Top wide receiver prospect slated to meet with the Buccaneers this week

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have certainly made the wide receiver position a top priority this offseason.

After entering last season with arguably the strongest collection of receivers in the entire league, things didn't end up going quite as expected. As the season went on, a combination of injuries, lackluster performance from key reserves, and unsolicited drama from one of their starters, ultimately turned a strength into a weakness.

As a result, the Buccaneers' "depth" at the wide receiver position proved to be... well, not enough.

So when Bucs' GM, Jason Licht, managed to re-sign fan favorite, and quite possibly the best WR2 in the entire NFL, Chris Godwin, fans in Tampa were understandably ecstatic. Just a few days later, on the heels of Tom Brady declaring his return, the Bucs agreed to terms with UFA wide receiver, Russell Gage, on a 3-year, $30 million dollar deal.

Re-enforcing the team's wide receiver room this offseason was an obvious priority for Jason Licht and his staff. The substantial investments they've made in the position via free agency proves as much.

All things considered, the team will once again enter the season with plenty of depth at receiver. The true quality of that depth though is something that is yet to be determined. Players like Scotty Miller, Tyler Johnson, Jaelon Darden, Brashad Perriman, and Cyril Grayson will all be competing for reps as the third and fourth receivers on the team.

So it looks like Tampa's receiver room is all set for 2022. Time for Bucs fans and NFL media contributors to scratch that position off their draft boards. Right?

Not so fast.

It appears as though one of this year's most talented wide receiver prospects has caught the attention of the Bucs' talent evaluators.

Top 30 draft visits have begun, and #Arkansas WR Treylon Burks is headed to the #Cowboys today and the #Bucs later in the week. In all, one of the top WR prospects will travel 10,109 miles in the next 2 weeks for visits.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 4, 2022

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Treylon Burks has a visit planned with the Buccaneers later this week. Do the Buccaneers actually have legitimate interest in drafting a wide receiver in round 1, or is this just due diligence? I guess we'll find out on April 28th.

Burks is an incredibly promising NFL prospect. He is an impressive physical specimen with a rare combination of size, power, and speed for a wide receiver.

He was the focal point of Arkansas' offense last season, and despite playing against the best defenses the SEC had to offer, he still managed to put together one of the more productive seasons in the country.

To Arkansas' credit, they utilized his skill-set by finding creative ways to get him the ball. Screen passes, jet sweeps, vertical routes - no matter where he lined up, they found a way to get him involved. And Burks' versatility was on full display as a result.

After a somewhat disappointing 40-time at the NFL combine (4.55), Burks opted to run it again at Arkansas' pro-day, where he was unable to improve on his time. As a result, many pundits have questioned his potential as a true game-breaker at the next level.

What these critics are failing to evaluate is twofold: Burks' size and his game speed.

Let's not ignore the fact that Treylon Burks is a 225-pound wide receiver. For reference, he's 35 pounds heavier than Chris Olave. So why are we shocked he isn't running as fast as Chris Olave?

Furthermore, his game speed is just flat-out impressive. Throw on the tape from last season and you'll find some of this year's most talented NFL draft prospects eating his dust when trying to chase him down in the open field. Burks was clocked hitting speeds as high as 22.6 MPH last year. That is more than enough burst to create separation at the NFL level.

Did I mention he's 6'3", 225 pounds?

Once considered an impossibility, it looks like the Buccaneers believe there is at least a chance that Treylon Burks could be available when they're on the clock at #27.

Would Jason Licht really consider using his first-round selection on a wide receiver if that scenario presented itself?

We'll have to wait another twenty-four days before we know for sure. But there's no doubt that Burks would be a dynamic weapon if added to the Buccaneers' already impressive arsenal of wide receivers.

If other NFL GMs are actually sleeping on Treylon Burks, then maybe Jason Licht and the Bucs will just have to wake them all up and draft him themselves.

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