The Tampa Bay Buccaneers still have a tight end problem hanging over the 2026 offseason, and Devin Culp is the name most exposed by it.
Cade Otton is locked into one spot, but beyond that, the room looks like a fight for survival. Tampa Bay spent a 2024 seventh-round pick on Culp, yet through his first two NFL seasons he has just six catches. Now he’s heading into year three with no real safety net and a roster spot that looks increasingly shaky.
The draft didn’t exactly clear the path for him, either. Jason Licht passed on using a first- or second-round pick at tight end, but he did add Ko Kieft and Bauer Sharp in the sixth round. Neither looks like an easy cut candidate, and both appear better positioned than Culp to stick.
Payne Durham’s return only tightens the squeeze. He’s healthy again and entering his fourth season with the Buccaneers, which gives him another edge in a room that doesn’t have much veteran presence outside of Otton. That matters, especially when the competition is this thin.
Culp’s biggest issue is that he hasn’t shown enough as a blocker. That’s a problem in a group where the other contenders are better in that area, and it gives Kieft and Sharp another leg up.
At this point, Culp’s best-case scenario looks like a strong camp that changes the conversation. Otherwise, a practice squad landing spot seems far more realistic than a secure roster role.
And the bigger picture isn’t much prettier. Tight end remains unfinished business for Tampa Bay, and Jason Licht could still hunt for a veteran after camp cuts. Even if the Buccaneers ride with the current group, the position still looks like one that could be revisited next offseason in free agency or the draft.
For now, it’s one of the weakest spots on the roster, maybe the weakest. There isn’t much experience behind Otton, and if he were to miss time again, the Buccaneers could feel it fast, especially in the run game. That’s exactly why Kieft and Sharp’s blocking gives them value Culp doesn’t have.
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