Todd Bowles Seems To Like Devin Culp
August 3rd, 2025
On Todd Bowles’ radar.
Yeah, the Bucs have an absolutely loaded wide receivers room. The tight end room isn’t exactly a bunch of slugs.
While the Bucs may not have a star tight end, they’ve got four solid guys. At worst, Cade Otton is an average tight end. Payne Durham has an interesting skillset that Chucky likes. Dude has to be a little better securing passes.
Ko Kieft is a strong blocker. And then there is Devin Culp.
Joe has typed many times that Culp has the highest ceiling of all the Bucs tight ends. He’s big, he’s fast and he can stretch the field like a receiver.
With Otton sidelined with a hamstring issue, Culp has been getting a ton of targets in training camp and for the most part has shown he can handle a bigger workload.
Culp apparently has done enough to please the eyes of Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
“He’s probably the most athletic [tight end],” Bowles said. “He’s the fastest one, for sure. I think [the end of last season] did a lot for his confidence and our confidence in him going forward.”
Culp didn’t really do anything until late last season when he made a few big catches on balls down the field. Culp averaged just under 18 yards a catch. Not bad for a rookie tight end.
“Obviously, I’d still like to see him block and pick up the scheme and do certain things as far as motioning and blocking defensive ends and that type of thing,” Bowles said. “As a receiver, he came on last year. It got a lot done for his confidence and I think that’ll help him out going into this year.”
The thing about the Bucs tight ends is versatility. Otton is just solid no matter what he is asked to do. Durham is huge and can block, and can go up and get passes with his wingspan. Then there is Culp, who in some ways is more of a receiver.
Last week Bowles suggested that the way the Bucs’ offense is set up, with defenses clearly having to account for the receivers and backs on, it opens the door for the tight end to do some damage.
August 3rd, 2025 at 3:31 am
6-3, 230lbs running a 4.47 and a 35′ vertical makes for all kinds of possibilities for a creative coach.
August 3rd, 2025 at 5:23 am
“…I’d still like to see him block and pick up the scheme and do certain things as far as motioning and blocking defensive ends and that type of thing.”
It sounds like he is struggling with the playbook and/or identifying the defense he’s facing.
August 3rd, 2025 at 5:29 am
Todd Bowles … ‘“Obviously, I’d still like to see him block and pick up the scheme and do certain things as far as motioning and blocking defensive ends and that type of thing’.
I love what Culp brings to our offense, but agree with you Joe that in some ways he’s ‘more of a receiver than a tight end’. I think he’s huge (and fast) for a receiver, but light for a TE (6’4″ & 237 lbs is very close to Mike Evans’ size).
However, I thought what Bowles said about him was interesting. To get on the field on this team, offense or defense, you’ve gotta be ‘well-rounded’ (able to catch, run, block, etc). Sounds from TB’s comment that Culp has a lot more growing to do in the blocking and ‘picking up the scheme’ aspects. Once that happens, we’ve got another beast.
August 3rd, 2025 at 5:37 am
Joe … Just noticed a fascinating photo on today’s JBF under the ‘Hot Stories’ section (associated with article ‘Jamel Dean Thinks Bucs Are Better Than Super Bowl Team’).
In that photo, Baker is running with the ball looking like a studly RB, facing the reader. What jumped out at me though is that his hand doesn’t look to be on the ball (it’s being held next to his body by his left forearm). Got me wondering if his fumbles are more the result of Baker not securing the ball properly as opposed to him not being strong enough to keep it from being punched out by determined defenders.
August 3rd, 2025 at 5:58 am
With Culp’s speed if you catch him open down the seam in stride against several defenses he’s gone. Especially against Cover-2 types.
We should play him a lot more on obvious passing downs at least and see how he does.
August 3rd, 2025 at 6:42 am
Todd Bowles likes Devin Culp…Lt. Dan too.
August 3rd, 2025 at 8:20 am
I’ve wondered for a while why our tight end room gets so little attention. Otton is better than average. He does everything well and has proven to be a dependable and clutch go to guy. I agree that Culp is a wide receiver/tight end. He has some Mike Evans traits and being on the same team as Mike seems like it’s helping his improvement trajectory. Durham is solid and like Otton fits the mold of a standard tight end. “He has skill sets that Chucky likes”. That is good enough for me. I see Kieft as the fullback/lineman tight end. He reminds me of the old school fullbacks. I see him as an optional backfield puzzle piece while Wirfs is out. This Tight end room is good enough to run three tight end sets once in a while. Adding more tight end playing time to the offence means bigger bodies hitting the other guys more often, keeping our already superior running backs and wide receivers fresher, and making it harder for opposing defenses to keep up with us. I agree Culp needs to continue to improve on blocking but so does Bucky. While I’m on blocking, not many applaud White for his good to great blocking???? Let’s leverage players strengths and talk about them!!! I believe Culp is in the perfect spot to become an Evans like force. If we fully leverage our tight end room our offense gets even scarier. I’m thinking Todd likes Culp, the entire tight end room, and the depth of skill sets.
August 3rd, 2025 at 9:10 am
I’d say prep him as wr for Evans departure. He has the height, leap, n exceptional speed to fill that void for Evans.
August 3rd, 2025 at 9:27 am
The Buc’s Offense is set for several seasons! Depth at all skill positions.
August 3rd, 2025 at 9:28 am
I like the above idea of Culp as Evans understudy. This year I just want to see him (and Tucker) involved more, taking advantage of mismatches and plays when they are the #1 option.
August 3rd, 2025 at 9:32 am
FAST !
August 3rd, 2025 at 9:50 am
@joe. – you commented Durham needs to secure the ball more. I don’t remember a “ game” drop in his 2 years of targets. I don’t think we have used him enough in the red zone. I also think Ko in short yardage situations could be used. Hoping we use Culp more in passing situations too.
August 3rd, 2025 at 10:02 am
I don’t believe Devin Culp is a NFL TE.
He’s too small, too light not strong enough
He’s better suited as a Hybrid WR/TE,
First of all, he have to improve his blocking
Those are some of the reasons he fell in the draft to the 7th round
August 3rd, 2025 at 10:23 am
Don’t need him to be some superior blocker, just be enough to chip and release or put a hat on a hat in the run game. We can use Culp to play off Otton/Durham sort of like the Ravens do with Andrews being the TE1, but Likely as TE2 is plug n play in the pass game.
August 3rd, 2025 at 10:42 am
Todd said, “ Obviously, I’d still like to see him block and pick up the scheme and do certain things as far as motioning and blocking defensive ends and that type of thing.”
Great. Coach him up hard!!! What’s happening with coaching to make him better?
Meanwhile, play to his strengths!
August 3rd, 2025 at 1:48 pm
@LakelandBuc
That’s probably how they’d use him. I think that’s how he was at Washington.
August 3rd, 2025 at 4:11 pm
Aqualung Says:
August 3rd, 2025 at 10:42 am “Great. Coach him up hard!!! What’s happening with coaching to make him better?”
Famu_Rattler Says: That is right Aqualung and others. Buc Coaches must be reading our post. Because we JBF’s have been saying all alone. Coach Culp up and use him the same as we use ME13, scheme him to be one-on-ones with a LB in the seam, scheme him as the primary in 3 TE sets. With all the new coaches reassignment that TB has brought on this year, seem like some fresh thought are being listened to. Now hopefully these reassignment will focus on letting our “Dawgs Out” on D. So, after each Sack this year we can play “WHO LET THE DAWGS OUT” over the stadium surround sound. Let the coaches take this to the house. “WHO LET THE DAWGS OUT”
Hasson, let the Dawgs Out,
YaYa, Let the Dawgs Out,
David, Let the Dawgs Out,
Vea, Let the Dawgs Out,
Braswell, Let the Dawgs Out,
Nelson, Let the Dawgs Out
Sir Vocea Dennis, Let the Dawgs Out
Kancey, Let the Dawgs Out
Larry Foote, Let the Dawgs Out,
Charlie Strong, Let the Dawgs Out,
Bucs are going to be Dawgs this year. Go Bucs.
August 3rd, 2025 at 5:45 pm
I’d rather see him bulk up and get more tenacious over trying to make him more like Mike Evans. Evans is a HOF candidate because his route running and receiving skills are super rare at that size. Highly doubtful that can be coached into someone!
Kieft is not a good tight end or fullback, from what I can tell. He can’t catch or run with the ball. Maybe he’s very good blocking or on special teams, but he’s not a skill position guy.
August 3rd, 2025 at 8:11 pm
And absolute mismatch in the slot. Too big for a LB, too fast for a safety to cover. He can be a real threat if we scheme him properly