Raw Rookie Catches Bucs Attention
August 31st, 2025
Bucs T Benjamin Chukwuma.
One guy Joe has written little about is a guy who is really new to football, not just the NFL.
Through training camp and too often in preseason, the Bucs’ backup offensive line stunk. Despite that, the Bucs may have found a hidden gem in tackle Benjamin Chukwuma.
The Georgia State product was new to football in high school. He was born in Nigeria and moved to the United States at age 17. Football was as foreign to him as Texas brisket and key lime pie.
The 6-6, 310 man was a basketball and soccer player as a kid and did play football until his senior year of high school.
Somehow, he wound up at Georgia State and was a walk-on with the football team his junior season. Chukwuma played in 10 games, all off the bench in 2023. In 2024, he started 11 games. But the Bucs apparently saw something in him to sign him as an undrafted free agent.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles noted early this summer that Chukwuma, at times, looks like he’s never played football. Other times, he looks pretty talented.
“I think when he learns it – and he can learn – he’s going to be a very tough player and a very good football player,” Bowles said. “When he does it right, there’s nothing prettier to watch.”
Joe loves the guy’s attitude. He seems like he likes contact.
“It’s amazing being in the trenches,” Chukwuma said after preseason. “Putting your face in someone and trying to drive them down the field is amazing.
“Doing things like that just fires me up because I love competition, I just want to show you that I’m stronger than you, that I can move you.”
Former NFL offensive lineman Brian Baldinger of NFL Network, while studying Bucs tape, had Chukwuma catch his eye. Baldinger referred to Chukwuma as a “natural.”
Given Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht’s knack for finding offensive linemen, this Chukwuma is interesting. The fact he made the 53-man roster suggests the Bucs clearly think they have something.
.@Buccaneers @GeorgiaStateFB Benjamin Chukwuma made the "53" as an UDFA with 1 year of experience playing at any level of football. He is like Robert Redford in "the Natural" @wyche89 #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/NNPE9TKRey
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) August 29, 2025
August 31st, 2025 at 12:18 am
Great story. Rooting for the young man!
August 31st, 2025 at 12:24 am
Will take him
August 31st, 2025 at 12:35 am
Some are saying that’s why Goedke hasn’t been extended.
If you can get a starting RT as an UDFA, that’s phenomenal.
Swing tackle at the least.
August 31st, 2025 at 12:37 am
This gives Aqualung The Warms. After Pornstache gets Baker maimed, might as well put this dude in for the experience because the season is over at that point.
Awesome medical team the Bucs have.
August 31st, 2025 at 12:39 am
Certainly looked like he has decent feet. Big man that can move and stay low will always play. A year of practicing with the big boys and hopefully looking at next years swing tackle if not a 20 million dollar save and our starting RT. Not at all advocating for letting Goedeke walk, especially if we are chasing a SB but if Chukwuma can play, who knows.
August 31st, 2025 at 12:55 am
That’s great to see. Watching that game live I was watching the other tackle, who was normally Luke Haggard, who mostly looked awful and got beat a bunch of times. I should have been watching the other side of the line.
August 31st, 2025 at 1:17 am
I was watching Chukwuma a good bit in the game and came away from it saying exactly what Baldy did – dude looks like a natural out there – despite his severe lack of experience playing football….
If Heck struggles even a little – I wouldn’t hesitate to put Chukwuma out there – for at least a few snaps or on an alternating series basis to see if he’s an upgrade…. which he just might be….
Green as grass and he already looks legit. That deserves some live snap development while Whirfs is unavailable if you ask me.
August 31st, 2025 at 2:22 am
Another gem find by Jason and staff…..awesome. Might even be a starter at LT soon if Heck has issues.
August 31st, 2025 at 5:06 am
Thank you for the story on another hidden gem that the Bucs got. Hadn’t heard a lot about him and he could have went unnoticed. Another win from Jason. Rooting for Benjamin!
August 31st, 2025 at 6:11 am
I noticed he was lined up at left tackle.
August 31st, 2025 at 6:15 am
He’s probably better then Heck right now, and should start him at Atlanta.
August 31st, 2025 at 6:36 am
Hat’s off to Jason, again! That dude can find diamonds in the rough for the offensive line.
August 31st, 2025 at 6:41 am
love his videos
August 31st, 2025 at 6:54 am
Love BaldysBreakdowns.
JL does it again. Chukwuma looks solid. To be honest, I thought I read somewhere he was a guard/Center.
Am I correct that we have 3 UDFA that have made the 53 squad? Really impressive, especially to make the cut on a team that has SB aspirations.
August 31st, 2025 at 7:09 am
Hats off to Chuk! Depth chart has him backing up The Glass Eater.
The back story is incredible! We have guys he beat out who have played OT in the NFL, 4 years in college, and a full high school career. Wow!
I gotta give Carberry and Brian Picucci credit as well. Great job guys!
Go Bucs!
August 31st, 2025 at 7:12 am
BTW Ya gotta love Baldinger!
August 31st, 2025 at 7:18 am
Every year after the draft I pick an UDFA to make the final 53. This year it was my guy Chuk. When one of those dudes make the final roster it just fell like manna feel from heaven.
August 31st, 2025 at 7:18 am
Not sure I am accurate in this, but I do count 3 UDFA that made the 53:
* Chukwuma
* John Bullock, ILB
* Josh Williams, RB
Super impressive. Nice job to JL for finding them and to Todd and his staff for developing them. That is how you build a perennial contender.
August 31st, 2025 at 8:02 am
Baldy is a not so closeted Buc fan, of all the talking heads out there it feels like he goes out of his way(kinda) to cover us and it’s most always positive.
Big respect not just for Licht, but for our entire scouting team. Just imagine how many players those guys sift through to find guys like Chukwama, Izien, Tucker, Bullock and Nick Jackson to give an opportunity to play. Chukwama is going to be out in-house swing tackle if everything goes well imo, and it’s kind of cool they started him out as a LT, raise that value on him.
August 31st, 2025 at 8:27 am
Another diamond in the rough pick by JL? Time will tell.
August 31st, 2025 at 8:36 am
Demar Dotson 2.0?
I’ll take it.
August 31st, 2025 at 8:37 am
There’s something to be said for athleticism with that kind of size. Most casual fans don’t realize that these big guys that are playing tackle, many of them lack athleticism, they are big and strong but lack a level of athleticism that is required to compete consistently against an elite pass rush. Charlie Heck is a great example of a guy who has incredible pedigree, went to a big school, has intellect and is huge, should have been a first-round pick, and yet it’s that athleticism part he lacks that stemmed his draft stock and/or limited what he’s done in his career thus far.
Chukwuma grew up playing soccer and basketball. His footwork was probably already there for coaches, it’s the hands/arms positioning that he needed to get worked on. I don’t think this kid is going anywhere. It took a few years to get Dot starting at RT, I hope this kid advances sooner than that.
August 31st, 2025 at 9:09 am
If Goedeke gets another concussion Chuckwuma will come in very handy.
August 31st, 2025 at 10:17 am
@Joe: have you posted all Bucs “Baldys Breakdowns” (as they came out) or are there still more out there?
August 31st, 2025 at 10:23 am
Hope this guy hits the weight room and builds up his upper body strength. Very confident with his soccer and basketball that he has exceptional footwork. Nice to see him make something of his opportunity.
Too bad Desmond Watson wasted his. From the day he was signed as an UDFA, he should have been working on a weight loss program to lose 70-80 lbs. Had he done so he might have had a future in pro football. No team wants the liability associated with killing this guy in practice drills.
August 31st, 2025 at 12:49 pm
Agreed Pickgrin. I got 0 faith in Heck and this kid could be a better option by week 2 or 3.
August 31st, 2025 at 3:58 pm
Jason … ‘Demar Dotson 2.0? I’ll take it.’
I’m surprised no one else made that connection Jason. Dotson only played 1 year of college football (as a defensive lineman). Bucs signed him as a UDFA in 2009 & converted him to OLine. He gave us 130 games in 10 years, so not that shabby. Would love for Chukwuma to follow along the same lines, but not if it costs us Luke Goedeke. He’s turned out to be an awesome RT (in the mold of Ryan Jensen as an OLineman?) & I’d love to see us re-sign him for 3-4 more years.
September 1st, 2025 at 6:43 am
hmm DR nailed it. Perhaps get Dot to come in and give the kid some pointers.
Most impressed with Dot starting out at DL and switching and making a decent OT. That ain’t easy. Dot was a basketball player as well.
BTW His son has made some news… 6’6″ 300 lbs High schooler. LOL keep an eye out Jason!
Go Bucs!
September 1st, 2025 at 9:46 am
Well if your going to learn football from the ground up GEORGIA HS has really top tier training . Plus the GEORGIA State staff is a good one. Kudos to the BUCS for the insight, not only developing talent but if he pans out imagine the loyalty to TAMPA BAY.