UNC Football: Kyler McMichael signs with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Former UNC football defensive back Kyler McMichael has signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.

Similar to teammate Jeremiah Gemmel, it didn’t take long for Kyler McMichael to sign with an NFL team after the draft concluded.

The former UNC football standout has agreed to a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent. He’ll look to compete for a spot in new head coach Todd Bowles’ secondary.

After beginning his collegiate career at Clemson, McMichael elected to transfer to North Carolina. Over his two seasons with the program, the Atlanta, Georgia native recorded 44 tackles, seven pass breakups, and hauled in one interception.

McMichael was used in a starter’s role at times but transitioned to a reserve role during the 2021 season when standout Storm Duck returned from injury. Throughout the draft process, the former was expected to be a priority free agent signing, as Lance Zierlein of NFL.com believes he has some areas to improve on as he takes the step to the next level.

"Perimeter cornerback with good size but a below-average athletic profile that shows up too often on tape. McMichael’s strength in press and as a tackler works in his favor but everything in between could be a problem for NFL evaluators. He doesn’t play with the anticipation to match route breaks and is missing the quick twitch to recover quickly when he gets behind. The size and tackling could have teams projecting McMichael as a safety convert."

Fortunately, McMichael lands in a great spot, as Bowles is regarded as one of the top defensive-minded coaches in the entire sport. He’ll have the opportunity to learn while competing with one of the best overall rosters in the entire NFL.

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