The Bucs have two bookends at offensive tackle in Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke, who are likely to be in Tampa Bay for years to come. So, there is not an immediate need for a third starter protecting the edge for the offense. But a quality backup tackle may be one of the most underrated assets in all of football.

The Bucs saw the benefits of this position last year when Justin Skule played the majority of snaps in six games – four for Goedeke and two for Wirfs. The Bucs held their own in those six games, posting a 3-3 record.

As Skule has moved on to Minnesota this offseason in free agency the team has engaged the services of Charlie Heck to be the primary backup to Wirfs and Goedeke. But that hasn’t stopped them from taking a long-term swing at an in-house option.

Georgia State left tackle Ben Chukwuma received a $300k guarantee from the team, the most they gave to an undrafted free agent this cycle.

What do the Bucs see in Chukwuma?

Measurables

Ben Chukwuma’s physical profile isn’t going to jump off the page.

Ben Chukwuma went undrafted as a OT in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 3.44 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 985 out of 1501 OT from 1987 to 2025.

UDFA #Buccaneershttps://t.co/6dnW75Duu1 pic.twitter.com/IHFmfHboQ7

— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 27, 2025

But Chukwuma brings enviable length to the position and represents the proverbial ball of clay.

History And Advanced Stats

Bucs LT Ben Chukwuma – Photo courtesy of Georgia State

Despite a lack of experience, Ben Chukwuma had a solid 2024 campaign. Having never played tackle at the high school level, he took his first snaps at the position in 2023 after earning a roster spot at Georgia State as a tryout player, and moved into the starting lineup for the first time in 2024.

In 2024 he started 11 games and played 722 snaps at left tackle. He allowed 27 pressures across 442 pass blocking snaps resulting in a 6.1% pressure rate allowed. His 96.5 pass block efficiency rating from Pro Football Focus ranked 135th out of 170 college tackles with at least 700 snaps played last year. As a run blocker Chukwuma earned a 55.8 grade from PFF as well.

None of this looks impressive unless you keep the context of his lack of experience in mind.

But looking further there are some flashes of promise. When Georgia State ran to Chukwuma’s side last year they averaged 3.4 yards per carry to the C gap and 6.5 yards per carry to the B gap. Those B gap runs were 0.9 yards above league average and Georgia State recorded a 47.5% success rate on those runs.

When Ben Chukwuma Wins

When he is confident in his assignment and moving forward as a run blocker, Ben Chukwuma can fire off the line and engulf opponents with tremendous burst.

pic.twitter.com/TIbrJPI9ce

— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) May 9, 2025

He displays impressive leg drive when he is fully connected. His play strength is legit and if he catches a defensive lineman off guard, he can toss a guy out the club. He has a smooth shuffle to his pass set, keeping his feet evenly spaced with a quick pace. And when he maintains his balance he adjusts quite nicely to inside counters.

He has late hands that aide him in redirecting high-side rushes as he often gets them past their landmarks around the arc. It’s not always clean in how he wins, often ending up in bent-over reaching, but he wins all the same. What’s most impressive in those reps is a lack of panic despite being deep into his pass set without initiating contact.

When Ben Chukwuma Struggles

Ben Chukwuma’s pad level is an issue, and his burst is inconsistent at best. More often than not his movements are deliberate and laborious. And if a defender moves in a way he doesn’t expect, like a step down, Chukwuma can miss altogether. He is still figuring out how to effectively handle inside counters and can lose to spins and when his face gets crossed because his balance is still not a consistent part of his game.

Because of his late hands he can he takes unnecessary speed-to-power shots into his frame when defenders decide to go through him. There are also times when he tries to win with length against longer defenders. The results are predictable.

What’s The Plan?

Bucs LT Ben Chukwuma and OL coach Kevin Carberry – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I very much doubt Ben Chukwuma will be on the final 53-man roster come Week 1 of the regular season. There is a lot of work that needs to be done. But the flashes show someone who can develop into a capable piece of an offensive line in the future. Considering his lack of experience and the sparks of fluid movement that pop every now and then he’s worth taking a long-term developmental approach for – especially working with Tampa Bay offensive line guru Kevin Carberry.

But perhaps most of all, the Bucs are betting on his competitive nature. Facing one of the best pass rushers in this year’s draft, and certainly the best competition he faced all year, Chukwuma had his best game of the season against Marshall edge rusher Mike Green.

Every time Mike Green lined up over #Bucs UDFA OT Ben Chukwuma pic.twitter.com/hgsxuE5ZnV

— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) May 5, 2025