
After the draft, the Buccaneers went to work filling out the rest of their team with UDFAs. These players have the best chance to make the final roster.
Undrafted free agents often do not turn heads when they sign with their first NFL team, but their role should not be underscored. The Buccaneers were able to find several players that surprisingly slipped through the cracks of the draft, and some could contribute in their first year.
Numerous all-time greats from across the NFL have made it into the Hall of Fame after starting their career as undrafted free agents. Tampa Bay has several UDFAs that have made a sizable impact on the team.
Demar Dotson, one of the essential parts of the Buccaneer offensive line for the better part of a decade, came to the team after going undrafted. These players may face an uphill battle, but Dotson is a recent example that the process is not impossible.
The biggest thing to take into account with players like this is remembering that combine scores and draft status don’t mean everything. It is easy to get sucked into the belief that a player who wasn’t seen as good enough to be a seventh-round draft pick wouldn’t have a chance in the NFL, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Raheem Mostert and Damien Williams just matched up in the Super Bowl as two former undrafted free agents, while first-round pick Todd Gurley just got cut from the Rams. Perhaps this is more a testament to teams never drafting running backs, but that is a different argument.
Regardless of positions, undrafted free agents still get a chance because the risk is low, and the payoff is massive. Sometimes, these players just need the right NFL coach or system to become a dominant NFL player.
This transition is harder for most undrafted free agents as college tape and athleticism showcased in the combine are generally a reliable indicator of talent. Still, scouting is no perfect science, and talented players can slip through the cracks.
Here are the UDFAs with the best chance of making the final roster for the Bucs.