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About the Author: Joshua Queipo

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Josh Queipo joined the Pewter Report team in 2022, specializing in salary cap analysis and film study. In addition to his official role with the website and podcast, he has an unofficial role as the Pewter Report team’s beaming light of positivity and jokes. A staunch proponent of the forward pass, he is a father to two amazing children and loves sushi, brisket, steak and bacon, though the order changes depending on the day. He graduated from the University of South Florida in 2008 with a degree in finance.
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The Bucs took a chance on the smallest player in the NFL Draft when they drafted Tez Johnson in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft. At just 5-foot-10, 154 pounds, the former Oregon Duck may lack for size, but he does not lack for talent.

That was evident with his dominant performance at the Senior Bowl where Johnson was just about unguardable in Mobile, Ala.

Bucs Rb Bucky Irving And Oregon Wr Tez Johnson

Bucs RB Bucky Irving and Oregon WR Tez Johnson Photo by: USA Today

Measurables

Tez Johnson’s physical profile is an outlier for sure. If he makes Tampa Bay’s 53-man roster, he will be the lightest player in the league. But there is some hope in a few of his closest comparables. Mockdraftables lists the closest profiles on each player’s page and a few of the names that show up as close to Johnson are NFL wide receivers Josh Downs, Marquise Brown, Zay Flowers and Calvin Austin III.

The Bucs have publicly compared him to Rams receiver Tutu Atwell, who is similarly small.

Typically at his size, speed has to be Johnson’s calling card. But it isn’t.

Bucs Wr Tez Johnson

Bucs WR Tez Johnson – Photo by: USA Today

Johnson’s 4.51 40-yard dash had some evaluators worried that his speed just wasn’t enough of a weapon to overcome his size profile. Yet 40-yard times are but one data point in evaluating a player’s true athleticism.

At the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL, Johnson was clocked at 20.64 MPH and 4.75 yds/sec^2 acceleration. Out of 103 receivers tracked since 2018, those measurements rank 22nd and 56th overall among that group. Incorporating his deceleration score he ranked in the 81st percentile within that group. This dovetails well with Johnson’s Relative Athletic Score from Kent Lee Platte.

And while Brown and Atwell have predicated their games on their long speed as field-stretchers, Johnson wins in different ways. More on that later.

Advanced Metrics

Tez Johnson has posted impressive yards/route run in each of his last four seasons. That metric is a nice composite that incorporates how often a receiver is targeted, pointing to how often he gets open, how reliable he is at catching the ball, how deep he is when targeted and what he does after the catch. Johnson’s yds/rr marks and rank among qualifying FBS receivers over the past four years are:

2024 – 2.60 – 18th
2023 – 3.45 – 4th
2022 – 3.52 – 1st
2021 – 2.27 – t-58th

His average depth of target in 2024 5.9, down a bit from his 2023 mark of 7.6 when he had Bo Nix as his quarterback, and his career average of 7.1. But his after-the-catch production is impressive, averaging 7.9 yards after the catch and forcing a missed tackle on almost a quarter of his catches.

When Tez Johnson Wins

Tez Johnson is at his best in the short-to-intermediate area of the field. Almost 80% of his career targets were at a depth of 10 yards or less, with 28% coming behind the line of scrimmage. This is where he can weaponize his lateral agility and his quick stop-start traits. That’s where you can see his agility and explosive drills on display on the field.

Given space to work, Johnson has the field vision and movement skills to take quick hitters and turn them into explosive plays.

His adjustment from receiver to runner is fantastic.

The Bucs have not had a receiver with that behind the line of scrimmage, manufactured touch high-end skillset. Chris Godwin can hit singles and doubles in that game. Bucky Irving and Rachaad White have given the offense those home runs from the running back position. Last year there was hope Kameron Johnson could fill that role. But he was oft-injured and Tez Johnson represents a hedge to ensure the team finds that skillset.

He’s a smart receiver who has a feel for coverages and a knack for finding space in zone. Johnson works well in an option-route heavy system that relies on smart decision making and a strong connection between quarterback and receiver. In these situations, Johnson leverages his quick-twitch nature to make aggressive in and out cuts.

When Tez Johnson Struggles

Tez Johnson has an impressive catch rate, but inconsistency can plague some of those catch attempts. There are some highlight reel plays like the one just above. But there are lapses that lead to unnecessary drops.

He has a career drop rate of 6.7% but that number has improved in recent years as his average depth of target has come down. Part of that drop rate can be attributed to his shorter arms and slighter frame. When he isn’t able to create separation and he is put into catch-on-collision situations he isn’t reliable. In 27 contested catch opportunities between Troy and Oregon, he only caught 10.

What’s The Vision?

The Bucs have a limited number of roster spots for wide receivers. Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan and Emeka Egbuka are all locks to make the roster. The team carried six receivers on its active roster last year. If they follow suit this year there are two spots left for a group that includes both Tez and Kam Johnson, Trey Palmer, Rakim Jarrett and Sterling Shepard.

Bucs Wr Tez Johnson

Bucs WR Tez Johnson Photo by: USA Today

Johnson may have an inside track on one of those spots because he possesses two unique skillsets. It’s obvious the team is hoping to find a dynamic manufactured touch player. Johnson will be competing with Kam Johnson to see if either can provide that after-catch playmaking. He also has 55 career punt returns, averaging 9.5 yards per return and a touchdown.

His best path to a roster spot is some combination of winning the punt return job or beating Kam Johnson out as the manufactured touch/after catch option.

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