There is a statistical anomaly on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster right now that needs to be reckoned with.
On one side of it is priority undrafted free agent Desmond Watson, a 6-foot-5, 464-pound defensive tackle that will almost certainly become the heaviest player in NFL history if and when he steps on the field for the Buccaneers.
On the other side of it is seventh round draft pick (No. 235 overall) Tez Johnson, a 5-foot-10, 154-pound wide receiver who will almost certainly become the lightest player in NFL history when he steps on the field for the Buccaneers.
“Tez Johnson is officially the LIGHTEST PLAYER IN NFL HISTORY and the Bucs new weapon,” Bleacher Report wrote on its official Instagram account after Johnson was drafted.
The difference between Watson and Johnson is different in one very important way — there’s a real path to Johnson making an impact as a rookie.
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski gave the Buccaneers an “A” grade for picking Johnson. Tampa Bay began and ended the 2025 draft with wide receivers with Johnson as their final pick and Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka as their first round pick (No. 19 overall).
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are vying to become the NFL’s No.1 overall offense after adding first-rounder Emeka Egbuka and seventh-rounder Tez Johnson to a wide receiver room that already featured Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan,” Sobleski wrote on April 26. “The NFL has become far more forgiving when it comes to smaller wide receivers. Coaches find ways to utilize talented targets who know how to get open and create after the catch.”
Johnson’s Draft Stock Dipped Over Weight Concerns
Johnson was a stats machine over 5 seasons of college football at Troy and Oregon, where he teamed up with older brother and Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix in 2023. He ended his career with 31 total touchdowns — 28 receiving, 2 on returns and 1 rushing.
While Johnson’s weight may have scared teams off, the Buccaneers may have ended up with one of the better value picks in the draft. Bleacher Report’s Dame Parson had Johnson, 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, projected as a third round pick.
“Johnson is dynamic with the football in his hands; he can make defenders miss with quick, decisive movements and angle-beating burst/acceleration,” Parson wrote. “Johnson’s ability to sell vertical routes with urgency, speed, and attacking leverages puts defenders in conflict … NFL front offices will remove him from their draft boards because of his thin and wiry frame.”
Johnson Helped 2 QBs Achieve NFL Dreams
In 2023, Johnson set the Oregon single-season record with 86 receptions to go with 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns in 14 games with Nix throwing him the ball.
He followed that with 83 receptions for 898 yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 games in 2024 with a new quarterback in Dillon Gabriel and helped lead Oregon to an undefeated regular season and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoffs.
Johnson was also named the 2024 Big Ten Championship Game MVP with 11 receptions for 181 yards in a 45-27 win over Penn State.
That means the last 2 quarterbacks Johnson played with in college both ended up as NFL draft picks — Nix at No. 12 overall to the Broncos in 2024 and Gabriel to the Cleveland Browns in the third round (No. 94 overall) in 2025.
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