Bucs running back Josh Williams pulls away from Bills cornerback Dane Jackson during Saturday's preseason game at Raymond James Stadium. Williams rushed for 28 yards on eight attempts. [ JEFFEREE WOO | Times ]
TAMPA — The undrafted free agent market moves fast and frequently as soon as the NFL draft concludes. Teams give anywhere from a few to more than a dozen players who weren’t selected in the draft’s seven rounds a chance to win them over.
Most of these rookies are cut as a roster is trimmed from 90 players to 53 ahead of Week 1. Some eventually land on a team’s practice squad, where they get to continue chasing their NFL dream and earn more than $200,000 annually. Others start the season out of the league.
The Bucs brought 18 undrafted rookies into training camp this year. Many were waived earlier this week and will be brought back on the practice squad.
But three of the 18 made the 53-man roster, an impressive and notable feat. Here are the undrafted free agents who are set to dress for the Sept. 7 opener against the Falcons.
LB John Bullock
John Bullock (57) helps fellow Bucs linebacker Jose Ramirez bring down Steelers quarterback Skylar Thompson during a preseason game earlier this month in Pittsburgh.
Bullock already had experience forging an unlikely path forward. He arrived at Nebraska as a walk-on and spent five seasons in the program before being put on scholarship as a senior and earning All-Big Ten honorable mention.
His time at Nebraska, the Omaha native said, taught him lessons in persistence that served him well throughout voluntary offseason workouts and training camp. Bullock did not lack in confidence, either.
“I always knew I had it in me,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I’m the most talented player, but I always knew I had the work ethic.”
Bullock knew he’d need to shine on special teams to earn a roster spot with the Bucs, and he did just that.
“We’ve been talking about it all camp. We need guys that can cover,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday. “(Bullock) went out there, and he played his butt off and he covered. He’s a smart player, he’s a tough player, he’s a hard-nosed player and he earned it.”
Fellow linebacker and Cornhusker Lavonte David said Bullock impressed with the attention to detail he brings daily.
“When you got a stacked roster like this, you got to do something to stand out, something to stick out like a sore thumb,” David said. “The plays that he was making on special teams, and the plays he was making at linebacker kind of stood out.”
Meeting David after joining the Bucs was a childhood dream in itself, Bullock said. So was the news delivered to him by Bowles and inside linebackers coach Mike Caldwell while he was in the training room.
“I’m truly honored, and I’m going to make the most of it,” Bullock said. “I just love football. I love to play the game. Anyway I can help this team win, I’m going to try to do that.”
OT Ben Chukwuma
Bucs offensive tackle Benjamin Chukwuma prepares to block a Tennessee Titans defender during a preseason game earlier this month in Tampa.
Chukwuma had far less experience then Bullock when he arrived at One Buc Place. He only played two seasons at Georgia State after joining the team as a walk-on. When he moved to the U.S. from Nigeria in 2017, Chukwuma said he was focused on basketball, not football.
He joined the Bucs committed to work hard but was unsure how he’d fare.
“Coming in, I really did have no expectations, because football is new to me,” said Chukwuma, 6-feet 6, 310 pounds.
After the Bucs’ second preseason game, Chukwuma said he started to realize he belonged in the NFL.
“I felt like, yeah, I’m meant to be here. I can go against all these tough guys,” he said.
The Bucs believed in him far sooner. Chukwuma received $300,000 in guaranteed money when he signed with the Bucs in May, the most given to an undrafted free agent by an NFL team this year. JJ Roberts, an undrafted rookie safety currently on injured reserve, received the same figure.
Bowles raved about Chukwuma last week.
“He’s a very strong individual, and he has (a) very good skill set and tools for the position,” he said. “It’s just a matter of him learning the game. When he learns it, and he can learn, I think he’s going to be a very tough player and a very good football player.
“When he does it right, there’s nothing prettier to watch,” Bowles added. “He’s just got to keep getting the reps and keep growing, and we feel like we have something to work with there.”
On Friday, offensive line coach Brian Picucci told Chukwuma it was time for him to start looking for a Tampa Bay apartment.
RB Josh Williams
Josh Williams returns a kickoff Saturday against the Bills. He averaged 36 yards on three returns, including a long of 42 yards.
Williams walked on at LSU and spent five seasons with the Tigers. He rushed for 482 yards on 117 carries in 2024, good for more than 4 yards a carry.
Williams returned to action for the last two preseason games after missing the opener with a hamstring strain and played well, returning kicks and making tackles on special teams while also carrying eight times for 28 yards.
He’ll be a frequent special teams contributor as the fourth running back on the Bucs roster. But Bowles thinks he can help the offense, too.
“It wan’t just special teams. He’s a good running back as well,” Bowles said Sunday. “We think he can catch. We think he’s a heck of a pass protector.”
When injury hindered his efforts at a crucial moment, Williams said he found perspective by reflecting on his journey to date.
“I never gave up hope. I really (focused on) my rehab and came in, stayed more hours than they asked me to,” Williams said. “I know this is my shot.”
“This has always been my dream growing up as a kid, and when you work all your life for something and you finally get the nod that you’re part of the team, you want to do anything you can to stay there.”
Up next
SEASON OPENER
at Falcons, 1 p.m. Sept. 7 TV/radio: Fox; 97.9-FM
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