It was not expected that the Bucs would draft a wide receiver in the first round, much less select two wide receivers in the 2025 NFL Draft.

After taking Emeka Egbuka with the 19th overall pick, Tampa Bay then took Tez Johnson with the 235th. Johnson proclaimed upon being drafted that he would be the team’s starting punt returner, and he will look to make an impact with whatever opportunities he has ahead of him. He will also have the chance to reunite with running back Bucky Irving.

That will come with a lot of back-and-forth banter that has already started, but both of them are happy it worked out the way it did.

Tez Johnson Manifested “What He Wanted” Coming To The Bucs

Tez Johnson started throwing friendly jabs at his former college teammate right away when holding a press conference with the media on Friday. When asked about what it feels like coming to Tampa Bay, one of the first things it reminded him was Bucky Irving’s height.

“Like home,” Johnson said about arriving to the Bucs’ facility. “Felt like I’m going to be here for the rest of my life, I enjoyed it. I seen Bucky the first day, still short [laughs].”

It’s all love between Johnson and Irving, who will be entering his second season after a sensational, highlight-filled rookie season. Appearing on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams last week, the running back shared his thoughts about rooming with the team’s seventh-round pick at Oregon and why it took a long time for the two to gel.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving Photo by: USA Today

“So when Tez had transferred from Troy, me and him ended up being roommates,” Irving said. “So yeah, Tez was the guy that came in. It took us a pretty good time to gel with each other because he used to try to come in the house and just talk about how good he was at Troy. And I used to tell him, ‘Yo, I don’t want to hear that. You’ve got to show me when you get out here on the field.’ And he pretty much showed me that he’s got it.”

Johnson proved that “he’s got it” with the Ducks as he was the team’s leading receiver the past two seasons while hauling in 10 touchdowns apiece both years. The two of them were a big reason why the team went 12-2 in 2023, and joining forces again could provide another spark.

There is no question Irving has blossomed into one of the better running backs in the NFL, but Johnson will get some run and have the chance to become a return specialist and factor into the offense.

Bucs WR Tez Johnson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It is all Johnson wanted from the start.

“Tez used to always say, like when he would be watching my games or anything like that, ‘Bro, I want to come down there with you to Tampa,” Irving added. “Like he used to just say it every time we got on the phone. I’m like, ‘Bro, just put your head down and work and God’s going to take care of everything.’ And then it happened. I guess he got what he wanted.”

Even Irving’s mom manifested it.

“His mom, our mom because I call her mom too, she always spoke it into existence,” Johnson said. “‘Son, when you come to Tampa Bay next year, we got to cook for you.’ Bucky was always like, ‘Mom, stop saying that.’ She was always like, ‘It’s going to happen.’ When it happened, she was probably the second person that called me [and she said,] ‘I told you.’ It just feels surreal.”

Tez Johnson And Bucky Irving Have To Settle Who Is Faster

Tez Johnson’s arrival in Tampa Bay has come with plenty of fanfare, but it will also spark some argument within the Bucs’ locker room. Bucky Irving and Johnson think they are faster than one another and it will take a footrace to settle the score.

Bucs WR Tez Johnson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I’m faster than him,” Irving said. “He’s mad about that 40 time because I told him he’d better run fast, and we pretty much clocked the same time. So I’m telling him I’m faster than him right now, so he’s pretty much mad about that.”

It is very close between the two, with Irving running a 4.55 and Johnson a 4.51 40-yard time during their respective NFL Combine performances.

“Come on man,” Johnson said when posed the question of who is faster. “Who’s faster? Me! Check the 40 time. We raced a couple of times, but he’s still going to say like, ‘You’re lighter than me.’ ‘Okay, I’m lighter.’ He’s fast, don’t get me wrong, he’s fast. He’s still going to get caught on the backend, he got to get that up when we get out here working. That’s my boy though, he knows I’m faster, I don’t really got to speak on it. He’s going to say something, when he sees this, he’s going to say something. Now y’all got us arguing now.”

Pairing Tez Johnson with Bucky Irving is bound to create some fun stories that will be shared as they continue to play together in Tampa Bay. That will come with plenty of trash talk.