Speed Issue For Tez Johnson?
August 3rd, 2025
“We’ll see, Todd. We’ll see.”
Interesting nugget from the Buccaneers’ popular roookie returner/receiver on The Rock Riley Show yesterday on WDAE radio.
Of course, Joe is referring to Tez Johnson, the seventh-round pick out of the University of Oregon.
Johnson told Riley that Chris Godwin has been talking to him about figuring out how to his speed consistently. Per Johnson, that’s something he must improve upon.
“Chris Godwin came to me and was like, ‘You’re so fast. You just got to use it to your advantage,'” Johnson said. “I think sometimes when I get to thinking, I don’t play as fast as I normally do. He was just telling me that.”
That intrigued Joe because Johnson fell to Round 7 in the NFL draft, in part, because of his 40-yard dash time –4.51 seconds as a 5-10, 154-pounder. (Yes, 154 pounds. That’s 20 pounds less than Scotty Miller.)
Perhaps Johnson, as he suggested, gets too much in his head and it affects his play-speed?
Johnson does not have elite track-style speed to go deep and he’s not exceptionally quick off the line of scrimmage, Joe believes. But Johnson sure can catch, and he seems to get open well, and he’s ridiculously slippery with the slightest amount of space.
Johnson missed the last two practices with an undisclosed injury, a scary scenario for any bubble player. He’s going to have to get back on the field soon and look quick and dangerous in the preseason. If not, what would the Bucs really be banking on?
August 3rd, 2025 at 5:31 pm
if he gets hurt practicing it doesnt bode well for him surviving kick returns. he’ll get broken in half, fast. sorry just not a fan of little folks in a league of monster hitters as nice or funny or however good they smell or look or culturally fit. thats the bottom line on 154 pounders. he better return some balls for big yards during preseason otherwise there is really not much hope. it was a throwaway pick lets face it.
August 3rd, 2025 at 5:34 pm
He’s more Antonio brown than Scottie miller. You’re comparing him to the wrong dude.
August 3rd, 2025 at 5:45 pm
Mort. We can all only hope you’re the one that’s comparing him to the wrong dude!
August 3rd, 2025 at 6:20 pm
He definitely needs to gain weight
He’s too small for the NFL
If Desmond Watson loses Tez Johnson weight
He would still weight over 200 lbs
August 3rd, 2025 at 6:21 pm
He was a 7th round pick for a reason
August 3rd, 2025 at 6:21 pm
“”He would still weigh over 300 lbs”””
August 3rd, 2025 at 6:26 pm
Tez will end up being a great return specialist. He is a lot like Bucky, hard to get a handle on. As Joe said “slippery”. He’s not extremely fast but he is explosive, quick, cat like. He will be a lot of fun to watch.
August 3rd, 2025 at 6:35 pm
Redshirt season.
He needs to add 15 pounds this year.
August 3rd, 2025 at 6:38 pm
He’s fast enough… Watch his highlights (against high level college competition). And Philly has a receiver making 20+ million per year who’s 6′ /160lbs. I’m not worried about his “track speed” or his size.
Chris is steering him right.
August 3rd, 2025 at 6:54 pm
Tez may not have track ‘speed’ – but he is very quick, sudden, hard to get a hold of, stops on a dime and reverses course, etc etc…
Godwin is just reminding him to use that ‘quickness’ all the time – on every play….
Tez Johnson wins the punt return job, makes the team and gets a decent # of snaps on offense this year as well….. betcha……
August 3rd, 2025 at 7:00 pm
4.51 as a tiny receiver won’t run by any NFL DB’s, I don’t care how sudden the guy is.
A 6’5″ guy running 4.51 is entirely different than a 5’10” guy.
August 3rd, 2025 at 7:28 pm
I’m not as big a fan of Tez as some. Great college film, but a lot of what worked at Oregon for him doesn’t translate to the NFL. If I had to game plan for him, I’d put a guy the same build/stature of a Christian Izien(has at least a 30lb advantage) to exploit the 5-yard rule and bully him off his route stems all game.
Not saying he can’t make it in the NFL, but I’m not convinced he’s better than a Rakim Jarrett or Kam Johnson. Definitely not as twitchy or crafty a route runner as prime AB. Sorry, I see that nowhere in his game.
August 3rd, 2025 at 8:54 pm
Watched Oregon, Ohio state last night from last October. Both Tez, and Egbuka shined in that game. Tez one, on one lined up outside, and beat his man on a go route. He blew past the dude. i don’t care what his 40 time was, the kid flys when he’s on the field. I’m sure when the Bucs were scouting Egbuka, and Bucky, they noticed what I saw. The tape don’t lie. Tez will do some special things for the Bucs this season. Count on it.
August 3rd, 2025 at 8:58 pm
Tez may not have 40 speed, but he has football speed.
August 3rd, 2025 at 9:22 pm
I think his speed at the combine is a joke. This guy is faster than what he ran at the combine
August 3rd, 2025 at 9:58 pm
I don’t think he’d last 5 minutes on the practice squad. I’d seriously make a roster spot for Tez and see how he does in some games. His film doesn’t lie and he cuts on a dime. Extremely elusive running with the ball in space. He has the potential to become a game wrecker in the NFL. I can seriously see him taking kicks/punts to the house more than once or twice.
August 3rd, 2025 at 10:12 pm
I’m a fan of Tez “Da Squirrel “ Johnson! He will give us highlights when it counts!
August 3rd, 2025 at 10:18 pm
Anyone know what Tez’s injury is? at a buck fifty, his first big hit and he’s IR. The size difference from college to NFL is just too much for his frame. Desmond Watson was supposed to lose weight after the draft and Tez was supposed to gain. Neither of them appear to have made significant strides. Practice squad for Tez with a plan to gain at least 10lbs of muscle.
August 3rd, 2025 at 10:23 pm
Small and slow. The Bucs just signed a WR (Harris) from ucf who is like 6’5 211 and is faster than Tez. I don’t see Tez making the roster.
August 3rd, 2025 at 10:32 pm
Faster at track or faster at football? Tez looks plenty fast to Joe on the field. Seen him juke the hell out of dudes.
August 3rd, 2025 at 10:36 pm
Tez is going to be a nightmare for opposing defenses. He is way to slippery to be covered 1 on 1 and will be a great 3rd down type to help us move the chains and occasionally slip behind the D for a big play.
August 3rd, 2025 at 11:27 pm
I watched a lot of Tez games at Oregon
He looks a whole lot faster than a 4.51, he has elite football speed
August 3rd, 2025 at 11:43 pm
He better get up to the 170s at least without dropping any speed because it won’t work otherwise. He will be running to the sideline on every punt return just like the previous few so-called return guys.
August 3rd, 2025 at 11:50 pm
If we don’t make a spot for him someone will. He is just too elusive for someone not to pick him up. Licht and Bowles have a way of eyeing talent others miss. I bet they have plans for the young man. I don’t care about his size. The guy is almost untouchable in the open and that is very useful in this game. And 4.5 while not blazing, IS fast enough.
August 4th, 2025 at 6:53 am
Gotta go with the flow here. He’s too small. While he might have good hands and can catch the football, he has to be on the field to do it.
At 154, he’ll never last the season.
August 4th, 2025 at 7:15 am
Nailed it Joe! Needs to get back with some lightning speed if he wants to make the 53.
Pun intended. LOL
Go Bucs!
August 4th, 2025 at 7:29 am
Well, here’s hoping he plays Saturday Night.
August 4th, 2025 at 8:21 am
Maybe Tez is one of those guys where he needs someone chasing him to tackle and crush him to run fast? Like if JJ Watt was chasing him during his 40 he would have ran it in 4.25? lol.
August 4th, 2025 at 8:27 am
Players like Tez are great for about eight games while they’re healthy. Beyond that, the outcome is usually predictable—he’ll get hurt. He’s simply too small. He might last a few years, but long-term success is unlikely. He’s just not built to withstand all the physical impact.
August 4th, 2025 at 11:00 am
Tez is 30 pounds less than Antonio. One hand on him and he goes down, unless he’s uncommonly strong. He has to go horizontal on the punt returns unless there’s a huge gap. I have a hard time seeing it work out!
Are there any NFL punt returners who make a difference nowadays?
August 4th, 2025 at 1:31 pm
He does need to get back but I don’t think a roster spot is in doubt.
They are gonna find out what he can do in a game. Period.
Way too much to like and Grizzard to play with for there to be doubt because he has an injury.
August 4th, 2025 at 1:39 pm
@LakelandBuc you misspelled 300lbs lol
August 4th, 2025 at 1:54 pm
That 4.51 40 time is bogus, his college tape shows someone a lot faster than that as he runs away from corners. Also, I can’t remember the exact number now, but he hit over 22mph during a game, if I recall, in the NFL it would have been the 4th fasted recorded time on the season – something like that.
Also, said it before, but he’s got a big benefit over most of the small WRs in that he’s tall at 5′ 10″ – and on tape that shows up, as he just looked like a normal WR once all his pads on are – he doesn’t look like Thompkins for example, who always looked like a tiny guy because he was shorter.
At the same time, that very low weight will mean he gets knocked around at the line if the other teams press, so you need to be creative about getting him into space, but I’m really interested to see if he can be more than a kick/punt returner. His college tape looks so good, it’s hard to think he can’t contribute in the passing game.