Deven Thompkins Names 4 Fastest Bucs, Talks Bad Route Running
October 4th, 2023
Wide receiver Deven Thompkins.
How bout that backyard football catch Sunday by Deven Thompkins! It was the first touchdown of his career (video below), but he got a scolding from coaches because of it.
Thompkins was a guest on the Buccaneers Radio Network yesterday and, of course, his TD grab after a long Baker Mayfield scramble was celebrated. However, Thompkins noted his big play came after he screwed up his initial end zone route and got in Chris Godwin’s way.
Co-host Ali Marpet asked Thompkins what his film-grading sheet looked like for that play the day after the game.
Thompkins acknowledged his good grade included a written finger wag from his coach, “It does overlook the poor route that you ran.”
On Monday, offensive coordinator Dave Canales said his three young receivers are making lots of mistakes but he’s instructed his receivers coach and Baker Mayfield to keep trusting them because they’ll be needed all season.
Thompkins said he knows what needs improvement.
“Being more patient within my routes and slowing the game down,” he said. “Just because I’m so fast, you know, sometimes my decision making is so fast. So just being able to slow that down and be more comfortable with making those decisions.”
On the speed front, Thompkins said he, Trey Palmer and Jamel Dean clearly are the fastest players on the roster and they’d have to race to decide the top dog. Thompkins, of course, would bet on himself.
Fourth-fastest? Thompkins paused and thought about an answer: Mike Evans.
Catch of the game by @GrandmasterDT 🤯
📺: #TBvsNO on FOX pic.twitter.com/G5J7o4JeEV
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) October 1, 2023
October 4th, 2023 at 5:18 pm
Interesting, you can see him on the play behind Godwin, before sprinting back out and getting the catch.
I like Thompkins, was talking about him literally the day they signed him as a UDFA, saying he looks like a small version of D-Jax (who was already small). It’s great to see him having some success – but man, run the right routes.
Also the Bucs should put Thompkins in the backfield for a few plays a game, just to give have someone with lightning quickness back there to mix things up. The guy is averaging 12-yards per carry over his career (4 att for 48 yards).
October 4th, 2023 at 5:23 pm
Jamal Dean 4.30
Zion McCollom 4.33
Trey Palmer 4.33
Devin Thompkins 4.35
Mike Evans 4.63
Don’t forget ZION!!!
October 4th, 2023 at 5:27 pm
He is putting in the work and getting some snaps and looks. His speed gives him the ultimate advantage as a 3rd or 4th receiver. When he understands all of the route concepts better, he know the right moment to turn on the jets. Another young player getting better.
October 4th, 2023 at 5:28 pm
Mike has long speed when he’s healthy. Like a gazelle. He just glides. If his knee was healthy he scores on that 70 yarder vs Chicago.
October 4th, 2023 at 5:29 pm
Tampabaybucfan – Evans ran a 4.53, you got a typo there or some bad info. But in any case he also lead the league in receiving average in 2018. Evans is so big, he never looks like he’s going that fast, yet he’s out there running vs 4.3 and 4.4 corners.
Evans rep around the league is always interesting to me. When you listen to podcasts from other teams, and they talk about Evans, they always underestimate him until they play him, then they say, wow, he’s good. But it’s funny in that nationally I think his rep is as a deep ball WR, ie a fast guy. Maybe he is in fact faster than people realize, or perhaps Thompkins, at 5’6 150lbs (his actual workout numbers) is saying nice things about Evans, who is 6’5 230lbs.
October 4th, 2023 at 5:36 pm
BTW, by far the dumbest take I’ve heard in awhile was listening to Bears podcasts, and those dummies actually said the Bears have better WR’s than the Bucs. Those morons literally said Moore was better than Evans or Godwin, and Claypool and Mooney give the Bears an easy W at that position. I nearly fell out of my chair laughing when I heard that.
Anywho, Claypool is going to get cut, if he hasn’t been cut already today, and the Bucs should consider picking him up. The guy is an a-hole, but the Bucs have great vets in that room, and if you pick him up and he acts up, you just cut him. If Brady was here, that absolutely would be the move, because he’s an upgrade over Rakim Jarrett – and shouldn’t cost anything. Obviously this would depend on talking to him and actually making sure he understands if there’s a single misstep he’s cut – but he’s another big guy (6′ 4″ 238, ran a 4.42) that the Bucs like and for basically free, it’s worth bringing him in to see if he still wants to play or not.
October 4th, 2023 at 5:39 pm
Mike also had a 4.55 . So he consistently runs in the 4.5 range & remember everyone was saying how he looked even faster in camp . Including one of the Joe’s. Mike is also physical & long so mix all that up with the speed he does have and bam ! You have my 2nd favorite offensive bucs player of all time . My first choice is and more than likely always will be big Ole number 40 the A-train ! Go bucs
October 4th, 2023 at 6:16 pm
I appreciate the clarity and honest about the route running. I’m looking forward to Thompkins and Palmer getting some big YAC plays. I can see The Baker targeting the Young Dawgs more and more in each game.
Unfortunately I’m not seeing any improvement in the tight ends. Otton needs to go to the Allstate Good Hands camp as can’t catch a pass over 8 yds. Let’s try Wells on the seam routes, maybe he can catch one?
October 4th, 2023 at 6:42 pm
Rod Munch: NO on Claypool. For a million reasons, one being that all of the Bucs 4 top receivers are better than him.
October 4th, 2023 at 6:50 pm
I agree with Rod Munch for once. I think Claypool could be a GREAT #5. I am not sold on Rakim Jarret.
Also of they sign Claypool Cheaply, they have a True option if Godwin or Evans were out for significant time.
October 4th, 2023 at 6:55 pm
There is also something called game speed. Some of your greatest players just seemed to crank it up a notch in real games. To name a few, Tony Dorsett, prime Time, Bo Jackson, Darrell Green, Randy Moss , and Muke Vick. It didnt matter what the watch said at some combine those guys were just flat out gone!!!!
October 4th, 2023 at 7:26 pm
Sorry for the typo on Evans…..4.53
And, yes….he is deceptively fast……long strides.
And….again, don’t forget Zion in that speed mix.
October 4th, 2023 at 7:44 pm
Dang no love for Devin on the speed front? (I know he’s hurt) but thought I heard he was up there w fastest on team at one point.
October 4th, 2023 at 8:08 pm
Only dances and Madden geeks want Claypool. Newsflash- backup WRs HAVE TO LAY SPECIAL TEAMS. Which units do you think Claypool will excel on?
And for those that THINK they know Deven Thompkins stature, he measured in at his Pro Say on 3/23/22 at 5’6 7/8 and 167 lbs. Nfldraftscout is an amazing tool.
October 4th, 2023 at 8:24 pm
Wow.
I knew ME13 is way faster now than he was coming out of college, but 4th fastest on the team?!??
Wowza, that’s impressive.
Like Lebron James recently said about Evans: ‘Pay the Man!’
October 4th, 2023 at 8:27 pm
I agree with Rod Munch on considering Claypool as a WR (or convert to a TE) if he’s cut or can be had cheap (7th rd). If the Bucs have any thoughts about not re-signing Evans, they could move Godwin outside, put Claypool inside or just make him a TE (team weakness we need to address in 2024 FA/draft). He’s always been a strong blocker. Could handle OLBs, though maybe not big DEs.
Tell him he’s on a short leash and sign him up to a 2-year team option at a cheap price ($1M/yr). He’s running out of options and this could be his last chance.
October 4th, 2023 at 8:42 pm
Bucs Guy – I disagree completely about Claypool being a TE, the whole reason he’s going to get cut is because in their week 1 game vs GB, he was loafing and not blocking guys. He’s a good blocker for a TE, but he’s a WR, and would be a good guy to have deep on the depth chart to see if there’s anything there, and if he’s any trouble, you just cut him. I wouldn’t trade anything for him, not even a 7th, as he’s going to get cut, and I’d only bring him in if he understood he’s gone at the first sign of trouble.
But with a veteran WR room that has SB rings, I don’t think his negatives would be an issue, and there’s nothing but upside. Also no one is going to sign Jarret, so it’s not like you’d lose him if Claypool was rotating onto and off the roster.
October 4th, 2023 at 9:03 pm
What the h3ll do we need a locker room virus like Claypool for?? We’ve got plenty of dudes who can catch the football. Canales just has to finish getting on the same page with them. You impatient yahoos can stuff it!
October 4th, 2023 at 9:15 pm
How is Zyon not one of the fastest? Dude ran in the mid 4.3s….
October 4th, 2023 at 10:29 pm
Heard our punter was fast too, what was his 40?
October 4th, 2023 at 11:35 pm
orlbucfan – Why did we need Antonio Brown?
Because the idea was to win a SB. You do that by making your team better, and Claypool is, without any doubt, better than Jarret, and has all the talent in the world and has already proved it on the field.
The issue is that he’s an a-hole, but he’s always been the best WR on every team he’s been in. When he walks into the Bucs locker room, at his peak best day ever, he’s #3. He’s also being cut, meaning no one wanted to even spend a 7th rounder on him. That can be and should be humbling.
Again, if that’s not the case, then you don’t sign him. If he is, and you sign him, and then he blows up, you cut him.
Not sure what the risk is there, and he would give you a big upside if he’s out to prove everyone else wrong.
October 4th, 2023 at 11:37 pm
orlbucfan – oh, and the other reason why, is look at the Bucs injury history at WR. How many times have Godwin and Evans played the entire season together? I believe the answer is, never. While Palmer might be great, and I love Thompkins as a depth guy, the idea of having a starting caliber guy who can be your #3 or #4 or #5 is a good thing.
October 5th, 2023 at 5:03 am
Rod have we learned nothing about head case WRs?
No thanks…I hear AB is still looking for a job…
Go Bucs!
October 5th, 2023 at 9:59 am
Claypool is already unhappy about his lack of usage with the Bears. Yeah, right, make him our #5. That’ll work out well.
October 5th, 2023 at 2:09 pm
Sort of unrelated, but what do you all think of trading for Hunter Renfrow?
I know we have some promising receivers, but having him on the field with Godwin and Evans? The third down conversion rate would be insane.
October 5th, 2023 at 6:58 pm
garro – Did you forgot that we won a Super Bowl?