Now that the draft is over, here’s a look at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers undrafted free agents tracker and what rookies will be joining training camp.
While the NFL Draft is where teams find future stars and contributors, it’s not the only place the incoming rookie class is mined for potential gold.
After the draft concludes, the rush to sign undrafted free agents begins and usually happens in an absolute fury. The frenzy to sign the best remaining players after the draft is over marks the final major event of the weekend and is a place where teams fill out their depth chart with potential contributors.
If taking players on Day 3 is essentially like buying lottery tickets, there have been undrafted free agents who have turned in superstars and Hall of Famers.
Here’s a quick list of guys who became stars in the league despite not being drafted the year they came into the NFL:
- Kurt Warner (Super Bowl MVP)
- Drew Pearson (Hall of Famer)
- Tony Romo (Pro Bowler)
- Adam Vinatieri (Super Bowl champion)
- Jason Peters (All-Pro)
- James Harrison (Super Bowl champion)
- Antonio Gates (All-Pro)
Guys like that are few and far between, but there’s always a chance a guy signed after the draft turns into the next Wes Welker or James Harrison.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers undrafted free agents tracker 2023 (Updated)
Here’s a look at who the Buccaneers added after the NFL Draft ended:
- Ronnie Brown, RB/Shepherd
- Sean Tucker, RB/Syracuse
- Kade Warner, WR/Kansas State
- Rakim Jarrett, WR/Maryland
- Ryan Miller, WR/Furman
- Taye Barber, WR/TCU
- Tanner Taula, TE/Illinois State
- Luke Haggard, LT/Indiana
- Silas Dzansi, OL/Virginia Tech
- Chris Murray, C/Oklahoma
- Brandon Bouyer-Randle, LB/UConn
- Jeremy Banks, LB/Tennessee
- Keenan Isaac, S/Alabama State
- Chris Izien, S/Rutgers
- Kaevon Merriweather, S/Iowa
- Jake Bates, K/Arkansas
Despite there being some interesting names on the board, the Bucs walked away from the NFL Draft without have it selected a safety. With only two on the roster — Antoine Winfield and Ryan Neal — the Bucs added some depth on the UDFA trail signing three safeties.
Same thing with the running back position. Tampa Bay resisted the urge to take a running back during the draft but added two of them after the fact.
Keep in mind that not all of these guys will end up making the team. However it’s all about depth, and there’s a chance a few of them end up becoming solid contributors next season and beyond.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers undrafted free agents from 2022
Last year the Buccaneers ended up signing 13 undrafted free agents, although the impact they had on the final roster was sparse. That being said, not much went right for the Bucs last season so it’s unfair to judge this upcoming class against the last one.
A few guys ended up being somewhat notable, as names like Kaylon Geiger and Dylan Cook are still on the roster.
- Ben Biese, TE/Wisconsin-River Falls
- Curtis Blackwell, OL/Ball State
- Dylan Cook, OL/Montana
- Olakunle Fatukasi, LB/Rutgers
- Don Gardner, CB/South Dakota State
- Kaylon Geiger Sr., WR/Texas Tech
- Kyler McMichael, CB/North Carolina
- JoJo Ozougwu, OLB/Arkansas State
- J.J. Russell, LB/Memphis
- Jerreth Sterns, WR/Western Kentucky
- Deven Thompkins, WR/Utah State
- Nolan Turner, S/Clemson
- Jordan Young, OLB/Old Dominion
Depth is the name of the game when looking at UDFA’s, and while the Bucs didn’t find any diamonds in the rough they did manage to add some meaningful pieces to fill out the depth chart and practice squad.