As a sixth-round draft pick joining a talented Bucs’ receivers room, Trey Palmer isn’t exactly the first guy who is top of mind in Tampa Bay’s passing game. That hasn’t been the case at all for Bucs coaches. They’ve been overly impressed with what Palmer has brought to the Bucs in a short amount of time as he was a standout during offseason practices.

Bucs wide receivers coach Brad Idzik joined the Pewter Report Podcast recently and had nothing but great things to say about the former Nebraska star. Everyone knew about his speed, but what they didn’t know was that Palmer would still be available at pick No. 191 – or that he would start off his Bucs career the way he has.

Bucs Coaches Were Surprised Trey Palmer Was Still Around

Bucs WR Trey Palmer and WRs coach Brad Idzik – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Our guys felt it right away,” Brad Idzik said. “He hit a couple deep routes in rookie mini-camp and then the first week against all the vets as well. He showed up. And you mention the motions and all of that, he legitimizes all of that and they have to honor his speed every single snap.

“I’m surprised he lasted that long (in the draft) as well, we were ecstatic to have him. Anytime you have a guy with that much speed all you’re trying to do is make sure he plays with that speed every single snap.”

Coming into a Bucs receiver group that boasts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin might be intimidating to a newcomer. But as it turns out, Trey Palmer has not been a typical rookie. Not only is he a fun personality, Palmer also has shown that he is a determined individual.

“Trey, his personality, he lights up the room,” Idzik said. “He is amazing. He’s aggressive and he cares a lot, it means a lot to him. He lacks zero confidence. If you go into LSU and you’re lacking a little confidence, you’re going to get trampled on. I’m sure they helped grizzle him that way.

“Trey’s been a phenomenal guy to work with, a guy who if you challenge him, he will rise up. You can coach him hard and that part’s fun because a lot of times people [say], ‘Oh, he has a track mentality, I don’t know how tough-minded he is.’ But that is not what our scouts said about him. That’s not what I felt when I interviewed him in Indy, and it’s not what he’s shown this offseason at all. He’s different cut from all those other speedy guys that come out.”

Trey Palmer Is Working All The Time

Bucs WR Trey Palmer – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Brad Idzik then shared a story to best describe Trey Palmer.

“Just a great example of it,” Idzik said. “He had a great practice – phenomenal practice. A couple big catches against the vets and then he had one drop late in practice, and practice concluded we’re walking off the field and there’s Trey in the middle of the field and he’s beating himself up over it. I’m like, ‘Hey Trey – listen, this is going to happen. The ebbs and flows of practice. It’s all good. I really appreciate that you take onus to it, that it means a lot to you.’

“And then he’s like, ‘It’s not going to happen again.’ Lo and behold, he comes out the next day, catches every single ball. He’s hitting the jugs after practice, so he’s a guy who takes all the coaching to heart and I’m really looking forward to just coaching him hard because he’s risen up every time you’ve challenged him.”

What makes Palmer exciting besides his 4.3 40-yard dash is that there are way more features to his game. Yes, he’s a burner that can run a go route down the field for the big play. But he also has experience working in the slot, going in motion, and running much shorter routes that will get him open quicker.

“I think he kind of showed in Nebraska a little bit when they used him in the slot, too, which is an interesting component for him just having the experience of being in there, not necessarily having to run the whole tree,” Idzik said. “But some guys when they go down inside, it kind of throws them in a loop, the games completely different, but that’s what excites me for him.

“You can throw him at X. You can tell him to win vertically, to own his footwork, all the underneath stuff he needs to own his footwork because we know he can run a go ball. But then also his experience in the slot at Nebraska – they did a lot with him there.”

There Are Many Dimensions To The Bucs’ New Offense

Bucs WR Trey Palmer – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Trey Palmer, at best, can make his way to WR3 on the Bucs’ depth chart, depending on the health and performance of veteran Russell Gage. Even if he isn’t a focal point of the offense, he’s going to make the Bucs’ new offense threatening against the opponent.

“To be able to stretch the field vertically from inside, that helps us,” Brad Idzik said. “That helps us with Chris [Godwin], that helps us with Mike [Evans], that helps us with whoever else is on the field, with Cade Otton, even the running game. If you want to run it it through the middle of the field, those ‘backers have to carry three-vertical, that’s real steep.

“Imagine some of our guys, Lavonte David, he’s been in the league for a while and sees them setting up. He’s got to carry them – that’s hard. That stuff’s really exciting – that he has all of that under his belt. He’s done these things before so it makes it a little bit easier to plug and play in different spots.”

So far so good for Trey Palmer’s start to his Bucs career. The next step is continuing to amaze when the pads come on in training camp and the preseason.