Best Buccaneers NFL Draft fits: Outside wide receiver

The NFL Draft is right around the corner, and the Buccaneers have put themselves in a great position entering draft weekend. The Bucs are pretty set at wide receiver, but they could add another weapon to the group sooner than later.

In this series, we’ll take a look at each position in the draft and detail 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. We've already gone over potential targets for the Bucs at outside wide receiver, and now, we're going over our best fits for Tampa Bay throughout the draft.

Buccaneers potential draft targets and best fits: Outside wide receiver

Outside Wide Receivers Best Fits

Round 1

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

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Matthew Golden makes a catch against the Arizona State Sun Devils. | Dale Zanine-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.

How he fits: It's easy to link Golden and the Bucs after a formal interview at the combine and subsequent official top-30 visit. It's also easy to see why the Bucs like him. Golden has true WR1 upside, and his versatility to play inside and outside can lead him to snaps on the field right away. He brings speed to the room and elite ball skills to be another weapon for Baker Mayfield and an already loaded offense. Golden had a formal interview with the Bucs, and the team hosted him on an official 30-visit.

Round 2

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

Iowa State Cyclones wide receiver Jayden Higgins catches a pass against Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive back Bralyn Lux. | Reese Strickland-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.

How he fits: Higgins would immediately bring size to a wide receiver room that lacks it outside of Mike Evans. He's still raw in his route running, but learning from one of the best in Evans would be invaluable for his development. He has reliable hands and can play out wide or in the slot, providing valuable depth. Higgins had an informal interview with the Bucs at the NFL Combine.

Round 3

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

Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Elic Ayomanor catches a pass against UCLA Bruins. | 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 sophomore season with 63 receptions for 831 yards and six touchdowns.

How He Fits: The Bucs are certainly doing their due diligence on Ayomanor, hosting him for an official top-30 visit. He needs some developing, but has tremendous upside and can be a problem on the outside with his size and athleticism. He embarrassed Travis Hunter this year and has been consistent over the past two seasons, even with shaky quarterback play. Ayomanor makes sense in the third round if available, and the Bucs are looking to add to the wide receiver room at that time. He could perform a formidable one-two punch with McMillan and in spread looks. Ayomanor projects best as an outside receiver and is still developing, with plenty of upside. The Bucs brought him in for an official 30-visit.

Round 4

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

Maryland Terrapins wide receiver Tai Felton runs by Southern California Trojans safety Kamari Ramsey. | Tommy Gilligan-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 at 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 separation 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 in his senior season, and it paid off with 96 receptions for 1,124 for nine touchdowns.

How he fits: Felton brings something the Bucs don't have enough of at the receiver position — speed. Felton stretches the field as a three-level threat who can just as easily beat someone on a go route, to taking a screen pass and going to the distance. He would bring a different dimension to the Bucs offense. He could be a role player as he develops, while providing value on kick and punt coverages. He had a formal interview with the Bucs at the combine.

Round 5

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

Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Pat Bryant gains yards after catch as Rutgers Scarlet Knights defensive back Shaquan Loyal. | Vincent Carchietta-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.

How he fits: Bryant is a tough, hard-nosed possession receiver. He saw a majority of his snaps outside, but has lined up all across the formation. He's going to give you everything he has as a blocker and will make the tough catches to move the chains. He'd give the Bucs' wide receiver room a higher floor and could find a way onto the field in his rookie season. He had a formal interview with the Bucs at the NFL Combine.

Round 6

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

Tennessee wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. runs in a touchdown during the second quarter. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / 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.

How he fits: Thornton Jr. is a developmental guy who could see the field in his rookie year due to his great size and speed. Though he's raw, he's a matchup nightmare as a downfield threat with his length and leaping ability as a contested catch receiver. He's a consistent chain mover and averaged an astounding 21.94 yards per catch over his career. He'd bring speed and size to a Bucs room that isn't overflowing with either. He had an informal visit with the Bucs at the NFL Combine.

Round 7

Sam Brown Jr., Miami (6'2" / 200 / 5SR)

Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Sam Brown Jr. runs with the football against Wake Forest Demon Deacons. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Brown Jr. has the length the size and the speed teams look for in perimeter receivers. He uses a long smooth strides to eat up up ground quickly as a vertical threat, knows how to digest zone coverage and adjust to open spots on the field, and displays impressive ability to gain yards after the catch. However, he needs refinement in his route running, will struggle to play through contact, and needs to improve his ball tracking and contest catch abilities. He finished his final year with the Hurricanes reeling in 36 receptions, 509 yards, with scores.

How he fits: Brown Jr. offers upside as a developmental downfield threat. He'd have an opportunity to make the roster out of camp, but could probably benefit from a year on the practice squad. Brown Jr. needs time to work on his craft and to get bigger and stronger to hold up in the intermediate part of the field. The Bucs don't have a vertical field stretcher on the field outside of Evans, and Brown Jr. could develop into that in the right situation. He had an informal meeting with the Bucs at the NFL Combine.

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