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After signing a running back to help with depth strains, the team is also adding a player at one of their deepest positions. Greg Auman of Fox Sports is reporting that Tampa Bay has added wide receiver Jaden Smith, a rookie out of Nevada.

Another signing for Bucs today: Jaden Smith, a 6-6 receiver who had seven touchdowns at Nevada last year. Also played at Montana State and Tarleton, was a tryout player at Bucs rookie minicamp this spring.

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) July 30, 2025

Jaden Smith’s College Career

Jaden Smith spent 2019-2021 at Montana State, playing two seasons. He caught 13 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown during his time with the Bobcats.

In 2022 he transferred to Tarleton State looking for more playing time. He found it, playing 11 games and catching 48 passes for 822 yards and 10 touchdowns. He followed it up with a much demurer 2023 season, catching just 15 passes over eight games. He totaled 251 yards and two touchdowns.

Bucs WR Jaden Smith – Photo by: USA Today

Smith finished his collegiate career at Nevada in 2024. He had a strong senior season in the Mountain West Conference, registering 62 receptions for 849 yards and seven touchdowns.

Smith went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft. But his physical profile is an intriguing one. Some media outlets have him listed at 6-feet-6-inches, but his Relative Athletic Score profile has him a tick under 6-foot-5, 211 pounds. While his speed scores are not particularly impressive, most receivers his size aren’t going to light up a 40-yard dash. However, his explosive scores are quite enticing.

Jaden Smith is a WR prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 7.65 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 899 out of 3815 WR from 1987 to 2025.https://t.co/Kf9rLLN82A pic.twitter.com/AzyMSlzybW

— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 12, 2025

Finding A Roster Spot With The Bucs

Jaden Smith tried out with the Bucs during their rookie mini-camp earlier this offseason. He joins a stacked Tampa Bay wide receiver room. The team is likely to roster five or six receivers on its active roster when the regular season begins. Three of those spots are locked for Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan and Emeka Egbuka. A fourth will be waiting for Chris Godwin when he is ready to return from the PUP list due to his devastating ankle injury from last year.

Several players are vying for those last two spots. Veteran Sterling Shepard is a favorite of quarterback Baker Mayfield, dating back to their days at Oklahoma together. Beyond him, younger receivers Trey Palmer, Rakim Jarrett, Ryan Miller and Kam Johnson are all in the mix to varying degrees. Also, 2025 seventh-round pick Tez Johnson has also excited many in the early stages of training camp as well.

The final spots will likely depend on special teams value as well as specialized role on offense. The two Johnsons are both manufactured-touch, low average depth of target types. Palmer is a long speed burner. Jarrett is more of a yards-after-catch type. Shepard is a proven veteran commodity who can win at several levels.

Bucs WR Trey Palmer – Photo by: USA Today

None of those players quite match the physical skillset Smith brings. His size lends himself to more of a big-bodied ‘X’ receiver. In Evans’ absence last year, the team tried to use Palmer in the ‘X’ role, but he failed to produce in those extended opportunities. The Bucs are excited about Egbuka’s ability to play all three receiver positions, but he isn’t well-suited for the ‘X’.

While he is a long-term project, there is room for a developmental receiver who can fit that specific role. While Smith is unlikely to have a path to the active roster, there could be a spot on the team’s practice squad with his name on it if he performs well in camp and in the preseason games.