The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ rookie minicamp will feature a few familiar names this spring — and one in particular brings a strong connection to one of the NFL’s most respected head coaches. A young wide receiver with Pittsburgh Steelers bloodlines is getting his shot to carve out his own NFL future.
Mike Tomlin’s Son Gets NFL Opportunity With Tampa Bay Buccaneers
That player is Dino Tomlin, the son of longtime Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. He’s no Shedeur Sanders, son of Deion. Still, Tomlin will take part in Tampa Bay’s rookie minicamp, hoping to impress coaches and executives enough to earn a roster spot or a longer look this offseason.
In other news, sources tell me Dino Tomlin will participate in Rookie Mini Camp with Tampa Bay.@WTAE
— Ashley Liotus (@AshleyLiotus) April 28, 2025
Tomlin’s path to the NFL hasn’t been a traditional one. He opened his college career at Maryland before transferring to Boston College ahead of the 2022 season. His best year with the Eagles came in 2023, when he posted 24 receptions for 312 yards and two starts across 13 games. Though his 2024 production dipped, finishing with three catches for 40 yards in 10 appearances, Tomlin remained on the radar thanks to his strong athletic profile.
At Boston College’s pro day, Tomlin turned heads with a 4.45-second 40-yard dash, a 38-inch vertical leap, and a broad jump measuring 10 feet, 6 inches, according to Nick Farabaugh of PennLive. Checking in at 5-foot-11 and 183 pounds, he showed NFL-level speed and explosion, giving himself a chance to catch on as a depth piece or special teams contributor.
Cracking the Buccaneers’ roster won’t be easy. Tampa Bay boasts one of the more stable receiving corps in the league, with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillan locked in as starters. The team also used its first-round pick on Ohio State standout Emeka Egbuka, adding more competition to an already crowded position group. Tomlin will be competing for limited spots alongside a wave of undrafted rookies and young veterans.
There’s also a bit of symmetry in Tomlin potentially landing in Tampa Bay. Before becoming one of the longest-tenured coaches in the NFL, Mike Tomlin made his mark as a defensive backs coach with the Buccaneers from 2001 to 2005, helping the team win Super Bowl 37. Now, two decades later, his son has the chance to build his own NFL story under the same franchise banner.
Even if Tomlin doesn’t stick with the Buccaneers, a strong rookie minicamp showing could open the door to future opportunities with other teams looking for speed and depth at wide receiver.
The Steelers aren’t a stretch, either. They’re well-known for signing players from their bloodline: Cam Heyward and his younger brother Connor, and T.J. Watt’s older brother, Derek, played in Pittsburgh for a few seasons. In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Steelers made cornerback Joey Porter Jr. their second of seven picks. Most recently, linebacker Carson Bruener became a Steeler. He is the son of former Steelers tight end and current scout Mark Bruener. The team recently signed Eddie Faulkner IV, son of its running backs coach Eddie Faulkner III, to a tryout contract for the rookie minicamp.