Scouting Bucs’ Formal Visits: WR

With the NFL Mix within the rearview mirror, we at Pewter Report have you ever coated on which prospects the Bucs have spoken to. Over the subsequent two weeks, I’m going to offer you, the reader, with transient scouting stories on the gamers the crew had formal visits with. In the present day, we’ll begin with vast receivers.

Jack Bech – TCU

TCU WR Jack Bech – Picture by: USA In the present day

Peak – 6’1.5

Weight – 214

Arm Size – 31.5″

40 – N/A

Vert – 34.5″

Broad – 10’05

3-cone – 6.84

Brief shuttle – 4.21

Profession Stats (through PFF) – 200 targets, 133 catches, 66.5% catch price, 1,869 yards, 14.1 yds/rec, 13 TD, 5.5 YAC/rec, 1.86 yds/rr

Watching Bech, I couldn’t assist however get Chris Godwin vibes. The 2 have comparable physique builds. Each gamers clock in at simply an inch over 6 ft, and Bech weighs simply 5 extra kilos than Godwin did at his mix. But it surely goes past the physique sort. Bech’s greatest traits are his palms and skill to make tough catches in visitors.

Sturdy palms and performs properly by way of contact. Finds holes in zones. Sturdy character. Virtually equivalent builds.

I’m going to lose it if Bech exams equally to CG. pic.twitter.com/BSTPPBS4rv

His profession contested catch price is a powerful 61.8%, with a few of his most spectacular catches occurring over the center by way of contact. Bech’s 1.6% drop price in 2024 was third-best amongst all qualifying receivers on this draft class. Bech’s velocity isn’t particular, however he’s a nuanced route runner who creates separation throughout two planes and has a knack for locating the holes in zone protection and presenting himself to his quarterback.

Bech pairs his sturdy palms with good physique management, permitting him to create yards after catch by lowering the standard of contact from defenders. This has led to a profession 30% missed sort out compelled price. Bech has inside/outdoors versatility, spending most of his faculty profession within the slot. However this previous 12 months, Bech moved outdoors over 70% of the time and had his greatest season.

Bech has a pro-ready play fashion that might elevate the Bucs’ receiver room and supply a long-term alternative for the way Godwin wins and elevates the Bucs’ offense. One of the essential components of how Tampa Bay scouts gamers is scouting the individual. Bech has proven unbelievable fortitude, coping with the loss of life of his brother earlier this 12 months and has acquired famend reward for his character. Bech is at present listed as a top-70 participant based on public consensus boards, which means if the Bucs have been excited about him, they might seemingly must take him within the second spherical.

Matthew Golden – Texas

Texas WR Matthew Golden Picture by: USA In the present day

Peak – 5’11

Weight – 191

Arm Size – 30.625″

40 – 4.30

Vert – N/A

Broad – N/A

3-cone – N/A

Brief shuttle – N/A

Profession Stats – 202 targets, 135 catches, 66.8% catch price, 1,990 yards, 14.7 yds/rec, 22 TD, 5.6 YAC/rec, 1.85 yds/rr

Golden is productive in any respect ranges of the sector, working properly on the stem of his path to create sufficient house to present him a very good alternative to make a catch. He does his greatest work as a deep menace down the sector. Over 26% of his targets final 12 months have been of 20+ air yards and he had a 59% catch price, 33.7 yards per catch and 4 touchdowns on these targets.

Golden’s calling card is his skill to maneuver into any position that an offense would ask of him. He’s sturdy sufficient, with above-average physique contortion, to play the X, has sufficient wiggle to play the Z and his nuanced route operating make him a very good choice for two-way go’s out of the slot.

Golden’s greatest recreation in 2024 was in opposition to the best stage of competitors, securing eight of 12 targets for 162 yards in opposition to Georgia within the SEC Championship Sport.

Matthew Golden #texaslonghorns

– Detailed double-move– Weight drop into 3-step break– Takes one step again to QB to finish arrange of double transfer– Excessive level with DB at chest– Embraces the autumn#NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/dsdvK31eXe

Golden is at present seen as the most effective receiver prospects on this 12 months’s draft, extensively thought of as a doable late-first spherical decide.

Tez Johnson – Oregon

Former Oregon WR Tez Johnson Picture by: USA In the present day

Peak – 5’9.875

Weight – 154

Arm Size – 29.375″

40 – 4.51

Vert – 37″

Broad – 10’11

3-cone – 6.65

Brief shuttle -4.15

Profession Stats – 402 targets, 307 catches, 76.4% catch price, 3,859 yards, 12.6 yds/rec, 28 TD, 7.9 YAC/rec, 2.85 yds/rr

Watch Johnson play and you’ll swear he’s a lot larger than his 5-foot-9, 154-pound body. His actions are extra explosive than clean. He’s sturdy out and in of his cuts and on the catchpoint. His lack of dimension and mass works in opposition to him, however he makes up for it with tenacity working by way of contact. Johnson’s velocity sneaks up on safeties and permits him to get behind the protection.

He does his greatest work after the catch, the place his actions are sudden, violent and slippery. His 604 yards after the catch have been third on this draft class, and his 7.4 YAC/catch ranked fourth. Johnson is extremely harmful in house and as such, he’s at his greatest when an offense can design manufactured touches for him. Making use of this to the Bucs makes for some fascinating hypotheticals the place the crew builds off of its glorious display screen recreation final 12 months with him in thoughts.

He’s role-limited although as a slot or snap-move receiver. He struggles to beat press protection and can battle in any sort of outdoor position. And his drop price of 6.7% is larger than you desire to for a receiver with a profession 7.1 adot (common depth of goal).

Johnson requires an outlined position inside a artistic offense, however the Bucs ought to function such a system, making for an attractive hypothetical addition in Tampa Bay to a receiver room that doesn’t have a confirmed choice with that skillset.

Yearly, I remind myself to not fall for receivers in Tez Johnson’s mould, however I can’t assist it. I’m intrigued. Pace kills. pic.twitter.com/tUhHmy6uaF

Johnson is at present seen as a late day two decide.

Tai Felton – Maryland

Maryland WR Tai Felton Picture by: USA In the present day

Peak – 6’1.125

Weight – 183

Arm Size – 30″

40 – 4.38

Vert – 39.5″

Broad – 10’10

3-cone – N/A

Brief shuttle – N/A

Profession Stats – 264 targets, 172 catches, 65.1% catch price, 2,211 yards, 11.7 yds/rec, 17 TD, 6.2 YAC/rec, 1.86 yds/rr

Felton is an fascinating prospect who would in all probability be getting extra buzz if not for a Week 5 harm that he performed by way of for the remainder of the season. He was probably the most productive receivers in all of faculty soccer by way of the primary 4 weeks of the season, averaging 10.25 catches, 150 yards, 1.25 touchdowns and 4.31 yards per route run.

After that time, Felton’s catch price dropped 14%, his yards per catch dropped by 5.2 and his yards per route run dropped by 2.8. However scouting the pre-injury Felton makes me suppose there is a chance to discover a receiver with larger upside than his draft inventory would have you ever consider. That’s not dissimilar to how the Bucs have been in a position to draft Jalen McMillan within the third spherical of the 2024 NFL Draft.

He has extra burst than lengthy velocity, creating room early within the route. That is evidenced by the monitoring knowledge gleaned from the Senior Bowl, the place he led all receivers in attendance in acceleration. He pairs that explosive decrease half energy with spectacular contact stability to make defenders miss after the catch whereas creating extra yards.

Felton is extra of a linear athlete and struggles operating routes that ask him to win after the route stem. He provides too many steps to comebacks and rounds his routes on digs, however is at his greatest on slants, curls, posts and go/fades. This makes him lower than best for a slot position, however he ought to work properly as a fringe menace. His ball monitoring is average-at-best, and he struggles to play by way of contact, which limits his upside. However he can develop right into a strong WR3 if he can regain his pre-injury explosiveness.

Maryland’s Tai Felton is the definition of a sequence mover. His stop-start skill exhibits up as each a route runner and together with his YAC.

Felton was third within the nation in first down receptions final season (57). pic.twitter.com/OSajf26Psy

Felton is at present seen as a late third/early 4th spherical expertise.

Jaylin Lane – Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech WR Jaylin Lane Picture by: USA In the present day

Peak – 5’10.5

Weight – 194

Arm Size – 29.5″

40 – 4.39

Vert – 41.5″

Broad – 11’02

3-cone – N/A

Brief shuttle – N/A 

Profession Stats – 294 targets, 203 catches, 69.0% catch price, 2,540 yards, 12.5 yds/rec, 18 TD, 8.1 YAC/rec, 2.01 yds/rr

Lane is an after-catch creator in the identical vein as Tez Johnson, with significantly much less manufacturing. He’s extra of a slot-only choice, as he lacks power and dimension essential to win in opposition to massive and robust corners on the perimeter. He’s a quick-twitch athlete with spectacular footspeed that spins him up rapidly.

He works greatest when he’s getting fast touches that permit him speed up rapidly to create yards after the catch. However his YAC-ability is extra focused on his spectacular wind up and fewer on account of his lateral cuts/strikes. Lane is a restricted route runner who exaggerates his false strikes. However one space the place he can match into the Bucs offense properly is as a defense-stretcher who can get on prime of safeties rapidly. That was a top quality missing from the Bucs’ offense final 12 months.

Lane additionally offers particular groups worth as a returner. He has a profession 10.6 yards per punt return common together with two profession punt return touchdowns.

#Hokies #NFLDraft

Jaylin Lane within the open discipline. pic.twitter.com/9OlAkskxl8

Lane is at present projected to be a late day-three decide.

My present draft board options these receivers within the following tiers:

Tier 2 – Jack Bech

Tier 3 – Matthew Golden

Tier 6 – Tai Felton

Tier 7 – Tez Johnson, Jaylin Lane