Among the group of many Bucs wide receivers fighting for spots five through seven, Tyler Johnson might be standing out the most.

The third-year receiver came into camp in great shape and has shown tons of athleticism, making highlight plays and scoring touchdowns in bunches. The key for him is to string this all together, which is what he did against the Dolphins in this week’s joint practices.

“It’s always good for a change,” Johnson said. “Just to be able to go out there and compete at the highest level day in and day out.”

But what stood out over the last two practices wasn’t necessarily the catches he made, but the attitude he showed up with. It’s been edgy, but a welcome addition.

Mixing It Up With The Dolphins

On Wednesday, Johnson got into a shoving match with a Dolphins corner after a play. He then faked like he was going after the corner, who then flinched in reaction. In other words, he punked him out.

Johnson took the high road about the scuffle.

“Just football, that’s all it was,” Johnson said. “Just competing, never backing down. That’s all.”

He didn’t back down either when it came to defending his teammates. Scotty Miller later caught a pass across the middle and was hit hard on the play. Johnson got in the mix by pushing another Miami player, backing up his teammate.

“We’re close knit,” Johnson said. “We take care of each other, that’s what we like to do.”

He then took an even harder shot of his own, prompting Tom Brady to yell at the opponent. Johnson threw his helmet in frustration, but continued through practice.

Thursday’s practice saw more fighting, though Johnson wasn’t involved this time. Instead, he focused on winning his matchups and beating the Dolphins’ secondary.

“I would say I did all right,” Johnson said. “I’ve definitely been able to go in and watch the film, see the type of things I can learn from and work on. As far as competing, I was glad I was able to come out here and compete with them. It’s a great unit of DBs over there, like I said earlier. It’s always good to go out there to compete with the highest.”

What happens next will be determined in Saturday’s preseason opener. The Bucs host the Dolphins at 7:30 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium, and Johnson should get a lot of playing time, as the Bucs’ main wide receivers aren’t expected to play.

“I’m excited,” Johnson said. “Can’t wait to ball out. I trained my ass off this offseason, so I’m looking forward to it.”