TE O.J. Howard
Everyone knew how talented Howard is. The former first-round selection was bound to become one of the best tight ends in the league, but it happened sooner than anyone could have predicted.
Tampa Bay still has veteran Cameron Brate on the roster and it looked like the duo would continue to split the role as starting tight end. However, Howard emerged quickly and dominated the snap count, proving to be the true starter.
Howard ranks as one of the premier tight ends on the stat sheet. On the year, Howard has racked up 28 catches, 472 yards, and five touchdowns.
Despite his success in small windows in the red zone, Howard’s 16.9 yards per catch number makes him more of a deep threat than safety blanket. His speed over the middle makes him a tough cover for linebackers, and his strength allows him to bounce off of safeties for long gains.
He still has room to improve, but Howard is trending towards becoming the Buccaneers greatest weapon.