Bucs rookie wide receiver Trey Palmer blazed a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis two months ago. That time was the best mark of any receiver at this year’s showcase. A month before that, he put his elite speed on display at the Senior Bowl. And before that, he averaged 14.7 yards per catch during his 2022 season at Nebraska.

But if you ask Palmer, he doesn’t think he’s that fast.

Seriously.

“I will say, I really still don’t think I’m fast,” Palmer said Saturday. “I feel like I can get better and faster, too. So, I really don’t think I’m fast. I really just do what I do, and it’s just all God-given. That’s how I look at it.”

Reminder: Trey Palmer had 10 catches of 30-plus yards in 2022 and led the nation with three touchdown catches of 70-plus yards.

So, if he’s not fast, how can he stretch the field like that? He chalks it up to his technique and fundamentals. And if he’s not fast, then who is? His answer; Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

Yes, Hill ran a 4.29 40-yard dash at the Combine in 2016. “Cheetah” is one of the fastest players in the league, but despite his insistence that he’s not fast, Palmer really isn’t far behind.

Trey Palmer’s Speed Can Make A Difference

Bucs WR Trey Palmer – Photo by: USA Today

The “not-fast” Trey Palmer brings an element of speed to the Bucs’ wide receiving corps that it desperately needs. He may need some refinement in other areas of his game, but there’s no doubt that his quickness can be an asset to Tampa Bay’s offense right off the bat in 2023.

Coming into the NFL after his track speed helped him rack up eye-catching production at Nebraska in 2022 (71 catches for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns), Palmer is ready to contribute however he can. Whether that’s on special teams, at wide receiver or even out of the backfield a la 49ers star Deebo Samuel, he said it he can do it all.

“That’s the versatile aspect of my game that I say I can bring,” he said. “I go anywhere.”

It helps that Palmer lives and breathes football, too. He’s already managed to master the early installs that the Bucs have introduced, which can only speed up his ability to make an impact as a rookie.

“I really have the playbook down right now,” Palmer said. “The first couple installs, I’ve got it down to the T. I know every position, I know concepts, I know it all right now.

“I study every day. Even when I’m just laying in bed. I don’t really do nothing when I get home, I just relax and really just look over the plays. Draw it up, see where I’m at. I’ll turn the playbook off, just give me a list of plays and I’ll write the plays out on the board or something to really just help me memorize it.”

Whether he will admit it or not, Trey Palmer is fast. He’s fast on the football field, and it’s apparent that he’s a fast learner. Both of those things will work in the Bucs’ favor as they look to incorporate the sixth-round pick into their new-look offense.