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The Athletic: OT Rubelt Is Buccaneers' Best UDFA Signing
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- The Athletic: OT Rubelt Is Buccaneers' Best UDFA Signing
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Following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' seven draft picks, they added an additional 17 players as UDFAs.
On Saturday, The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner listed the best free-agent signing for each team, with an in-state offensive lineman taking the prize for Tampa .
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UCF 's Paul Rubelt earned the nod from Baumgardner as the Buccaneers' top prize, as the offensive tackle is staying relatively local after playing all six of his college seasons in Orlando.
At 313 pounds, the 6-foot-10 Rubelt was among the tallest prospects in this year's NFL draft. His arm length measures 35 7/8 inches and his wingspan is just over 83 inches.
"(Rubelt) is an outstanding athlete for a man his size," Baumgardner wrote. "He ran a 4.99 40 (1.79 10-yard split) and posted a 32-inch vertical. Rubelt moves like an athletic basketball player, even if leverage is a natural issue. He's definitely worth a look."
While All-Pro offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs provides the Bucs with one locked down side of the offensive line, his counterpart has been a rotating door over the past few seasons.
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Enter Rubelt, who's size alone makes him an intriguing prospect.
BucsRoundtable's Joe Smeltzer described Rubelt as "mammoth," highlighting that he only began playing football in Germany at the age of 13 before coming to the U.S. as a foreign exchange student.
At Central Florida, Rubelt started at left tackle for 10 of his 11 appearances last season, anchoring a Knights offensive line that excelled in the run game during his time there.
Current Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey frequently found himself running through big gaps made by Rubelt and the rest of the trenchmen, establishing the 2024 UCF squad as the fifth-best rushing attack nationally (248.1 yards per game).
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Rubelt is also a high-IQ player, earning three AAC All-Academic Team nods and one All-Big 12 Team designation.
Tampa has had success with undrafted offensive linemen in the past, with the most recent being Benjamin Chukwuma.
Chukwuma played in five games for Tampa Bay last season, notching 151 offensive snaps. In his 89 pass-blocking reps, he allowed just six total pressures and one sack.
While his role was limited, Chukwuma showed promise, utilizing his 6-foot-6, 310-pound frame to protect the quarterback.
Chukwuma recorded a 62.5 Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade, which ranks higher than established members of Tampa's offensive line, like Ben Bredeson (53.7) and former first-round pick Graham Barton (61).
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Like Chukwuma, Rubelt has size that can't be taught or replicated. With some work on his technique and agility, Rubelt could end up being a rotational piece for the Bucs offense to utilize.
At minimum, Rubelt should see goal-line action, lining up as an extra blocker in heavy packages.
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