With the Bucs hosting rookie mini-camp on Friday and Saturday, all eyes will be on Tampa Bay’s draft picks as they don the red and pewter for the first time in their new jersey numbers.

General manager Jason Licht is excited to see them, but they are not the only rookies in town. Plenty of undrafted rookies who have signed and many more trying out will be out there as well, and Licht views them as being just as important. Speaking on The JP Peterson Show on Thursday, he discussed which players he will have his eyes on.

Jason Licht Cannot Wait To Watch Bucs’ UDFAs Fight For Roster Spots

Based on general consensus, the Bucs did well getting value out of the 2025 NFL Draft. That value, however, will only be realized based on what happens on the field, not just what the belief might be. It will start to be realized this week as the rookies suit up, with Jason Licht looking forward to seeing his draft picks and undrafted free agents, mentioning six of them by name.

Bucs WR Emeka Ebguka and Bucs ILB John Bullock – Photo by: USA Today

“I’m looking forward to seeing them all,” Licht said. “There’s not one in particular. Of course, you want to watch your high picks and how they perform. I’m always excited about pass rushers, so I’m sure I’ll want to see David Walker and how he looks. It’s some of these undrafted guys that I’m excited to see that have an opportunity here with our team, like John Bullock, the linebacker from Nebraska.

“We got another center/guard, Ben Scott, from Nebraska. The safety from Marshall, J.J. Roberts, I’m really excited about. A lot of these guys, you’ve mentioned Ben [Chukwuma] already. Jake Majors, a center from Texas. Most of these guys, if not all of them, were on our draft board. In our mind, it’s like an extra draft pick. We get to see if they can make our team.”

Licht might be showing his Nebraska bias a bit, as Bullock and Scott played for the Cornhuskers, a school he attended from 1989-1991. Still, Bullock and Scott come with experience and would fill areas of need if they were to make the team’s 53-man roster or practice squad.

Even though the team did not need any starting offensive linemen, depth in the trenches is essential.

Who better to evaluate it than Licht?

The Bucs were not going to pay center Robert Hainsey $7 million per year, nor were they prepared to offer swing tackle Justin Skule $4 million per year. Hainsey and Skule left for the Jaguars and Vikings, with the team’s hope being that Charlie Heck can take over the swing tackle role and 2024 sixth-round pick Elijah Klein becomes the backup center. Scott and Majors will have the chance to unseat Klein at that spot, while Chukwuma is someone they can mold behind the scenes behind left tackle Tristan Wirfs and right tackle Luke Goedeke.

“What we like about him, he’s really only played one year,” Licht said about Chukwuma. “One year plus a couple of games the year before. Defensive line, then moved to offensive line. He’s just a raw piece of clay that offensive line coaches — Carbs [Kevin Carberry] and BP [Brian Picucci] — can just start from scratch here. They get excited about that. There may be some bad habits, but they haven’t been bad habits for a long time. They can be easily addressed. He’s got a chance now, we’re real excited about him.”

Jason Licht Praises David Walker, Thinks His Abilities Will “Transfer” To NFL

It’s hard not to like what David Walker accomplished during his time in college. Although Walker did not play the highest level of competition at Southern Arkansas and Central Arkansas, he flashed his talents and the stat sheet, often as the best player on the field. He fell to the fourth round based on his size more than production, but Jason Licht was quick to point out a few pass rushers who have broken the mold and believes he has the chance to carry his traits over to the NFL.

New Bucs OLB David Walker Photo by: USA Today

“He’s got tremendous instincts,” Licht said. “He’s got tremendous use of hands. He’s got an arsenal of moves. He’s got a big burst. He’s powerful, and he’s got a relentless motor. The only thing he doesn’t have is the size and length that the ideal edge rusher has. He’s on the short size, but all the other things kind of make up for it. There’s been plenty of undersized [pass rushers] — Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis and James Harrison, on and on and on that kind of fit him.

“I’m not putting him in that category yet, but he’s a very mature guy. He’s a guy also that was just a really good athlete at anything he did. He was a great soccer player. You can see that in his footwork, too. Just a guy that has been successful at everything he’s done athletically. I think it’s going to transfer.”

Jason Licht will have a front-row seat watching all of the rookies brought in. Based on the Bucs’ recent draft record, expect several of them to make their name known now and impact felt during the season. Time will tell who that might just be.