When Tez Johnson had the ball in his hands at Oregon, he was electrifying. He may be slight of frame, but he was explosive as all get-out. Johnson was originally on the receiving end of passes from his adopted brother Bo Nix in Eugene, but he flourished even more so with Dillon Gabriel rifling him the pigskin. A bad NFL combine contributed massively to Johnson almost going completely undrafted.
He ended up going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round. This felt like an odd fit at the time, mostly because the Buccaneers are loaded in the receiving corps. Mainstays like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are still there, but that did not stop Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht from somewhat reaching on Emeka Egbuka out of Ohio State in the first round. So why take Johnson then?
Well, in Scott Reynold's mailbag post for Pewter Report, he touched on the overall likelihood that Johnson will make the team ... as a return specialist. Johnson's ability to field and return punts seems to be an area of great emphasis for the NFC South power of late. This is an area where defensive-minded head coach Todd Bowles' team can improve. It is why Johnson will make the team this season.
He is projected to be the fifth wide receiver to make their roster, clearing the bar if they carried six.
Tez Johnson could make Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of special teams
When you have been on top of a division for as long as the Buccaneers have had a stranglehold over the NFC South, you have to make the little things count. We all know that the Atlanta Falcons, the Carolina Panthers and maybe the New Orleans Saints, but probably not, are all gunning for Tampa Bay. One of the quickest ways to give games away is not being proficient in special teams. It matters.
The good news for the Buccaneers is they seem to be investing heavily in a greatly depreciated stock coming out of Oregon. I had Johnson as a third or fourth-round prospect. For him to fall all the way to the seventh round was quite staggering. By going to a contending team like Tampa Bay, Bowles and company will find creative ways to get the ball in his hands while Johnson looks to build up his body.
Overall, one of the best ways for day-three drafted picks, as well as undrafted players, to make a team is by contributing on special teams. It is a way to gain a new coaching staff's trust, as well as get some much-needed in-game action. If Bowles trusts Johnson to field punts, then he should be allowed to do it for this team. In the end, he drafted him for a reason. It is special teams for now, maybe more?
It may not have been as strange of a draft pick as many pundits initially thought it was for Tampa Bay.