These 5 undrafted Buccaneers are turning roster cuts into a nightmare

It was a busy NFL Draft for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this year, mainly because the action extended beyond the names we heard at the podium. Just like we saw the last few years, the Bucs added a handful of intriguing undrafted players, many of whom are already making the right first impression at rookie minicamp.

The Bucs feel that they struck gold with the six players they selected during the 2025 NFL Draft, but what about the group of undrafted players they signed after the draft? We've already watched guys like Sean Tucker and Christian Izien make an impact, and this class seems to have that sort of potential and more.

Roster decisions were already going to be hard given the talent Tampa has across the board, but after a first glimpse at a few UDFAs, things will only get harder.

5 Buccaneers UDFAs with the best chance to make the team

J.J. Roberts, Safety

The Buccaneers overhauled their cornerback depth this offseason, but the safety room remains quite thin. Roberts was a seventh-round selection for the Bucs in our final mock draft, and seeing the team land such a perfect fit as an UDFA feels like a steal.

The high-end athlete turned heads with his athletic testing prior to the draft. While he didn’t participate in the NFL Combine, Roberts’ Pro Day was highlighted by a 4.41 40-yard dash, 40.5-inch vertical leap, and 20 reps on the bench press. All three numbers would’ve ranked among the top three among safeties at the Combine.

He scored a 9.67 out of 10 per Kent Lee Platte's Relative Athletic Scoring system, making him, without exaggeration, one of the most athletic safety prospects in history.

And Roberts isn’t just a good athlete—he has the production to match. In 2024, he registered 94 total tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. He also notched an impressive 14 passes defended in his final college season for Marshall. Roberts has a real chance to make the roster as a backup safety and he could prove to be a gem in the tough for Jason Licht and his staff.

Jake Majors , Offensive Line

Majors has the clearest path to a roster spot out of the Buccaneers undrafted free agents.

The team lost Robert Hainsey this offseason and is in desperate need of a backup center. Majors brings a valuable combination of experience and leadership as a team captain and four-year starter for the Texas Longhorns, playing in 58 games throughout his college career.

The consensus had a draftable grade on Majors—including Dane Brugler, a respected NFL Draft analyst at The Athletic, who rated him as a sixth or seventh round prospect and the No. 9 center in the draft class.

Majors will have to compete with another undrafted center the Bus signed in Nebraska’s Ben Scott, but Majors gets the nod due to his experience, which will help speed up his transition process to the NFL as he takes on the backup role behind Graham Barton.

Benjamin Chukwuma, Offensive Tackle

The Buccaneers gave Chukwuma $300,000 guaranteed to sign with them as an undrafted free agent, which was the biggest guarantee given to any UDFA league-wide.

The Bucs clearly think highly of Chukwuma, who is viewed as a long-term project with high upside. The 6-foot-6, 310 pound tackle has only played 23 games in his career and is very raw, but the potential is too much to pass up.

Chukwuma could crack the roster as a backup lineman, and at the very least, he should make the practice squad with a strong showing this offseason.

Shilo Sanders, Safety

Sanders is easily the most high-profile player of any undrafted free agent. As the son of Deion Sanders and brother to Shedeur Sanders, he’s no stranger to the spotlight.

Injuries have plagued Sanders, who only appeared in 13 games across two seasons at Colorado. But if he can stay healthy, he has the pedigree and skillset to at least carve out a spot on the practice squad for a team that has thin depth at safety.

Not to mention—it's no secret how big of a draw the Sanders name is. His 1.2 million Instagram followers rival that of the Buccaneers official page, which totals 1.5 million followers.

Sanders is guaranteed to bring national attention to Tampa Bay and sell a lot of jerseys, even in a backup role. If his play matches his stardom, it could be hard to resist reserving him a roster spot.

Desmond Watson, Defensive Tackle

Watson's claim to fame is that he is the heaviest player in the NFL, by a significant margin. The Buccaneers currently have him listed at 6-foot-5 and a massive 449 pounds—that’s over 100 pounds heavier than Vita Vea!

Watson is a homegrown talent and is already a huge (no pun intended) fan favorite, growing up in Plant City, Florida before playing his college ball for the Florida Gators, whose fanbase has a lot of crossover with the Bucs’ fanbase.

Watson will have to continue his weight loss journey and improve his conditioning if he wants a legitimate chance in the NFL, but he knows this, and has been putting in the work.

It feels like everyone is pulling for Watson to make the team, and for the Bucs to form a nightmare-inducing package in the middle of their defense with him and Vea.

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