Bucs Draft Tyler Johnson In Round 5
April 25th, 2020
Everyone said 2020 is a loaded draft class for wide receivers, and the Bucs went off the high diving board and landed their guy midway through Round 5.
The newest Buccaneer is Tyler Johnson, a four-year player at Minnesota who caught 86 balls for 1,318 yards and 13 touchdowns last year. His numbers were similar in 2018.
Johnson (6-1, 206) is widely considered a great receiver and battler for the ball who is below standard when it comes to NFL speed and explosiveness.
He passed on the Shrine Bowl, and then later passed on performing at the NFL Scouting Combine, preferring to put all his eggs in the Minnesota Pro Day basket that never happened.
Joe suspects Johnson represents solid value at this spot. He’s experienced and well coached coming from the Minnesota program of former 49ers receiver and Bucs receivers coach P.J. Fleck.
Johnson is not a returner, but he certainly is an excellent talent to compete with Scotty Miller and Justin Watson.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:03 pm
looks good
April 25th, 2020 at 3:03 pm
College productivity is important.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:04 pm
Love the pick. Needed depth/upgrade at WR3. Great way to take advantage of the depth of this WR class and hitting on a 5th round pick. Even bigger after not having any 4th round picks.
Im a big fan of this draft class so far. Still hoping they add somebody on the DL tho.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:06 pm
Kicker
April 25th, 2020 at 3:06 pm
DT, G/C, Edge
And I’m lighting my Cigar!!!
Go Bucs
April 25th, 2020 at 3:08 pm
Young man has a hell of a highlight reel. I think the Bucs will grab a WR burner before it’s over.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:09 pm
I think he set a few career records in Minnesota.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:11 pm
https://youtu.be/MG0X5lCpQoQ
After you watch his highlight video I think everyone should be fine with this pick has good hands, decent speed, and will be a good possession wide receiver kind reminds me of a poor mans chris Godwin with some of the catches he made to go with his size but he’s a really solid pick he easily could of gone at the end of the 3rd and definitely should of went in the 4th so getting him in round 5 is good value as well
April 25th, 2020 at 3:11 pm
Last time Tyler played at Raymond James, he had 204 yards and 2 td’s against Auburn.
I think (not sure) the corner playing him on Auburn was Noah Igbinoghene who was drafted in the 1st round by the New York Jets
April 25th, 2020 at 3:11 pm
He was a monster at the Outback Bowl. MVP.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50w15Az09ps
April 25th, 2020 at 3:15 pm
Thanks, Geno. Maybe a steal.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:16 pm
New slot guy? Seems like he has some skills.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:17 pm
Here is a quote from Fleck that I placed earlier….
“Tyler Johnson is one of the best football players in the country, period,” Fleck said. “One of the best wide receivers in the country, period. He has been nothing but awesome for me. He has been nothing but awesome for this entire program, the state of Minnesota, the city of Minneapolis and north Minneapolis. I mean, everything he’s done when he’s walked in, he’s changed. He’s a change agent.”
April 25th, 2020 at 3:17 pm
Hearing from people in Minnesota I talk to and they’re mad that Vikings didn’t take him – so that makes me happy. Said he’s a good WR, can take over games, but he’s a bit on the slow side (by NFL standards) and he will drop a lot of passes. After seeing Evans fix his issues with drops, I can live with someone being able to fix that. But speed… speed is an issue. Then again Evans isn’t a speed guy, is rarely truly “open” yet is one of the top average yards per reception guys in the NFL year after year. Speed isn’t everything, it’s can you get open enough to catch the ball. Watching some various highlight videos, he a makes a ton of contested catches, so that is good – and he played some good teams as well.
So as a 5th, seems very solid, nothing at all to dislike. The Bucs have nothing at WR past Evans and Godwin, so this kid might get to play early if he’s any good.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:18 pm
TB’s hands man… check down
April 25th, 2020 at 3:18 pm
Nice nugget Geno. Weapons for Brady. 🙂
April 25th, 2020 at 3:19 pm
I am leaning toward an outstanding draft by the Bucs. All quality picks for positions of need. Star power does not equate to success in NFL. Solid, coach able metrics count more with me. 5’ 9” safety dumped on by many. Did you forget 5’ 10” Ronde Barber? Every guy picked plays with heart AND skills. It’s a winning draft. Let’s play football!
April 25th, 2020 at 3:19 pm
Spot on analysis, Joe. Good value. Will compete with Miller & Watson.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:19 pm
Pretty good draft so far. Go Bucs.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:20 pm
King of the North! Great pick.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:21 pm
Speed is less of an issue when you have a QB/Brady that can get the ball to you in the route on time. If he runs tight routes then he will shine.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:21 pm
Good pick. Thought we might have gone Quez Watkins for speed but I like it.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:22 pm
Guess Scotty Miller is our burner
April 25th, 2020 at 3:23 pm
@ Joe, do you think you can draft better than Jason?
April 25th, 2020 at 3:26 pm
As Donut said with a QB that can get you the ball, TJ will be covered by #3 and 4 DB’s. He is a 5th rounder not a 2 or 3. This is great value pick.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:26 pm
Nptbuc – Someone pointed out that Earl Thomas is only 5′ 10″ 200lbs, so this guy being 5′ 9″ 203lbs shouldn’t hold him back if he’s as good as people say. The national media loved the picked – and I’m with Joe, the more I read on him and watch highlights, the more I liked him. Plus, everything I read, said he should be a day 1 starter. Well the Bucs happen to need a starting safety, so that’s a great fix. Hopefully he’s as good as advertised, but he seems like a really safe bet.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:26 pm
“Why didnt we trade for Matt Brieda for only a 5th round?
Fastest RB in the NFL
Would have been perfect for Brady on the screen,”
Kobe Faker
April 25th, 2020 at 3:27 pm
Johnson is quicker than fast. Would be great out of the slot. He reminds me of Adam Humphries only 3 or 4 inches taller.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:29 pm
donuts – Actually I’d contend speed is less of an issue when you have a QB who throws the ball and lets you battle for it regardless of if you’re actually “open” or not. One thing that worries me a bit about Evans is that he just catches the ball, he doesn’t need to be open, you just feed him the ball, he catches it regardless of coverage. If Brady sits back and waits for Evans to be open, then humm… That’s not to say Mike doesn’t get open, he does plenty of times, but he’s a superstar because he doesn’t need to be open – which also requires a QB who isn’t afraid to throw him the ball. I think they’ll figure it out.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:30 pm
He seems to perform better when he is in a physical game getting dirty. Sounds like he could be a good slot receiver to me! Might be our best 5th round pick since Matt Gay
April 25th, 2020 at 3:31 pm
I watched Minnesota a few times last season. This kid is a good football player. I’m surprised he was there in the 5th round. If the 3rd round RB works out, this may be a pretty darn good draft.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:32 pm
Good Pick-up I watched his highlights and he looks like he could fit in well at the slot. Still not too crazy about Vaughn but I guess we will see how it pans out.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:35 pm
geno711 Says:
April 25th, 2020 at 3:11 pm
Last time Tyler played at Raymond James, he had 204 yards and 2 td’s against Auburn.
I think (not sure) the corner playing him on Auburn was Noah Igbinoghene who was drafted in the 1st round by the New York Jets.
Just watched the video link that @Bucamania supplied after my comment. It appears that Noah Igbinoghene only had coverage responsibility on him 1 time during the video highlights. The last highlight does show Igbinoghene missing an open field tackle though on Johnson.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:40 pm
“Mike Evan’s cant create separation on horizontal pass routes
HOWEVER
No reciever in the NFL has instant “vertical separation” than MEME. the corner can be at his hip but at 6’5″, Evan’s create a huge length of separation at the height of the catch point
When MEME goes deep on the go route, he is minimum 4 feet of vertical separation though the corner is running side by side”
Kobe Faker
April 25th, 2020 at 3:47 pm
Kobe – Yeah, I didn’t mean every play, I just meant he catches a ton of contested balls, his ability to do that is what makes him special. Plus corners already know the refs aren’t calling anything, so he’s not only catching contested balls, they’re generally with guys literally hanging on him before the ball gets there. He’s a special guy – but special in a good way.
April 25th, 2020 at 3:48 pm
Tyler f***in Johnson
April 25th, 2020 at 3:59 pm
WATCHED the kid @ the OUTBACK BOWL… he made 1 of the best 1 handed catches Ive ever seen! Was also considered the best slot receiver in college last year by some!!!!!
April 25th, 2020 at 4:06 pm
My guess is he’s a lot better than Kenny Bell.
April 25th, 2020 at 4:12 pm
“MEME is a 1 trick pony
But he is the best at the go route
MEME is wide open every play going down the sideline
Huge vertical window
6’5” basketball player vs a 6′ corner
April 25th, 2020 at 4:17 pm
“MEME is a 1 trick pony
But he is the best at the go route
MEME is wide open every play going down the sideline
Huge vertical window
6’5″ basketball player vs a 6′ corner
HOWEVER
He is a terrible route runner and cant YAC. He is prone for ints on all his other pass routes”
Kobe Faker
April 25th, 2020 at 4:31 pm
Nice pick! He wasnt even on my radar…. now we have decent WR #3 depth.
April 25th, 2020 at 4:54 pm
Absolulely happy with this pick. We needed a #3 WR that could come in and be productive, and he fits the bill as one of the best slot WR’s available in this draft.
April 25th, 2020 at 5:59 pm
That photo is probably a flag, no?
April 25th, 2020 at 11:23 pm
if this guy is needed as our #3…
brady will make him into our #3…
that’s just brady being brady