Bucs 2022 training camp preview: Tight End

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into the 2022 NFL season with sky-high expectations for the third straight year, following back-to-back playoff appearances, their first NFC South title in more than a decade, and their second Super Bowl victory.

As the Bucs prepare for this year’s training camp, we’re taking an in-depth look at each position group.

Here’s how things look at tight end for Tampa Bay heading into this season:

Depth Chart

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84 | Cameron Brate

8 | Kyle Rudolph

88 | Cade Otton

86 | Codey McElroy

41 | Ko Kieft

82 | JJ Howland

89 | Ben Beise

State of the Position

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Barring a last-minute change of heart from Rob Gronkowski that seems more unlikely every time he’s asked, the Bucs will have to live without the future first-ballot Hall of Famer this season. O.J. Howard also left in free agency, leaving the Bucs extremely thin at the position.

The Bucs saw this coming, though, which is why they spent two picks in the 2022 NFL draft on tight ends, Cade Otton and Ko Kieft. They also just signed veteran free agent Kyle Rudolph to a one-year deal, giving them another veteran to pair with longtime stalwart Cameron Brate.

There’s some established experience with this group, as well as some promising youth, but there’s just no replacing perhaps the best player to ever play the position. Gronkowski’s ability to dominate as both a blocker and a pass-catcher will be sorely missed.

Position Battles

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Rudolph, Brate and Otton are locks to make the final roster, so the question will be whether or not the Bucs are able to carry a fourth tight end. Kieft is a blocking specialist who could be a huge asset in terms of replacing Gronk’s impact on the ground game, so Tampa Bay might look to go thinner at another position in order to keep the Minnesota product on the active roster.

It’ll also be interesting to see how the roles are distributed between Rudolph and Brate. While Rudolph has a more complete skill set, Brate has way more experience in the offense, as well as with Brady.

Final Roster Projection

(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Cameron Brate

Kyle Rudolph

Cade Otton

Ko Kieft

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