With their final pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Bucs ended their run on defense and actually bookended the weekend with wide receiver selections. After picking Emeka Egbuka in the first round, they used their seventh-round pick – No. 235 overall – on Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson.

Johnson is a complete outlier in size, coming in just under 5-foot-10 and weighing in at 154 pounds. His lack of size and strength would fairly be pointed out as limiting factors to his game,  and his 4.51-second 40-yard dash was surprisingly “slow” considering the play speed he put on display at Oregon. That 40 time and his overall frame could’ve contributed to his fall on draft weekend.

New Bucs WR Tez Johnson Photo by: USA Today

With that being said, this still feels like a relative steal for the Bucs in the seventh round. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had a fourth-round grade on Johnson, and he was No. 138 on Pro Football Focus’ big board. Tampa Bay got him at No. 235, and new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard will look to put his quickness, burst, ability to separate and incredible yards-after-catch ability to use in the Buccaneer offense.

The Pinson, Alabama, product started his college career at Troy, totaling 141 catches for 1,809 and eight touchdowns over three years. He then transferred to Oregon, where he posted 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns on 86 catches in 2023 and 898 yards and 10 touchdowns on 83 catches in 2024. Over the last two seasons, Johnson led all college wide receivers with 1,352 yards after catch.

Johnson can also help Tampa Bay on special teams, as he has punt return experience from his time at both Troy and Oregon. He returned 56 punts for 519 yards (9.3 avg.) and a touchdown (which went for 85 yards) over five seasons.

Johnson met formally with the Bucs at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, so the team showed interest in him dating back to late February/early March. Now, they make him a Day 3 pick, making it back-to-back years of taking Ducks on the final day of the draft.

Tez Johnson Reunites With Bucs’ Star RB Bucky Irving In Tampa

Bucs RB Bucky Irving and Oregon WR Tez Johnson Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs certainly hit a home run with their Day 3 pick out of Oregon in 2024, as they selected running back Bucky Irving in the fourth round. He went on to become a 1,000-yard rusher as a rookie, and he’ll head into the 2025 season as Tampa Bay’s lead back.

Now, the team hopes Tez Johnson will be the next Duck to make a big impact on the offense. Johnson, the adopted brother of former Auburn/Oregon and current Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, said at the Combine that he and Irving are best friends and would love to team up with him again in the pros.

“My boy Bucky’s there,” Johnson told Pewter Report in Indianapolis. “That’s my best friend. He’s at the Bucs right now. Love Tampa Bay, most definitely. No matter what, when this draft is over with, I’m teaming up with somebody I know for sure.”

In the end – even if the wait was longer than expected – Johnson was right. He’ll be teaming up with Irving to begin his career in Tampa Bay.

Johnson joins a suddenly loaded Bucs wide receiver room that features Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan and Emeka Egbuka at the top. The seventh-round pick will look to beat out the likes of Rakim Jarrett, Ryan Miller, Sterling Shepard, Kameron Johnson and Trey Palmer for one of the final spots in the receiving corps.

Welcome to Tampa Bay, Tez Johnson!