The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just franchise tagged wide receiver Chris Godwin. This gives the Bucs two Pro Bowl wide receivers at the top of their depth chart with Godwin and Mike Evans. The depth chart below those two is sketchy at best. So it’s safe to say the team will be looking for a receiver in this year’s draft.
With so many pressing needs to fill, look for the Buccaneers to address the receiver position in the later rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. Here are five receivers the Buccaneers should look at in the mid-late rounds.
Romeo Doubs, WR, Nevada
Romeo Doubs was Carson Strong’s main target in an offense that ranked inside the top-20 with over 35 yards per a game. Doubs is a lengthy 6’2 receiver that will run in the 4.5 and could provide matchup problems. At the Senior Bowl, Doubs struggled to separate vertically and had a ton of drops. He is able to attack the ball in the air, especially on back shoulder throws. Although he’s 6’2, he’s unable to run routes through contact and his physicality needs to be worked on, especially at the top of the route. He may not be a perfect prospect, but in the later rounds he could find himself a role on this team.
Khalil Shakir, WR, Boise State
In his past two seasons at Boise State, Khalil Shakir was the primary target in what is usually a high-powered offense. Not only was he a weapon in the receiving game, he was sometimes the jump starter in the run game in 2021. Shakir has insane foot speed which makes him a threat horizontally in the short field. When he has the ball in his hands, he is relentless in getting yards after the catch and always seems to make the first man miss. Shakir could be a solid pick-up for the inside. Shakir isn’t a perfect prospect though, as he had a drop issue in his last year and has some of the shortest arms in this draft class.
Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati
When watching Desmond Ridder vs Notre Dame, I came away with the opinion that Alec Pierce was a monster and will fly up boards. Piece is a big body receiver capable of making ridiculous catches that have no reason, being completions. Standing at 6’3, Alec Pierce plays bigger than that and always seems to win with his physicality. He has the ability to get open and box out defenders. Against the run, he’s an elite blocker and is willing to take on any DB. Pierce is a wildcard and could become a huge draft steal in the middle of the draft.
Jalen Tolbert, WR, South Alabama
Jalen Tolbert is a physical specimen. Normally, 6’3 receivers win with physicality, but Tolbert is a burner and will take the top off of defenses with his 4.4 speed. He can be a solid downfield threat day one with unlimited upside. Corners struggle to jam him at the line, and his added length helps him reel in deep balls. Tolbert’s main drawback is the competition he faced. South Alabama doesn’t play the toughest schedule, and he hasn’t proven himself against worthy competition.
Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan
Skyy Moore is relentless with the ball in his hands and makes the first defender miss all the time. He is 5’10, but he’s not small, listing at nearly 200 pounds. He possesses excellent ability to get off the line and beat press, even against higher competition. Although he can do all this, he isn’t a polished route runner and never played against high level competition consistently.
Final Thoughts
With wide receiver becoming a need, the Bucs need to find value in the later rounds. Nearly every draft class coming out is being touted as “one of the best ever”. These stacked classes mean dropping a first round pick on a wide receiver is bad process and terrible value. The Bucs have drafted well in the past couple of years, but we require Licht and company to hit this one out of the park.
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