While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might have the NFL’s best group of wide receivers in 2025, not every spot at the position on the 53-man roster is written in pen.
It’s a safe bet the Buccaneers will — and should — keep 6 wide receivers. There are 4 spots off the board, automatically, with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan.
That leaves an absolute dogfight for the final 2 spots between Sterling Shepard, rookie Tez Johnson, Trey Palmer, Dennis Houston, Kam Johnson and Ryan Miller.
While Miller isn’t on most of the 53-man projections that have come out to this point, he threatens to shake things up after he led the Buccaneers with 6 receptions for 66 yards on 7 targets in a 29-7 win over the Tennessee Titans in the preseason opener.
Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds put Tez Johnson and Houston in those 2 spots on August 8.
“Johnson beats out Kam Johnson and Trey Palmer, who just can’t stay healthy, and likely emerges as the team’s punt returner,” Reynolds wrote. “Houston has quietly had a consistent training camp and rounds out the receiver position on the initial 53-man roster.”
Miller might have other plans.
“Bucs showing off their insane depth at the skill positions,” X user Jon Ledyard wrote on August 9. “Ryan Miller and Sean Tucker are going off.”
“My first quarter takeaway is that Ryan Miller wants to make this football team,” On 3’s Nick Geddes wrote on his official X account on August 9. “Dude just makes plays.”
“Ryan Miller is going to make it really hard on these other bottom tier WRs on the Bucs,” X user J.T. Olson wrote on August 9. “He just does so many little things right.”
“There is less opportunity at WR for the Bucs than most teams, yet Ryan Miller is out here every summer battling,” Buc City wrote on its official X account on August 6. “Nothing but respect.”
Record-Setting College Career, NFL Position Switch
Miller, 6-foot-1 and 221 pounds, was the first 3-time FCS All-American in Furman history as a tight end, where he set the career record with 28 touchdown receptions.
He went undrafted in 2023 and caught on with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent and switched positions to wide receiver after running the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds at Furman’s Pro Day.
“Miller is an intriguing prospect who needs to prove he can uncover in the slot against substantially better competition,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in 2023. “He’s quick accelerating into routes but needs to become more elusive from the break point. He’s tough on contested catches, but he struggles with focus drops and bringing in off-frame tosses. Miller doesn’t have much of a special teams background … but he might have enough talent to eventually earn a roster spot.”
Miller spent all but 1 game of the 2023 regular season on the practice squad but was pressed into service in 2024 after a season-ending injury to Godwin and a hamstring injury that sidelined Evans for a month. In 11 games in 2024, Miller finished with 12 receptions for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns.
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