The Athletic: OT Rubelt Is Buccaneers' Best UDFA Signing

The Athletic: OT Rubelt Is Buccaneers' Best UDFA Signing

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.

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.

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 running back 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).