Buccaneers potential draft targets and best fits: Outside wide receiver

JC Allen breaks down each position group in the draft with potential targets for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL Draft.

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Matthew Golden celebrates a gain in the first quarter as the Texas Longhorns. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The NFL Draft is right around the corner, and the Buccaneers have put themselves in a great position entering draft weekend. They have a few needs, but could they add a new receiver to their already-solid corps?

The Bucs are set at the top of the roster with Mike Evans, Godwin and Jalen McMillan, but behind those three, there are question marks. However, there are even concerns with Evans, Godwin, and McMillan, as all three missed multiple games last season, and Godwin is recovering from a season-ending injury. The team re-signed Shepard and has Trey Palmer, Rakim Jarrett, Kam Johnson and Ryan Miller on the roster, but they have stated their desire to improve the floor of the room.

Head coach Todd Bowles has mentioned multiple times in the offseason his interest in adding a wide receiver in the draft, stating you can never have enough "horses." To back this up, the Bucs met with 17 receivers at the combine, including five formals, and have since brought in three receivers who project to go as early as Round 1 in for official 30 visits. It would be shocking if the Bucs went with a wide receiver in the first round with more perceived needs on the defensive side of the ball, but the team is doing its due diligence at the position.

In this series, we’ll take a look at each position in the draft and the potential prospects they could select in each round. In some rounds, there won’t be any fits due to not having an overwhelming need at the position or no first-round grades on players who could potentially be there at their selection.

Outside Wide Receivers

Rounds 1-2

Matthew Golden, Texas (5'11" / 191 / JR)

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Matthew Golden stiff arms Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Maxwell Hairston. / Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Golden is a burner with game-changing 4.29 speed. He's quick and explosive and possesses inside and outside flexibility, playing bigger than his size. He runs his routes with excellent tempo and has good control over his breaks and cuts. Golden sells his routes with conviction and displays impressive tracking skills. He's strong through the catch point and shows great awareness both as a sideline receiver and as a ball carrier.

Despite that, Golden is not going to make many defenders miss in space, will get stymied by physical defensive backs and doesn't have the functional strength as a blocker. He can clean up his route running, has too many focus drops and will ease up when not a focal point of the play or covered up.

Golden finished his junior season at Texas, reeling in 58 receptions for 987 yards and nine touchdowns. He also provides value as a kick returner with 722 yards and two scores. He had a formal interview with the Bucs, and the team hosted him on an official 30-visit.

Jayden Higgins, Iowa State (6'4" / 214 / SR)

Iowa State Cyclones wide receiver Jayden Higgins catches a pass in front of Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Kyan McDonald. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Higgins is a big, strong, versatile, three-level receiver. He's got incredible ball skills, especially when tracking it in the air, and he uses his massive wingspan to haul in passes. With just seven drops in his career, he displays savvy route running, setting defenders up with shakes and head fakes to create separation. Higgins shows some wiggle after the catch to make the first man miss and knows how to find the soft spots in zone.

However, Higgins doesn't have the long speed to run away from anyone, has a limited route tree and isn't going to rack up yards after the catch. He'll have trouble disengaging from physical corners, will need to improve as a blocker and can be too passive in some contested catch situations.

Higgins finished his senior season with 87 receptions for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns. He had an informal interview with the Bucs at the NFL Combine.

Jack Bech, TCU (6'1" / 214 / SR)

TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Jack Bech is tackled by Oklahoma State Cowboys safety David Kabongo. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Bech brings inside and outside versatility as a big, strong receiver with tremendous ball skills. He's quick off the line with good footwork to work in and out of his breaks, and he's not afraid to get physical at the top of his routes with subtle push-offs and an almost veteran savvy. Bech will make catches with defenders draped over him and knows how to make the first man miss with 17 missed tackles forced. He'll fight to get off press coverage and knows how to find the soft spot in zone coverage.

However, Bech has just average speed and athleticism, can get jammed up and rerouted by physical corners, and is not an effective blocker. He needs to show more nuance to his route running and has just one year of starting experience. He also battled injuries throughout his college career.

He finished his senior season with 62 receptions for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns. He projects better as a slot receiver and had a formal meeting with the Bucs at the NFL Combine.

Tre Harris, Ole Miss (6'2" / 205 / 5SR)

Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Tre Harris makes a catch for a touchdown over Florida Gators defensive back Bryce Thornton. / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Harris is an outside receiver with great size and speed to be a factor deep down the field. He has exceptional ball skills and maintains control of the catch through contact and contested catch situations. He displays good contact balance as a runner to stay on his feet and fend off tacklers. Has elite ball-tracking skills, easily identifies and adjusts his route to find the soft spots in coverage, and gets after it in the blocking game.

On the flip side, Harris will need to refine his route running and expand his route tree. He'll need to improve his release against press coverage, will get caught rounding off his cuts, and his top speed is more build-up than sudden. He needs to use more savvy to create separation, often relying on push-offs and 15 drops, mostly due to not catching with his hands.

Harris finished his final year with the Rebels with 60 receptions for 1,030 yards and seven touchdowns.

Rounds 3-4

Elic Ayomanor, Stanford (6'1" / 206 / 3SO)

Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Elic Ayomanor catches a touchdown pass against Southern Methodist Mustangs safety Cale Sanders Jr. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Ayomanor has a great understanding of what defenses are trying to do to him and finds ways to get open. He has a diverse release package to gain separation off the line and has good build-up speed and tracking skills to be a threat deep. Understands leverage and uses it to his advantage to snap off at the top of his routes and shows the ability to make difficult catches with good body control and aggressiveness.

Despite that, Ayomanor is lacking polish and still needs to develop in several areas. He can struggle at the catch point on 50-50 balls, doesn't have the speed to run away from man coverage and has more drops than you'd like. He's inconsistent getting off press coverage, is not sudden or explosive in and out of his breaks and cuts, and doesn't offer much after the catch.

Ayomanor finished his senior sophomore season with 63 receptions for 831 yards and six touchdowns. He projects best as an outside receiver and is still developing, with plenty of upside. The Bucs brought him in for an official 30-visit.

Jalen Royals, Utah State (6'0" / 205 / SR)

American team wide receiver Jalen Royals of Utah State makes a catch during Senior Bowl practice for the American team. / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Royals wins with quick acceleration off the line and burst out of his breaks. He has excellent body control and awareness to adjust routes to open zones where defenders are not present. He has strong hands at the catch point and fights for space on contested throws. He has smooth footwork, a basketball background, and is a threat after the catch, with 17 forced missed tackles. He catches the ball in stride with good play strength through traffic, has inside and outside versatility, and has experience as a punt and kick returner.

However, Royals is not an elite athlete who will run by defenders, he'll need to diversify his route tree and will struggle with physicality at the line when facing press. His level of competition will be questioned — he can get caught rounding at the top of his breaks and is an inconsistent blocker.

Royals had just two years of production at Utah State, and a season-ending injury cost him his final five games. He still managed to produce 55 receptions for 835 yards and six touchdowns. His junior year, he played in all 13 games, reeling in 71 passes for 1,080 yards and 15 scores.

Tory Horton, Colorado State (6'2" / 196 / 5SR)

Colorado State Rams wide receiver Tory Horton pulls in a touchdown in overtime loss to the Colorado Buffaloes. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Horton is your classic possession receiver. He has strong hands and a big catch radius and will do all the little things right. Not a burner, but he displays deceptive long speed and the ability to stack and shed and create separation with double moves. Horton has excellent ball-tracking skills down the field and is a competitor, not afraid to get his nose dirty blocking even with his lack of ideal mass.

However, he has a slender build and needs to get stronger, as he can get knocked off his route by physical corners, which can disrupt his timing. Although he is capable of sharp and concise cuts, he'll cheat and round out too frequently. While he can climb the ladder, he struggles boxing out defenders at times, allowing them to disrupt the catch point. He missed eight games in 2024 due to groin and knee injuries.

Horton was wildly productive from 2022-23, where he had 33 receptions for over 20 yards and topped 1,100 yards and eight scores in both years. For his five-year career, he totalled 265 receptions, 3,615 yards, and 27 touchdowns.

Rounds 5-7

Tai Felton, Maryland (6'1" / 183 / SR)

Maryland Terrapins wide receiver Tai Felton makes a touchdown catch over Villanova Wildcats defensive back Zahmir Dawud. / Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Felton brings good size and elite speed to a receiver room after running a 4.37 40-yard dash. He's a strong route runner who knows how to find the soft spot in zones and is dangerous with the ball in his hands, forcing 26 missed tackles. Felton excels on timing routes and displays great spatial awareness on sideline throws. He tracks deep balls well and has the speed to run under them in stride.

However, his play strength leaves desirability and he can get knocked off his route by more physical corners. He has average short-area quickness to snap off at the top of his routes to create seperation and isn't much of a contested catch threat. He has just one year of elite production and isn't going to be much useful as a blocker.

Felton took on a bigger role his senior season, and it paid off with 96 receptions for 1,124 for nine touchdowns. He had a formal interview with the Bucs at the combine.

Pat Bryant, Illinois (6'2" / 204 / SR)

Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Pat Bryant stiff arms Central Michigan Chippewas defensive lineman Jaden Davis during the first half. / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Pat Bryant is a versatile, "no block, no rock" and a classic possession receiver with his big frame and strong hands. He has an outstanding football IQ, understanding leverage and route concepts to pair with an excellent release. The high-point receiver is excellent on contested catches and is a sneaky YAC guy with the awareness for finding open space.

Despite this, doesn't have the top-end speed to run away from defenders, will struggle to separate in man coverage and can get knocked off his route by physical corners. He can be guilty of telegraphing his routes and has just average short-area quickness to snap at the top of his route breaks.

During Bryant's final season at Illinois, he reeled in 54 passes for 954 yards and 10 touchdowns and saw some work on end-arounds as part of the run game. He had a formal interview with the Bucs at the NFL Combine.

Dont'e Thornton Jr., Tennessee (6'4" / 205 / SR)

Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. scores a touchdown in front of Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Kani Walker. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Thornton Jr. has dynamic size, length, and speed (4.30-forty) for the receiver position. He can take the top off at any time and has no issues fighting through press coverage at the line. Has elite acceleration at the top of his route and is a contested catch monster with his massive catch radius. He has surprisingly fluid hips for his size, allowing him to sink and gather on comebacks, and he has exceptional tracking skills and body control through the catch.

However, Thornton Jr. has a very limited route tree that he can telegraph and is just an outside receiver at this point. He's not going to make many guys miss after the catch and is an inconsistent blocker. He also won't offer much value on special teams.

Thornton Jr. was never a high-volume guy in his career, but he makes his catches count. He finished his senior season averaging 25.4 yards per catch on 26 receptions for 661 yards and six touchdowns. He had an informal visit with the Bucs at the NFL Combine.

Ricky White III , UNLV (6'1" / 181/ 5SR)

UNLV Rebels wide receiver Ricky White catches a touchdown pass against Kansas Jayhawks cornerback Cobee Bryant. / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

White III is a savvy route runner with sharp footwork at the top of his routes to create windows of separation. He has a smooth release to beat press off the line and has good burst after the catch with shifty moves to make the first defender miss. He tracks the ball well down the field and can stop on a dime, working his way to the quarterback on comeback routes.

However, he can get knocked around by physical corners, can telegraph his routes, and has just average long speed. He can get bullied in contested catch situations and had drop issues (24) over his four seasons.

A two-time captain at UNLV, White III was an ace special teamer with four blocked punts in 2024. He finished his senior year with the Rebels, hauling in 79 passes for 1,041 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had an informal meeting with the Bucs at the NFL Combine.

Isaiah Neyor, Nebraska (6'4" / 218 / 6SR)

Nebraska Cornhuskers wide receiver Isaiah Neyor attempts a catch behind Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Denzel Burke. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Neyor has great size and a tremendous wingspan to pluck balls out of the air in space. He's a long strider and can accelerate past corners who don't jam him and can track the ball well to get under it. He's physical enough at the line to battle through press and can erase corners as a blocker.

Despite that, Neyor is still developing as a receiver and may be more of an athlete at this point. He'll need polish and expansion of his route running and tree, and is inconsistent through the catch-point and boxing out defenders, especially on contested catches, where he'll let smaller corners challenge him. He doesn't manufacture his own separation, can rush his routes, and missed two seasons due to an ACL injury.

Neyor had modest production given his athletic abilities, reeling in just 34 receptions for 455 yards and five touchdowns his final year at Nebraska, but he has the developmental tools teams look for.

Kobe Hudson , UCF (6'0" / 194 / 5SR)

UCF Knights wide receiver Kobe Hudson catches a pass against Sam Houston State Bearkats defensive back Joe Swen. / Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Hudson's basketball background shows in how he releases off the ball, utilizing lateral quickness to create sudden separation. He has good size and speed to operate as a three-level target and shows an understanding of how to use leverage to his advantage. He stacks corners up and gets up on them before using sharp, explosive breaks to pull away.

On the flip side, Hudson needs to refine his route running, too often turning normal routes into contested catch situations. He struggles with focus drops and securing the ball outside of his frame. He can run too upright, making his breaks less effective, and he doesn't have the juice to be a threat after the catch.

Hudson can be a complementary receiver in the NFL who projects best as a perimeter wideout in the NFL. He finished his final season with the Knights reeling in 44 passes for 900 yards and eight touchdowns. He attended the Bucs' local workout.

---

READ MORE: Tampa Bay Buccaneers GM reveals big insight into this year's draft

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2025 offseason.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook

More Tampa Bay Buccaneers News

• Buccaneers potential draft targets and best fits: Quarterback

• Buccaneers quarterback Kyle Trask gets married

• Buccaneers keeping close eye on ‘consensus first-round pick'

• Buccaneers’ NFC South success dismissed by Saints rival