The Bucs have quite the battle brewing for their depth receiver roles. Behind Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage, the competition is wide open.

The favorites for those WR4 and WR5 – and potential WR6 – roles are likely the team’s incumbents. Tyler Johnson, Scotty Miller, Jaelon Darden, Breshad Perriman and Cyril Grayson, Jr. aren’t likely to relinquish their roster spots without a fight. But could a dark horse emerge and impress enough to earn his way onto the team?

Tampa Bay has plenty of receivers on its roster. Then again, Tampa Bay has plenty of players on its roster. That’s why it felt so significant for head coach Todd Bowles to single out one undrafted free agent receiver – Deven Thompkins – when asked who impressed him during the team’s mini-camp this week.

“I would love to see what Thompkins does in training camp,” Bowles said. “He’s quick, he’s fast, he’s explosive off of the ball and he’s made some good catches. So, we want to see how he continues to learn and how he does in training camp and preseason. I’ll be looking at him.”

Utah State WR Deven Thompkins – Photo by: USA Today

Bowles had more to say on the 5-foot-7 pass-catcher. When asked again later in his Thursday press conference about any players who improved their stock during mini-camp, he brought Thompkins up again.

“Nobody’s improved their stock until we get in pads. But, there are guys that run around in [a] t-shirt and shorts that look good,” Bowles said. “Like I said, Thompkins is quick and fast and I look forward to seeing him in training camp.”

Of course, the Bucs have seen stories like this before. Much was said about Kenny Bell, the team’s fifth-round pick in 2015. He starred in the summer and early in training camp, but when the pads came on, he wasn’t the same.

Even Darden, a fourth-round pick last year, struggled to acclimate to the NFL during his rookie season. So, the big challenges lie ahead for Thompkins, an undrafted free agent out of Utah State.

Thompkins’ 4.35-second 40-yard dash tells you plenty about his speed. His place as the second-leading receiver in all of college football last year – with 1,704 yards – says plenty about his ability to produce. We’ll soon see whether or not he’ll replicate that type of success at the NFL level. But for now, Bowles is among those looking forward to seeing him when the Bucs come back together for training camp in late July.