Bucs GM Jason Licht is finishing up 2025 roster cuts on August 26
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With roster cuts in the rearview mirror, Jason Licht and the Buccaneers front office appear to have found three of the best undrafted free agents in the league.
With hundreds of undrafted free agents searching for opportunities each offseason, there’s no guarantee that teams will find a ‘diamond in the rough’ worth keeping around. But, with roster cuts in the rearview mirror, the Buccaneers appear to have found three of them.
Bucs Find Talented Trio of ‘Preseason Darlings’
Earlier today, Jared Dubin of CBS Sports highlighted seven “preseason darlings” who raised eyebrows by making it onto a 53-man roster. Dubin highlighted that, while most of the attention is devoted to who doesn’t make the team, there’s a special group of players who beat the odds each year.
As the Buccaneers’ final roster cuts have come down over the past few days, there were several names that caught the attention of Tampa Bay fans. Throughout the preseason, plenty of players made their case for a roster spot, but three stood out above the rest.
After signing all three as undrafted free agents on May 9, Tampa Bay decided to keep RB Josh Williams, OT Ben Chukwuma and LB John Bullock today.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted the “feel-good stories” on roster cut day, even pointing out Bullock’s interesting connection with Bucs general manager Jason Licht.
Feel-good stories on cutdown day: the Buccaneers had three undrafted free agents — RB Josh Williams, OT Benjamin Chukwuma and LB John Bullock — earn spots on their 53-man roster. Bullock was a former walk-on LB at Nebraska like Bucs GM Jason Licht.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 26, 2025
Oddly enough, Greg Auman of Fox Sports pointed out that all three have another thing in common beyond signing as undrafted free agents.
So not only do the Bucs have three undrafted rookies making the 53, but all three – Nebraska LB John Bullock, LSU RB Josh Williams and Georgia State T Ben Chukwuma — started out as walk-ons in college.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) August 26, 2025
Impressive Preseason Performances Helped All 3 Survive Roster Cuts
Even after earning a tryout throughout the offseason, every undrafted free agent has limited opportunities to impress ahead of roster cuts. While most fail to make a strong impression, there are several on the Buccaneers who stood out above the rest.
On Saturday, Buccaneers Staff Writer/Reporter Brianna Dix wrote about RB Josh Williams ‘raising his stock’ on both offense and special teams. Williams made a strong case with his performance, even catching the eye of head coach Todd Bowles.
“It wasn’t just special teams,” said Bowles. “He’s a good running back as well. We think he can catch. We think he’s a heck of a pass protector. We know he can run the ball as he showed us on special teams, but he also made some tackles. So, you know, a lot of that goes into the evaluation. He can do multiple things.”
LB John Bullock defied the odds and survived roster cuts earlier today, earning a profile from Buccaneers Staff Writer/Reporter Brianna Dix. Dix highlighted Bullock as “a disruptive force on the field,” and even noted Bowles’ praise for the rookie.
“Bowles praised the cerebral approach of Bullock and his grasp of the system, citing it became a rarity when he made a mistake,” wrote Dix.
Beyond Bullock, the most important decision that Licht made today was to keep OT Ben Chukwuma. Dubin noted that Chukwuma is potentially in line for even more action if star LT Tristan Wirfs is forced to miss any time to start the year.
After securing the most guaranteed money of any undrafted free agent in the NFL this season, Chukwuma looks ready to embrace his potential. Baker Mayfield will be under even more pressure to perform this year, so it will be paramount for the Bucs to develop depth along their offensive line. After surviving roster cuts, Chukwuma appears up to the task, so far.