Bucs Set to Give NFL Shot to Son of a Super Bowl-Winning Coach

The 2025 NFL Draft is in the books, but one of the most fascinating parts of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offseason is just getting started. Every year, the floodgates open for undrafted free agents — the NFL’s unofficial “secret round” — and teams try to land the next Kurt Warner, Wes Welker, or Antonio Gates before someone else beats them to it. As Yahoo Sports points out, “The history of undrafted players who’ve succeeded in the NFL is actually quite lengthy,” and there’s no shortage of talent still waiting for a shot.

The upcoming rookie minicamps serve as a comprehensive introduction to NFL life, encompassing meetings, walkthroughs, practices, and evaluations, all compressed into a few intense days.One of the names to watch this spring is Dino Tomlin. The Boston College receiver — and son of longtime Steelers coach Mike Tomlin — will take part in the Bucs’ rookie minicamp in May, according to WTAE in Pittsburgh. For a guy like Tomlin, it’s a foot in the door — and the first step toward a bigger opportunity.

Dino Tomlin Hopes to Break Through in a Crowded Bucs Receiver Room

Tomlin’s timing is interesting, because Tampa’s receiver depth chart is getting a serious makeover. Mike Evans is back for another run, and Chris Godwin is still dangerous underneath, but after that, things get dicey. Tomlin hopes to use minicamp to showcase what he did with BC, as shown in this social media post.

The Bucs used a third-round pick in last year’s draft on Jalen McMillan, a smooth route-runner out of Washington who slipped a bit in the draft after battling a knee injury during his final college season.

Trey Palmer had some flashes as a rookie but didn’t exactly lock down a starting job. Deven Thompkins, another former undrafted free agent, carved out a role on special teams but faces a battle to stick. There’s a real shot here for someone like Tomlin to grab a back-end roster spot if he can flash early — but he’ll have to earn it.