5 best players the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face in 2020

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs, opponent of the Buccaneers (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs, opponent of the Buccaneers (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /
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Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints, opponent of the Buccaneers (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints, opponent of the Buccaneers (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

Michael Thomas

Bucs fans won’t be happy to see Michael Thomas on this list, but his stats in 2019 and setting the NFL record for receptions in a season has to be recognized.

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Thomas is not the flashiest receiver in the NFL. Other players may be faster or bigger, but Thomas has some of the best hands in the entire league and can make a big play out of a non-assuming route.

Tampa Bay has become very familiar with Thomas over the years and having to face off with him twice a season has to be a prospect that keeps Todd Bowles up at night. In just two games against the Bucs last season, Thomas posted 296 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 19 receptions.

Again, Thomas may not be well-liked by the fanbase, but his 2019 season was one of the best seasons by a wide receiver ever, and that may be a tough pill to swallow.

The secondary for the Buccaneers has made strides in the right direction, but this will still be a difficult matchup in 2020. Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean, and Sean Murphy-Bunting, as well as the rest of the secondary, will undoubtedly be doing everything in their power to keep Thomas from breaking his own record this year.