Buccaneers first 2020 NFL Draft mock in month of December

Collin Johnson has fallen heavily in recent mock drafts.

Once considered to be a sure-fire mid to late second round pick, some mock drafts have him falling to the fifth round. Some of that is due to him being injured currently, but I can’t resist drafting him at this spot if he’s still available.

Johnson has all the skills you’d expect from someone who’s 6’6 and plays wide receiver. He’s elite at catching jump balls and gaining position on defenders while trying to catch long balls. Sometimes it’s freaky the way he can effortlessly out-work defenders on a physical level when route running and of course catching deep balls. He’s also a monster on slant plays over the middle and has the ability to completely manhandle defenders in that respect.

The downside is that he’s not a great route-runner. He’s decent at running short routes, but he isn’t very good at beating corner backs with his first step. Because of that, he has the risk of getting smothered at the next level if he’s not running downfield.

Even then, he’s not exceptionally quick either, so most of his touchdowns will have to be balls that he catches in the end zone. He won’t outrun NFL defenders. He’s still due to his exceptional size, and that puts him at a disadvantage when running routes as well.

However, the thought of pairing him with Mike Evans inside the red zone will give opposing defensive coordinators hives. He could a worthy substitute on other plays when resting Evans and Godwin.