Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Top 5 players currently on the roster

LG Ali Marpet

Ali Marpet is arguably the best Cinderella story currently in the NFL when it comes to being completely overlooked as a player for your entire life to suddenly being a second round pick in the draft. Marpet was a two sport star in high school playing both football and basketball.

Marpet playing both sports early on limited his potential and upside as a lineman because he wanted to maintain a smaller weight to be more effective on the court and that ultimately hurt him when it came to being recruited to play football. Marpet was being recruited by a few smaller colleges but ultimately decided to pass on a scholarship and play Division III ball at Hobart University in New York.

Marpet was an immediate impact player who won multiple awards and went 41-5 in his four seasons as the anchor of the offensive line. With his impressive play Marpet was invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl and became the second Divison III player ever to do such. While in Mobile, AL Marpet showcased his versatility by practicing at tackle, guard and center and dominated against the competition.

With such a strong performance Marpet was an instant riser especially after the combine where he earned the highest SPARQ score among lineman. Marpet has played a multitude of positions for the Bucs since joining the team but has struggled with injuries a decent amount as well.

Marpet’s strong play and versatility has netted him a large extension which he signed in 2018 for 5 years and 55 million dollars. Marpet will be an anchor on the Bucs offensive line for years to come.