The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have become the official home of former Washington Huskies. The team had five former Huskies who were locks to make the roster: defensive tackles Greg Gaines and Vita Vea, edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, tight end Cade Otton, and wide receiver Jalen McMillan.
The sixth is former seventh-round pick and tight end Devin Culp. Though seventh-round picks do have a better chance to make the roster, they aren’t a lock to make the final 53. For Culp, it was unknown whether the team would carry four tight ends into the regular season, so he had to prove himself this offseason.
Culp has done just that, as the team will hold him on the roster going into week one. His elite athleticism offers coach Todd Bowles the flexibility to deploy him as a wide receiver in addition to a traditional tight end.
This may have been part of the reason he was able to secure a spot as the fourth tight end. NFL teams are always looking for star athletes at the position who can maximize mismatches. As Husky fans know, that was Culp’s calling card in college, as his elite speed allows him to run away from slower linebackers.
If the Buccaneers can maximize Culp’s skillset that he was never really able to fully put together at Washington, he could become one of the steals of the draft and develop into, at worst, a key role player for the team.
He will get to play alongside former teammates Jalen McMillan and Cade Otton, the latter of whom was a key leader in the tight end room during his time at Washington and was likely a factor for Culp’s impression on his new team.
Bucs will have Vea, Otton, JTS, Gaines, McMillan and Culp — six @UW_Football alums on their 53. https://t.co/FDxKrftLXZ
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) August 27, 2024