Tight end Devin Culp is on the rise heading into Bucs minicamp.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Devin Culp appears to be climbing the depth chart heading into minicamp.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers minicamp begins on June 10, and one 2024 draft pick has emerged as a player to watch as he surges up the depth chart at his position.
Within a mailbag article on June 9, long-time Pewter Report beat writer and Bucs insider Scott Reynolds told a fan that, based on what he’s seen, he believes second-year tight end Devin Culp has “supplanted Ko Kieft as the third tight end on the depth chart behind Cade Otton and Payne Durham.”
The original question asked if Reynolds thinks Culp will be “more involved” in the offense this year, to which the Pewter Report insider replied, “yes,” but there was more to his answer than that.
“Culp, last year’s seventh-round pick, was inactive for most of his rookie season as he made the transition from college football to the NFL, which can be more daunting for some than others,” Reynolds reminded.
Continuing: “But when he was able to see the field down the stretch while Otton was dealing with a knee injury, Culp was productive. He caught four passes for 52 yards in his NFL debut against Carolina, including a 26-yard catch-and-run. The following week against New Orleans, he had two receptions for 36 yards, including a 20-yard gain. Culp finished his rookie campaign with five catches for 88 yards and a very impressive 17.6-yard average, which was the highest on the team during the 2024 season.”
Reynolds even concluded that “there’s a chance that Culp even becomes the No. 2 tight end in Tampa Bay when it comes to receptions and receiving yards,” being that he’s a “more dangerous receiver” than Durham.
Buccaneers Tight End Devin Culp Brings Speed to the Offense
Culp’s skillset also fits what new Buccaneers OC Josh Grizzard hopes to bring to this Tampa Bay offense in 2025. Speed.
“That’s certainly what Culp brings to the table,” Reynolds wrote, regarding the second-year tight end’s speed. “He’s the fastest tight end in Tampa Bay, and that was evident last year in his run-after-catch ability. Culp ran a 4.47 at the NFL Scouting Combine in the 2024 offseason, which was the fastest time in Indianapolis for any tight end at the time.”
Having said that, Durham is the better blocker, and the Bucs have plenty of speed and explosiveness at wide receiver, so Culp will have to prove that his upside is worth a higher snap share.
Reynolds guessed that Grizzard would deploy more three-WR sets this season after the Emeka Egbuka selection.
“Heck, we might even see some four-receiver sets with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan and Ebuka on the field together in certain situations,” the reporter went on, pondering: “How often will Grizzard deploy 12 (two tight ends) or 13 (three tight end ends) personnel in 2025?”
Backup Tight End Battle & Usage Should Be of Interest at Bucs Minicamp & Training Camp
Otton is the clear-cut starting tight end for the Buccaneers. Reynolds estimated he’ll receive about 90% of the snap count, assuming health, but the battle behind him is heating up.
Culp, Durham and Kieft are all recent draft picks of the organization, with Culp being the most recent. So, there’s no homegrown staff favorite here.
Under Grizzard, the most impactful players are expected to see the field, and that leaves the door open for Culp to steal the TE2 spot.
His climb began during OTAs, but it could continue this week at Bucs minicamp and then on into training camp after that.