The biggest question mark on offense for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason was the tight end position.
They brought in Zac Robinson to be the new offensive coordinator, and he ran 12 personnel at the second-highest rate of any play caller a season ago.
Tight ends were a major part of his scheme in Atlanta, but the Bucs are relatively thin at the position behind Cade Otton.
As a result, some expected the team could draft Kenyon Sadiq with their first-round pick to add a new element of athleticism and receiving ability to the tight end room. But the Bucs ultimately waited all the way until the sixth round to add to the position, selecting Bauer Sharp, who has wasted no time making an impression in Tampa Bay.
Bauer Sharp is already making it hard for Buccaneers to keep him off the roster
Sharp was a standout during the first week of OTAs, turning heads within his first reps as a pro.
“This guy’s turning out to be a hidden gem on Day 3,” said Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds. “He’s drawing some rave reviews with how he goes about his reps and how fluid he is with the ball in his hands. According to sources, he’s a real threat to Devin Culp and Ko Kieft for a roster spot this year. The Bucs can’t wait to see how physical he is when the pads come on in training camp.”
In a room that contains Otton, Kieft, Culp, and Payne Durham, the rookie sixth-round pick is far from being guaranteed a roster spot. But the team is already falling in love with him, and as Reynolds noted, that puts the rest of the tight ends on notice.
Durham and Culp both only had one catch apiece last year. They haven’t done enough to cement their roles, and if Sharp continues to impress, he could quickly leapfrog both on the depth chart.
Kieft feels a bit more secure as the team just re-signed him in the offseason and he’s a key blocker for the offense as well as a core special teams contributor. But if Sharp can be an effective blocker and outclass Kieft on special teams, he’ll find himself on the roster bubble too.
During the draft process, Bauer was billed by draft analyst Dane Brugler as an energetic competitor and a violent blocker. Those qualities are what endeared him to Tampa Bay, and are helping him make a strong first impression.
He’s certainly brought the energy early in his pro career, and is well on his way to securing a key role as a rookie and shaking up the depth chart in the process.
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