Bucs Rookie Tight End 'Loving This Whole NFL Thing'

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers wanted to expand their offense more in Year 2 with Baker Mayfield. They selected Washington receiver Jalen McMillan, who has a real shot at being the No. 2 receiver. Then they drafted Washington tight end Devin Culp in the seventh round with the No. 246 pick in the draft.

Culp, who is currently the fourth tight end on the depth chart, is enjoying his first NFL training camp.

"I'm loving this whole NFL thing," Culp says. "[The coaches are] trying to highlight each and every one of our strengths in our game. And, you know, obviously, my speed and athleticism [are some] of those things.

“So having those opportunities to be spread out wide and have some one-on-one matchups is really cool because it wasn't something I got to experience a lot in college."

Culp wasn’t a vital part of the Huskies downfield passing game, catching just 16 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns last year. He didn’t grade well at the combine either, but the Bucs felt he was worth the seventh-round pick to get him.

Related: 'Ultimate Blessing!' Bucs Ready for Preseason Opener

"I feel like it's the ultimate blessing and achievement," Culp said about making it to the NFL. "It's taken a lot of hard work, and although it's just a preseason game, it's still suiting up for an NFL game. So, you know, I'm super excited, and I'm super blessed."

Culp is definitely in the right frame of mind and keeping a positive attitude. While he may be a long shot to make the 53-man roster, he has three preseason games to prove he deserves a shot.

The Bucs get their preseason started Saturday night against the Cincinnati Bengals.