There is no team which has set itself up better, at the wide receiver position, than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
One can try and argue otherwise, but if we're talking from top to bottom on the depth chart, it doesn't get any better than Tampa Bay.
Of course, drafting Emeka Egbuka in the first round is a large reason why this is true. But, the Buccaneers have done a phenomenal job adding young talent in this room over the past few years. This year, Egbuka is only part of the equation.
NFL Media's Gennaro Filice recently went through each team, highlighting his favorite picks and a sleeper for all 32 clubs. When it came to the Bucs, his sleeper happened to be Tampa's seventh-round selection, Tez Johnson out of Oregon.
The Buccaneers could have stolen one of the draft's best late-round gems in Tez Johnson
"If the draft occurred immediately following the Senior Bowl, Johnson would have been the first receiver selected," Filice wrote. "OK, that’s a gross exaggeration, but the Oregon product earned rave reviews as the most uncoverable player in Mobile, putting cornerbacks in a blender in 1-on-1 drills."
The craziest part about the Bucs drafting Johnson is the fact that, as talented as he may be, Johnson might never see the field. Ahead of him are, of course, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan and Egbuka. Trey Palmer is still hanging around, too.
At the very least, if Johnson has a strong showing over the summer, he could be a factor on special teams or in certain drawn-up scenarios on offense. But, the Bucs won't need him for a while, it seems.
He'll have the luxury of learning and growing alongside players like Evans and Godwin, which is huge for a player like him who dropped so far in the draft. After a strong Senior Bowl, Johnson didn't exactly impress at the Combine, which is a big reason he fell.
Now, he gets a fresh slate as a rookie. He has immense talent ahead of him, therefore his road to getting snaps is a difficult one. But, if he's patient enough and works harder than ever before, Johnson could end up having a role in a couple of years. Either that, or he impresses so much that the Bucs get more value in return via trade at some point.
Regardless, snagging Johnson in the seventh round looks like a major win. He's been a high-volume target throughout college and is used to having a large role. He's capable. Now, it's about proving himself again as a late-round pick.
