In soccer, a slant route is constructed on timing and precision. The receiver doesn’t waste movement – he breaks sharply throughout the sector into open area earlier than the protection can react. It’s easy in design, however separation is created via execution.
That very same strategy defines my weekly Saturday Bucs column, Slivon’s Slant.
Every week from now till coaching camp, I’ll have a look inside a unique Bucs place group. The objective is to chop via the floor to seek out the clearest path in evaluating this roster because it takes form. Then, as soon as the season begins, the column will proceed providing totally different angles for breaking down and discussing the crew. Final week, this column debuted by trying on the quarterback and working again positions.
Now, it’s on to the huge receivers.
Inside The Bucs Large Receiver Room
Trusted Goal: Chris Godwin Jr.
The 2026 season marks the primary time Chris Godwin Jr. doesn’t have Mike Evans as a teammate, making the 30-year-old wideout the brand new veteran chief of the Bucs huge receiver room. The previous two seasons have been attempting instances for Godwin as he appears to be like to place accidents behind him. He was on observe for a career-year in 2024, with 50 receptions for 576 yards and 5 touchdowns in seven video games earlier than struggling a dislocated ankle. Though he returned early final season, a fibula harm shortly derailed his comeback.
That restricted his effectiveness, however he’s primed to be at full well being for his tenth NFL season.
Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Godwin now not has to play sidekick; he can get again to being the high-volume goal to open up the Bucs offense.
For him to have endurance in Tampa Bay, bouncing again is crucial with a number of younger huge receivers ready within the wings behind him. That’s the place issues get difficult, contemplating that Godwin has one yr left on his three-year, $66 million deal after this season with no assured cash.
The way forward for the room is in good palms with Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, Ted Hurst, and Tez Johnson, so there’s the likelihood “CG” will get phased out. To keep away from that from taking place, the one factor he can management is balling out and being Baker Mayfield’s trusted goal once more.
There may be optimism Robinson can unlock that model of Godwin once more. Robinson will definitely draw inspiration from how Liam Coen utilized Godwin throughout his scorching begin in 2024. Because the slot receiver, one can anticipate him to be a constant chain-mover. Glimpses of his earlier stage of play revealed themselves late within the yr, similar to his three-catch, 78-yard sport in Week 13, or his seven-catch, 108-yard day in Week 17. That’s nonetheless in there, however how a lot it’s on show is the looming query that can decide his destiny.
Future Fixture: Emeka Egbuka
With the best way Emeka Egbuka opened final season, he appeared like a celebrity within the making. By way of his first 5 video games, Egbuka totaled 25 catches for 445 yards and 5 touchdowns. Issues wouldn’t go as swimmingly for him or the offense the remainder of the best way, as over the past eight video games of the season, he exceeded 42 yards simply as soon as with zero touchdowns. That value Egbuka a shot at NFL Offensive Rookie of the Yr as he completed with 938 yards, simply lacking the 1,000-yard mark. Having each highs and lows to attract from, it ought to make the proficient first-round choose a greater participant and a extra prominently featured goal.
Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
There is no such thing as a denying Egbuka’s expertise and flexibility. Shouldering the load at instances was loads to ask from him as a rookie, however he won’t be anticipated to do this as a lot with a wholesome and deep solid of weapons across the 6-foot-1, 205-pound goal. Egbuka is as level-headed as they arrive, displaying uncommon maturity from a 23-year-old. His expertise are simply as superior, with polished route working paired with the power to win deep on the skin. Whereas some development is required, particularly in creating constant separation, he can very properly emerge because the No. 1 receiver in 2026 and past.
How Egbuka responds to what transpired final season will say loads about his trajectory and ceiling. Zac Robinson is happy to place the items collectively, with the expectation that he finds extra inventive methods to contain huge receivers than what Josh Grizzard was in a position to do. The preliminary response to the Bucs drafting Egbuka was one in every of shock and shock. He has the power to do the identical together with his efficiency and provides the fan base a sigh of reduction by constructing on his rookie yr and proving to be the star of the present.
Third-Yr Takeoff: Jalen McMillan
Jalen McMillan entered 2025 eagerly seeking to choose up the place he left off from his rookie season. After occurring a tear on the finish of 2024 with seven touchdowns over the past 5 video games, the offense hoped for “JMac” to construct on that and proceed his breakout. That failed to come back to go after McMillan suffered a scary neck harm throughout a preseason sport in opposition to the Steelers. After that, the one hope was that he would be capable to play once more, regardless of how lengthy his restoration can be. Thankfully, he returned in Week 15 displaying the identical flashes which have him set to take off.
Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
It’s straightforward to see McMillan surpass exterior expectations given his playstyle and strengths. He has a robust capacity to win in opposition to man and zone protection, having appeared extra explosive towards the top of final season. That could be a credit score to the work he put in all through final offseason and through his prolonged restoration course of. Whereas the huge receiver room is arguably the deepest on the crew, the expectation is that everybody goes to get part of the goal share. That may come via ball distribution and utilizing 11 personnel units.
With that in thoughts, anticipate to see extra McMillan than ever. He’ll significantly push Chris Godwin Jr. and Emeka Egbuka and could possibly be the No. 1 for intervals the place he has the new hand. In the case of who could possibly be the X-Issue of the group, McMillan is the title I’d guess on.
Uncooked Rookie: Ted Hurst
Whereas the aforementioned trio will obtain a lot of the beginning taking part in time, Ted Hurst shouldn’t be forgotten about. Apart from being the Bucs’ third-round choose, Hurst possesses a uncommon mixture of dimension and velocity. At 6-foot-4 and clocking a 4.42 40-yard time, he’s finest suited to fill the X huge receiver function on the skin. This provides the 21-year-old a singular path to carving out taking part in time whereas concurrently not being anticipated to hold the load and log a ton of snaps.
Bucs WR Ted Hurst – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
As an alternative, Hurst has an opportunity to observe and study as Zac Robinson develops packages and a plan to get him on the sector and get the ball in his palms. He’s a home-run menace, as famous by former NFL huge receiver Steve Smith Sr. Expectations ought to be tempered for what he can do instantly, given the soar in competitors from his days at Georgia State. Nonetheless, he might be greater than only a area of interest participant. Hurst shall be somebody to observe over the subsequent couple of months to see if he hits the bottom working. That may make issues much more fascinating and solely add to the issue Robinson has divvying up one soccer.
Shifty Sparkplug: Tez Johnson
On condition that he stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 160 kilos, Tez Johnson makes essentially the most of his whole body. Regardless of being a seventh-round choose final yr, Johnson proved to be well worth the funding as he got here up with essential catches and performed a bigger than anticipated function on offense. All informed, he recorded 28 receptions for 322 yards and 5 touchdowns. With each huge receiver earlier than him on the depth chart succumbing to harm at one level or one other, Johnson stepped up and began half of the video games he performed in. If the room couldn’t get any deeper, having him is a luxurious, but in addition a aggressive benefit.
Bucs WR Tez Johnson – Photograph by: IMAGN Photographs
His skillset and construct are much like his good good friend Bucky Irving, who was his school teammate at Oregon. Johnson is shifty and elusive, making him a robust candidate to be a return specialist. Given his receiving (and backflipping) talents, he profiles as a gadget participant who will certainly be given a chosen workload. That could be a credit score to how helpful Johnson might be, as he ought to see the soccer greater than another fifth huge receiver within the league.
Camp Rivals: Kameron Johnson, David Sills V, Garrett Greene, Eric Rivers Jr.
Tez Johnson might grow to be the Bucs’ return specialist this season, however Kameron Johnson may have each probability to stay in that function. It is without doubt one of the extra under-the-radar camp competitions, however the latter Johnson was very succesful filling that spot final season. He averaged a strong 11.2 yards per punt return and 25.4 yards per kick return, which included a number of returns the place he broke free and was near working again. That offers him worth and an inside observe to be the sixth huge receiver.
Bucs WR David Sills V – Photograph by: Nathan Ray Seebeck – IMAGN Photographs
That spot initiatives to be the toughest earned throughout the 53-man roster, with David Sills V one other title to know. Sills, an offseason signing, comes over from the Falcons after following Zac Robinson to Tampa Bay. He has good dimension at 6-foot-3 and 211 kilos and put collectively his finest season with 18 catches for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Having seen restricted particular groups work, it’s unlikely he makes the crew barring harm and profiles as a standby follow squad participant. That can be anticipated to be the case for Garrett Greene and Eric Rivers Jr.
A number of sources within the group appreciated what they noticed from Greene over the course of final season as he transitioned to the place. He has the power to be a returner with sufficient polish catching passes to function depth. Rivers was an undrafted free agent signing who stands out for his 4.33 velocity. He exploded at FIU in 2024 earlier than transferring to Georgia Tech and having a productive comply with up in 2025. It’s laborious to think about he makes the crew, however his traits and potential are intriguing sufficient to stay round and proceed creating.
Closing Slant
The Bucs are loaded at huge receiver coming into this season. That’s not unwarranted hype, however moderately an acknowledgement of all of the younger promising expertise on the place. The group is led by a veteran and former crew captain who shall be hungry to bounce again and return to type. There are three huge receivers who very properly might function No. 1 choices, with the room being as deep as any within the NFL.
It will likely be the toughest room to pare down throughout last roster cuts, however that could be a credit score to how the room has been constructed in recent times. Most groups can be in full panic mode with a expertise like Mike Evans strolling out the door. Evans is gone, however the Bucs usually are not rebuilding at huge receiver – they’re evolving.
