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For all the success general manager Jason Licht and the Bucs scouting department have in the draft, there’s a case to be made that what they do after the draft is even more impressive. Undrafted free agency is a whirlwind, with teams making calls and agreeing to deals in a flurry just after the draft itself is over. That’s why the preparation starts far earlier, and it’s in the preparation process that Tampa Bay’s scouts and personnel staff clearly has found an edge.

Seriously, look at the track record the Bucs have built under Licht when it comes to undrafted free agency. Think Cameron Brate in 2014, Adam Humphries in 2015 and Peyton Barber in 2016 as some of the early ones and Sean Tucker, Christian Izien, Kameron Johnson, Ben Chukwuma and Josh Williams more recently.

Former Bucs TE Cam Brate – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Brate is the big standout, as he went from undrafted out of Harvard to one of the most productive tight ends in franchise history and a Super Bowl champion. But it’s less about the fact that Tampa Bay finds stars in undrafted free agency and more about the scouting department’s ability to identify, scout and sign players who ultimately develop into meaningful contributors on both sides of the ball.

It’s something that can fly under the radar, but it becomes harder and harder to miss when nights like Friday night occur.

Bucs Are Already Seeing UDFA Finds Blossom In 2026

As the Bucs’ 2026 preseason-opening win over the Jets played out, it was impossible to miss the kind of impact the front office’s undrafted free agent evaluation excellence can have on this year’s roster.

It goes beyond players who have already grown from undrafted free agent finds into established contributors like Sean Tucker and Josh Williams and others who have figured into Tampa Bay’s plans already since being signed as undrafted rookies, such as John Bullock, Nick Jackson, Rashad Wisdom, Ben Chukwuma and Kameron Johnson. It’s the fact that we’re already seeing some of the team’s 2026 undrafted rookies emerge as potential contributors only months into their NFL careers.

Ayden Garnes, an undrafted rookie cornerback out of Arizona, has emerged as a legitimate contender to not only make the 53-man roster out of training camp but even serve as valuable and reliable depth at a position where reliable depth is scarce. Garnes built on his camp success with a dazzling debut in front of 20+ family members and friends at MetLife Stadium Friday night. He came up with a tackle for loss early, then came the big moment: a 47-yard pick-six that tied the game at 10 in the second quarter.

Bucs CB Ayden Garnes and DT Jayson Jones – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Garnes wasn’t the only undrafted rookie who shined in their Bucs debut Friday night, either. On the offensive side of the ball, quarterback Jalon Daniels came in for the second half and showed impressive poise and command of Zac Robinson’s offense. He finished the night 10-of-15 for 111 yards and added three carries for 9 yards and a touchdown while leading scoring drives of 80 and 65 yards.

Daniels may have already held a lead over Connor Bazelak, a 2025 undrafted free agent himself, for Tampa Bay’s QB3 job coming into the night. By the end of it, he seemingly has a significant lead. In fact, he may very well push Jake Browning, an offseason free agent signing, for the right to back up starting signal-caller Baker Mayfield. The Bucs love a whole lot about Daniels, and after what he showed in his first game action, they have to be feeling even better about the former Kansas Jayhawk.

Bucs QB Jalon Daniels – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Completing a real trio of undrafted rookies who shined at MetLife Stadium was outside linebacker Jack Pyburn. The former Florida Gator and LSU Tiger came up with two sacks in the second half, with one on third down and another setting the Jets back on a late drive that sealed the victory. Not a whole lot was made of Pyburn throughout the pre-draft process, but Tampa Bay liked him, signed him and now has him in the mix to serve as valuable practice squad depth at outside linebacker.

This is only the start, of course. There can and will be ups and downs for plenty of these undrafted rookies, and not all of them will fully turn into hits for the Bucs. But the fact that there’s such a collection of them already standing out and pushing for roles on this team is a big deal. It speaks not only to the way the Bucs identify and evaluate talent, but also the way their coaches develop these guys once they’re in the building.

That’s something that head coach Todd Bowles spoke about following Friday night’s game.

“That’s huge,” Bowles said. That’s the part that goes unseen, and you never hear about these guys. I think Jason and his staff do a great job doing the little things and after the draft is over, finding the right guys. And that’s hard to do in free agency with the money going everywhere and guys being picked by every team. But to find the right guys for our team and bring them in and trust them to learn the system – and the coaches putting them to work and putting them in the right position – I think it’s a great collaboration.”