The Bucs will be hosting rookie mini-camp on Friday and Saturday as 2025 draft picks, undrafted free agents, and veterans try out looking to prove their worth as they jockey for roles and roster spots this season.
Among them, few will be as intriguing to watch as defensive tackle Eljiah Roberts.
Roberts, Tampa Bay’s fifth-round pick, recently appeared on the Pewter Report Podcast after being drafted by the team. From his perspective, he could not have landed in a better place to make an impact in a variety of ways and just be himself.
Elijah Roberts Thinks Bucs Are “A Perfect Fit” For His Playstyle
The Bucs did their best to acquire good football players in the 2025 NFL Draft.
In Elijah Roberts, they are hoping to have found one.
While Roberts did not get the chance to fully blossom at Miami during the three seasons he was there, transferring to SMU allowed him to put impressive film out there and play his way to the league. As he looks to carve out a place along the Bucs’ defensive line and outside linebacker rooms, he is looking forward to being involved and do what is asked of him.
Bucs DL Elijah Roberts – Photo by: USA Today
“Looking at the defense, I don’t feel like there’s any other team that I could have went to that would have fit me better, you know?” Roberts said. “This is going to be a perfect fit. You got guys like Calijah [Kancey], Yaya [Diaby] on the outside and then you got guys on the inside like Vita Vea, Logan Hall, and stuff like that. There’s going to be some good packages where you can just throw me in there a little bit, have me move around and rush the passer if need be. If you need me to be an every-down guy, I can do that as well.”
If this sounds like a selfless move to put the team first, it’s because Roberts has demonstrated that he is willing to put his body on the line and play inside and outside. During his last year at SMU, the versatile defensive lineman suffered a hand injury that could have kept him out the rest of the season. Instead of sitting on the sideline being content with the year he had, Roberts suited up and finished the year with some of his best performances.
Over the Mustangs’ last three games, the team captain had 4.5 sacks, including two sacks during a season-ending loss in the College Football Playoff to Penn State. That exemplified leadership, but to him, it meant just being himself and supporting his teammates in the trenches when he was needed the most.
He will look to now do the same as a Buccaneer.
Bucs DL Elijah Roberts – Photo by: USA Today
“It meant the world to me,” Roberts said about being named a team captain before the 2024 season. “Up until that point in college, I was never a team captain. I never try to do the most or try to do stuff out of character to try and get that nod as team captain. I was just always being myself. I’m a very supportive guy of my teammates. I’m a high-energy and funny guy, but when it’s time to work, it’s time to work… I think it was two days before the votes happened [for naming captains] or after they were done.
“My D-Line coach called me and was like, ‘Hey E-Rob man, act a little surprised in meetings, but you got the most votes as team captain. I was like, ‘Wow.” He was like, ‘Yeah, it wasn’t even close.” I didn’t feel like I did anything special, I was just being myself and guys love for that. I love them so much for that as well.”
Elijah Roberts Is Hungry To Get Into “Tip-Top” Shape And Transform His Game
What really piqued the Bucs’ interest to draft Elijah Roberts was his athleticism. Although his Relative Athleticism Score (RAS) does not jump off the chart as a defensive end (6.82), it bumps up to near elite status shifting to defensive tackle (9.35).
That would allow Roberts to best display his speed and power, something that allowed him to lead the country with 131 quarterback pressures along with 17.5 sacks over the past two seasons.
“I’ve always kind of been a quicker guy, even when I was younger,” Roberts said. “I’ve always had pretty good speed for my size. Being able to go into the professional level, I can’t wait to see what my body does, how I get my body into tip-top shape, how much faster I can be, and how much [more] powerful I can be. It’s going to be great. Being able to just live in the facility and use up all the resources — the weight room, the training room, the nutrition — and be able to transform my body and transform my game. I can’t wait to see how far along I can come.”
New Bucs DL Elijah Roberts Photo by: USA Today
As Roberts progresses through his first NFL offseason, one storyline will be how much he weighs. His playing weight will determine whether he plays inside or outside more, and he has already been told that he will be moving around.
“At [SMU’s] pro day I weighed in at 292 pounds,” Roberts said. “Since then, I’ve been able to drop a little bit. I think I’m at like 285-286 pounds. I plan on showing up to camp at 285 pounds because I’ve heard so much about how I’m going to be moving up and down the D-line. I’ve heard all about bouncing around the outside [linebacker] room at times if they need me to the defensive line room at times.
“I want to show up around 285 pounds and if they tell me, ‘Hey Elijah, you need to gain five to ten pounds or lose five to ten pounds, I’ll do that. I feel like a good weight for me to be at is 285. With my arm length and my quickness, I’ll still be able to hold up pretty well inside.”
Soon Elijah Roberts will take the field looking to shine during rookie mini-camp. Expect Roberts to showcase why he will be a chess piece and all the ways you can expect him to line up this season.
Watch Bucs DT Elijah Roberts On The Pewter Report Podcast
Bucs defensive tackle Elijah Roberts shared a lot of great insight into his pre-draft process and path to landing with the Bucs on a recent Pewter Report Podcast. If you want to hear Roberts’ full comments on this and more during our 35-minute conversation with him, be sure to check it out below.