Buccaneers UDFA Turning Heads At OTAs

Buccaneers UDFA Turning Heads At OTAs originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had one of the worst defenses in the league last season. A big part of that was a secondary that struggled mightily to do basic functions of their job.

That is why Tampa Bay moved swiftly to try and stop some of those concerns this offseason. Two of the team’s first three draft selections came on the defensive side of the ball.

They also brought in a highly-touted UDFA to the franchise – Colorado safety Shilo Sanders. The son of Hall-of-Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, Shilo has turned heads at Tampa Bay OTAs. …

So much so that an All-Pro star in the secondary is giving him props.

“He plays hard, he works hard,” Winfield Jr. said. “He really wants to learn and improve his game, so that’s something that you really admire from someone coming in who wants to learn and actually play this game.”

Sanders has picked off one pass during his career in the college ranks. He joins a team and coaching staff that has been able to develop quality players across the board – particularly in the secondary.

He is, according to his famous father, “built for this” … for the attention and the pressure and the sport itself.

But it’s one thing for a proud dad to think that.

It is another thing to get praise from a stud like Winfield. … who also had a dad who played at a high level in the NFL.

If Sanders can continue to play at a high level once the pads come on, it’s clear that the Buccaneers may be willing to get him on the field earlier than anticipated. And he might just end up being a quality starter after all in the NFL ranks.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.

Buccaneers UDFA Turning Heads At OTAs

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