The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won a Super Bowl in the last five years and won the NFC South division four times in a row dating back to 2021. Fans take notice of success like that, but so do NFL prospects looking to get drafted — especially if one of those prospects already watched the Bucs going up.
Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman was a consensus All-American in 2024 with the Sooners, netting 109 combined tackles. As it happens, he grew up in Windermere, Florida, 85 miles away from Tampa. As a result, he watched a lot of Buccaneers football as a kid, and he said at the NFL Combine on Wednesday that he hopes to have a formal interview with the Bucs.
“They’ve had a lot of great teams in the past. Right now with Baker Mayfield, that’s an Oklahoma guy. It’s a really exciting time in Tampa Bay.”
Stutsman played football with the Sooners, so of course, he knows all about Tampa Bay signal caller Baker Mayfield. Stutsman attested to Mayfield’s leadership skills and his Oklahoma roots as well.
“When a guy like that’s around, he gets the attention from the crowds. He has a legendary career there, he’s a great man and a great person, so when he’s around you, a lot of guys listen to what he has to say.”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a need at inside linebacker with Lavonte David’s playing status for next year in the air and K.J. Britt likely leaving the team in free agency. Stutsman is currently projected to land outside of Day 1, so if the Buccaneers like Stutsman, they could end up drafting him later after filling needs elsewhere. And if they don’t, Stutsman will have the opportunity to face his former home-state team in the NFL wherever he ends up.
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