In football, a slant route is built on timing and precision. The receiver does not waste motion – he breaks sharply across the field into open space before the defense can react. It is simple in design, but separation is created through execution.

That same approach defines my weekly Saturday Bucs column, Slivon’s Slant.

Each week from now until training camp, I will take a look inside a different Bucs position group. The goal is to cut through the surface to find the clearest path in evaluating this roster as it takes shape. Then, once the season begins, the column will continue offering different angles for breaking down and discussing the team. Last week, this column debuted by looking at the quarterback and running back positions.

Now, it is on to the wide receivers.

Inside The Bucs Wide Receiver Room

Trusted Target: Chris Godwin Jr.

The 2026 season marks the first time Chris Godwin Jr. does not have Mike Evans as a teammate, making the 30-year-old wideout the new veteran leader of the Bucs wide receiver room. The past two seasons have been trying times for Godwin as he looks to put injuries behind him. He was on track for a career-year in 2024, with 50 receptions for 576 yards and five touchdowns in seven games before suffering a dislocated ankle. Although he returned early last season, a fibula injury quickly derailed his comeback.

That limited his effectiveness, but he is primed to be at full health for his 10th NFL season.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Godwin no longer has to play sidekick; he can get back to being the high-volume target to open up the Bucs offense.

For him to have staying power in Tampa Bay, bouncing back is critical with several young wide receivers waiting in the wings behind him. That is where things get tricky, considering that Godwin has one year left on his three-year, $66 million deal after this season with no guaranteed money.

The future of the room is in good hands with Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, Ted Hurst, and Tez Johnson, so there is the possibility “CG” gets phased out. To avoid that from happening, the only thing he can control is balling out and being Baker Mayfield’s trusted target again.

There is optimism Robinson can unlock that version of Godwin again. Robinson will certainly draw inspiration from how Liam Coen utilized Godwin during his hot start in 2024. As the slot receiver, one can expect him to be a consistent chain-mover. Glimpses of his previous level of play revealed themselves late in the year, such as his three-catch, 78-yard game in Week 13, or his seven-catch, 108-yard day in Week 17. That is still in there, but how much it is on display is the looming question that will determine his fate.

Future Fixture: Emeka Egbuka

With the way Emeka Egbuka opened last season, he looked like a superstar in the making. Through his first five games, Egbuka totaled 25 catches for 445 yards and five touchdowns. Things would not go as swimmingly for him or the offense the rest of the way, as over the last eight games of the season, he exceeded 42 yards just once with zero touchdowns. That cost Egbuka a shot at NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year as he finished with 938 yards, just missing the 1,000-yard mark. Having both highs and lows to draw from, it should make the talented first-round pick a better player and a more prominently featured target.

Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

There is no denying Egbuka’s talent and versatility. Shouldering the load at times was a lot to ask from him as a rookie, but he will not be expected to do that as much with a healthy and deep cast of weapons around the 6-foot-1, 205-pound target. Egbuka is as level-headed as they come, displaying rare maturity from a 23-year-old. His skills are just as advanced, with polished route running paired with the ability to win deep on the outside. While some growth is needed, especially in creating consistent separation, he can very well emerge as the No. 1 receiver in 2026 and beyond.

How Egbuka responds to what transpired last season will say a lot about his trajectory and ceiling. Zac Robinson is excited to put the pieces together, with the expectation that he finds more creative ways to involve wide receivers than what Josh Grizzard was able to do. The initial reaction to the Bucs drafting Egbuka was one of shock and surprise. He has the ability to do the same with his performance and give the fan base a sigh of relief by building on his rookie year and proving to be the star of the show.

Third-Year Takeoff: Jalen McMillan

Jalen McMillan entered 2025 eagerly looking to pick up where he left off from his rookie season. After going on a tear at the end of 2024 with seven touchdowns over the last five games, the offense was hoping for “JMac” to build on that and continue his breakout. That failed to come to pass after McMillan suffered a scary neck injury during a preseason game against the Steelers. After that, the only hope was that he would be able to play again, no matter how long his recovery would be. Fortunately, he returned in Week 15 displaying the same flashes that have him set to take off.

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It is easy to see McMillan surpass outside expectations given his playstyle and strengths. He has a strong ability to win against man and zone coverage, having looked more explosive toward the end of last season. That is a credit to the work he put in throughout last offseason and during his lengthy recovery process. While the wide receiver room is arguably the deepest on the team, the expectation is that everyone is going to get a part of the target share. That will come through ball distribution and using 11 personnel sets.

With that in mind, expect to see more McMillan than ever. He will seriously push Chris Godwin Jr. and Emeka Egbuka and could be the No. 1 for periods where he has the hot hand. When it comes to who could be the X-Factor of the group, McMillan is the name I would bet on.

Raw Rookie: Ted Hurst

While the aforementioned trio will receive most of the starting playing time, Ted Hurst should not be forgotten about. Besides being the Bucs’ third-round pick, Hurst possesses a rare combination of size and speed. At 6-foot-4 and clocking a 4.42 40-yard time, he is best suited to fill the X wide receiver role on the outside. This gives the 21-year-old a unique path to carving out playing time while simultaneously not being expected to carry the load and log a ton of snaps.

Bucs WR Ted Hurst – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Instead, Hurst has a chance to watch and learn as Zac Robinson develops packages and a plan to get him on the field and get the ball in his hands. He is a home-run threat, as noted by former NFL wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. Expectations should be tempered for what he can do immediately, given the jump in competition from his days at Georgia State. Still, he can be more than just a niche player. Hurst will be someone to watch over the next couple of months to see if he hits the ground running. That will make things even more interesting and only add to the problem Robinson has divvying up one football.

Shifty Sparkplug: Tez Johnson

Given that he stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 160 pounds, Tez Johnson makes the most of his entire frame. Despite being a seventh-round pick last year, Johnson proved to be worth the investment as he came up with crucial catches and played a larger than expected role on offense. All told, he recorded 28 receptions for 322 yards and five touchdowns. With every wide receiver before him on the depth chart succumbing to injury at one point or another, Johnson stepped up and started half of the games he played in. If the room could not get any deeper, having him is a luxury, but also a competitive advantage.

Bucs WR Tez Johnson – Photo by: IMAGN Images

His skillset and build are similar to his good friend Bucky Irving, who was his college teammate at Oregon. Johnson is shifty and elusive, making him a strong candidate to be a return specialist. Given his receiving (and backflipping) abilities, he profiles as a gadget player who will surely be given a designated workload. That is a credit to how useful Johnson can be, as he should see the football more than any other fifth wide receiver in the league.

Camp Competitors: Kameron Johnson, David Sills V, Garrett Greene, Eric Rivers Jr.

Tez Johnson could become the Bucs’ return specialist this season, but Kameron Johnson will have every chance to remain in that role. It is one of the more under-the-radar camp competitions, but the latter Johnson was very capable filling that spot last season. He averaged a solid 11.2 yards per punt return and 25.4 yards per kick return, which included several returns where he broke free and was close to running back. That gives him value and an inside track to be the sixth wide receiver.

Bucs WR David Sills V – Photo by: Nathan Ray Seebeck – IMAGN Images

That spot projects to be the hardest earned across the 53-man roster, with David Sills V another name to know. Sills, an offseason signing, comes over from the Falcons after following Zac Robinson to Tampa Bay. He has good size at 6-foot-3 and 211 pounds and put together his best season with 18 catches for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Having seen limited special teams work, it is unlikely he makes the team barring injury and profiles as a standby practice squad player. That is also expected to be the case for Garrett Greene and Eric Rivers Jr.

Several sources in the organization liked what they saw from Greene over the course of last season as he transitioned to the position. He has the ability to be a returner with enough polish catching passes to serve as depth. Rivers was an undrafted free agent signing who stands out for his 4.33 speed. He exploded at FIU in 2024 before transferring to Georgia Tech and having a productive follow up in 2025. It is hard to imagine he makes the team, but his traits and potential are intriguing enough to stick around and continue developing.

Closing Slant

The Bucs are loaded at wide receiver entering this season. That is not unwarranted hype, but rather an acknowledgement of all the young promising talent at the position. The group is led by a veteran and former team captain who will be hungry to bounce back and return to form. There are three wide receivers who very well could serve as No. 1 options, with the room being as deep as any in the NFL.

It will be the hardest room to pare down during final roster cuts, but that is a credit to how the room has been constructed in recent years. Most teams would be in complete panic mode with a talent like Mike Evans walking out the door. Evans is gone, but the Bucs are not rebuilding at wide receiver – they are evolving.