
» 1988 NFL Draft

Worst picks

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Bo Jackson -- 1986 (No. 1 overall)
Bo Knows. Tampa Bay should have known better. Rumors swirled that the former Auburn standout and Heisman Trophy winner didn't want to play for Tampa Bay and would choose baseball. The Bucs already had a 1,300 yard rusher -- James Wilder -- in their backfield, so running back wasn't a serious need. But on draft day, Jackson's number was called by the Buccaneers and they made him choose: diamond or gridiron. Bo chose baseball, sat out the NFL season and was drafted by Oakland in the seventh round in the 1987 NFL Draft. To this day, Brian Bosworth wishes Jackson would have signed with the Bucs.
» 1986 NFL Draft | Photos: Jackson through the years

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Eric Curry -- 1993 (No. 6 overall)
The sixth pick in the draft, the former All-American from Alabama never materialized into the pass rusher Tampa Bay envisioned. During five lackluster years, he totaled 12 sacks and 74 tackles. He left as a free agent after the 1997 season.
» 1993 NFL Draft

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Regan Upshaw -- 1996 (No. 12 overall)
Cal All-American Regan Upshaw was a forgettable pick in what seemed to be years of draft futility for the Buccaneers. In three seasons, he totaled 92 tackles and 18.5 sacks. What's worse for Bucs fans, they took North Carolina defensive tackle Marcus Jones later in the first round that year, passing up on Pro Bowlers Eddie George, Marvin Harrison and Ray Lewis.
» 1996 NFL Draft

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Reidel Anthony -- 1997 (No. 16 overall)
Searching for the game-breaking wideout Tampa never had, the Bucs traveled up I-75 to Gainesville for Gators All-American Reidel Anthony. While he showed flashes of potential, including finishing eighth in all-purpose yards in 1998, Anthony totaled only 144 catches for 1,846 yards in five seasons. It could have been worse for the Bucs, though. The next wide receiver off the board in the 1997 draft was Rae Carruth.
» 1997 NFL Draft

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Vinny Testaverde -- 1987 (No. 1 overall)
Testaverde, the first overall pick from the Miami Hurricanes, graced the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1987 as the $8 million dollar man. However, in his six seasons it seemed he threw eight million interceptions. Actually, it was just 112, although he led the league with 35 and 22 pick in two of his first three seasons. Testaverde was teased for being colorblind and insulted by other players, including Gene Upshaw, who questioned his intelligence. Testaverde's career did blossom after he left Tampa in 1992. He became a two-time Pro Bowl selection with the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets.
» 1987 NFL Draft

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