Tampa Bay Buccaneers Believe in Their 2026 UDFAs

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers nabbed quite a few intriguing players in the beginning rounds of the NFL Draft in 2026, but late-round draft picks are often the ones that help teams win Super Bowls — and picking up contributing Undrafted Free Agents could go even further toward that goal.

The Bucs have picked up some UDFAs who have made the roster and contributed in recent years, and they hope that their latest batch in 2026 will do the same. They seem fairly confident in them this year, and one of the biggest pieces of evidence of that confidence is the amount of money that the Bucs have spent on their new class of UDFAs.

Buccaneers Spent a Lot of Money on Their UDFAs

UCF Knights running back Johnny Richardson (25) runs the ball as offensive lineman Paul Rubelt (69) blocks UCF Knights defensive back Divaad Wilson | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

According to Spotrac, the Buccaneers spent $1.9 million on their UDFAs, good for fourth in the NFL behind the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs.

2026 NFL UDFA Guarantees

1. KC, $3M
2. JAX, $2.4M
3. HOU, $2M
4. TB, $1.9M
5. TEN, $1.8M
6. CHI, $1.8M
7. LV, $1.8M
8. ATL, $1.7M
9. MIN, $1.6M
10. IND, $1.5M
...
28. BAL $285k
29. BUF, $266k
30. LAR, $230k
31. CIN, $181k
32. PIT, $112khttps://t.co/MpWjgiB95p
— Spotrac (@spotrac) May 28, 2026

Of their UDFAs, tackle Paul Rubelt out of UCF got the most guaranteed money at $277,500, with QB Jalon Daniels ($272,500) and G Henry Lutovsky ($262,500) rounding out the top three. Rubelt is particularly notable for his 6-10 height, and Daniels could push QB Connor Bazelak for a practice squad spot at quarterback.

The Buccaneers haven't been shy about giving UDFAs a chance in the past, and plenty have made the roster. Wide receiver Kameron Johnson is a UDFA that remains on the roster despite quite a few injuries over the years, and safety J.J. Roberts was playing himself into a good amount of snaps last year before tearing his ACL during training camp. Additionally, UDFA Benjamin Chukwuma served as a swing tackle last year after poor performances by Charlie Heck, and he's set to compete for that spot again this year with Jusitn Skule.

This new bunch of UDFAs will try their hardest to make an impact like all those players have, and although most won't make it, the Bucs clearly have confidence that at least some of them have the chance to do so for this upcoming season and potentially beyond.

The Bucs are currently in the midst of OTAs, which will continue throughout next week and the week after. After that, it's mandatory minicamp, and once the last break of the NFL season is over, the team's UDFA's will have their biggest chance to prove themselves in training camp toward the end of July.

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