Did Bucs GM’s Son Make the Call on Tez Johnson Pick?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made one of the most curious picks of the 2025 NFL Draft, nabbing Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson with the 235th overall selection. A late-round flier? Sure. But what raised eyebrows wasn’t the name—it was who may have influenced the decision.

While general manager Jason Licht has earned a reputation for draft-day savvy, this time he may have deferred to a more unconventional source: his son. That’s right—young Theo Licht reportedly lobbied hard for Johnson, who just so happened to be his favorite player in the class.

As Mike Luciano of The Pewter Plank puts it: “Perhaps the Johnson pick could be a referendum on how well-equipped Theo is to follow in his father’s footsteps.”

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Johnson’s selection isn’t just some tale of nepotism. He has real juice. The 5-foot-10, 154-pound speedster put up over 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns during two explosive years with the Ducks after transferring from Troy. His tape screams shiftiness and short-area burst, although his frame might as well come with a “handle with care” label.

Had Johnson carried 25 more pounds, he might’ve been a Day 2 lock. Instead, he enters the league as a statistical anomaly—perhaps the lightest player in modern NFL history to hear his name called. That’s a tough sell, even for a receiver room that already added Emeka Egbuka in Round 1.

Still, the Bucs now own the odd distinction of drafting both the draft’s lightest player in Johnson and its heaviest in 400-pound DT Desmond Watson. If nothing else, Tampa’s 2025 class will be remembered for its extremes.

In a league increasingly driven by algorithms, bloodlines, and vibes, Johnson’s path to the roster will depend less on who believed in him—and more on whether his legs can hold up against NFL punishment. If Theo’s right, the Bucs just got a steal. If not, it’s a story Licht might be telling at Thanksgiving for years.