The Bucs made several roster moves on Thursday as they continue to add depth. After it was reported that Tampa Bay will be adding cornerbacks Chase Lucas and Kemon Hall, they will be adding another defensive tackle to the mix.
Fox Sports’ Greg Auman shared after those moves that defensive tackle Haggai Ndubuisi will be signing with the team following a workout.
Haggai Ndubuisi did not take the traditional path to making the NFL.
Ndubuisi, who was born and raised in Nigeria, did not learn about the sport until he was 18 years old. He discovered it on YouTube and began practicing what he saw, even though it was something foreign to him.
Ndubuisi would go on to be discovered in 2021 after joining the UpRise Academy in Ghana. The academy, founded by former NFL player Osi Umenyiora and former professional basketball player Ejike Ugboaja, kickstarted his path to America.
He then spent time training and attended an NFL camp in London, during which he was invited to the International Player Pathway Program. From there, he has bounced around. He spent time with the Cardinals in 2022 as an offensive lineman, before joining the Broncos in 2023 and switching sides.
Bucs DT Haggai Ndubuisi – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Kyle Terada
He went on to start 2024 with the San Antonio Brahmas of the UFL, before spending the rest of his year packing his bags and going around the country. Ndubuisi had brief stints with the Commanders and Patriots, before rejoining the Commanders in 2025.
After his time in Washington was up, he spent the year developing on the Texans’ practice squad. Ndubuisi played in Houston’s Week 14 matchup, marking his only NFL action so far. He played four defensive snaps and three special teams snaps, recording one tackle.
Patriots QB Drake Maye and Bucs DT Haggai Ndubuisi – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Peter Casey
Listed at 6-foot-6 and 298 pounds, he is unique not only in terms of his background but his build. With the Bucs keeping offensive tackle Lorenz Metz as the team’s International Pathway Program player in 2024 and 2025, they had an open slot after Metz signed with the Patriots this offseason. With that designation, Ndubuisi would not count against the team’s roster or the 16-man practice squad.
That would be his “path” to making what is becoming a crowded defensive line depth chart.
Bucs Defensive Tackle Depth Chart Continues To Grow
Heading into the offseason, it was expected that the Bucs would draft a defensive tackle, potentially in the first couple of rounds. Now, that looks less certain with the moves the team had made. So far, Tampa Bay has signed veterans A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches, who join Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey, and Elijah Roberts as players who are projected to make the 53-man roster.
In addition to those five defensive tackle options, the team also has Jayson Jones, Elijah Simmons, and Nash Hutmacher who were all on the practice squad in 2025. Haggai Ndubuisi will factor in and compete with this tier of talent, and the possibility remains that the team drafts another developmental piece or brings in an undrafted free agent. Thursday’s signings add some intriguing depth, with Ndubuisi being the most intriguing as someone with a chance to carve out a role in his latest NFL stop.