Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Three backups not getting talked about enough

Tyler Johnson – WR

A big receiver at 6-feet-1-inch and 206 pounds, Tyler Johnson’s above-average frame is a tough matchup for most NFL corners. ide receivers, and players in the NFL in general, don’t make their money off of measurements though. If they did, then we would all just accept the Combine and have no reason to play the actual game.

What sets Johnson apart from others are his hands, which is a pretty good skill to excel at when playing wide receiver. A lot of the strength in the big-bodied Johnson is in his hands. He showed in 2020 that his hands are exceptional, especially when it comes to making the tough catch.

During the divisional round against the division rival New Orleans Saints, with the score tied at 20 with just under 14 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Johnson hauled in a Brady pass to convert a 3rd and 11 that left Joe Buck and Troy Aikman in awe. Buck went so far as to say it was “one of the best catches you’ll ever see!”

Now granted, Johnson may have had only had 12 catches for 169 yards and two touchdowns in 2020, but with this kind of raw athleticism and body control by someone as young as him, he can only go up skill-wise. Of course, Brady helps too.

Simply put, the sky is the limit for Johnson. While all of the talk is surrounding the receivers ahead of him on the depth chart in the crowded Buccaneers receivers room, we need to make sure they remember the name, Tyler Johnson, because he has the potential to be the next breakout star. It may not happen overnight, but his journey should continue in 2020.