Buccaneers 7-round mock draft: Tampa Bay reloads on defense and takes some offensive lottery tickets
By Brad Smith
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Round 7
player. Penn State. 491. Theo Johnson. Tight End. 239. . . Theo Johnson. Theo Johnson
With their final pick in the 2024 draft, Tampa Bay adds another receiving threat to their offense in the form of Johnson, a 6'6", 264-pound tight end out of Penn State. In his fourth season as a Nittany Lion, Johnson has enjoyed a decent Junior season, catching 32 passes for 325 yards and a career-best six touchdowns.
While Johnson has never been the featured player in Penn State's offense, Johnson has still done an excellent job at serving as a safety blanket over the middle of the field for the quarterback. With reliable hands and the size to take body shots and violent hits over the field, Johnson is able to move the chains in the short and intermediate parts of the field.
Originally a WR, Johnson is extremely explosive off the line of scrimmage with exceptional quickness and body control for his size. Coupled a blazing 4.54 40-yard dash, Johnson's prototypical size, length and reliable hands push him into the developmental prospect category as far as tight ends.
Good strength and effort to run through arm tackles.
Because of a lack of exposure as a true No. 1 receiving threat on a team, Johnson will enter in the NFL with a limited route tree. Even so, Johnson is a below-average blocking tight end, often playing too high and getting overpowered at the point of attack. In addition, Johnson simply lacks the bulk strength to lock on and control NFL defensive linemen.
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