The 2024 season was a three-part tale of glory, turmoil, and redemption for the Buccaneers’ wide receiver corps. It teased the possibilities of a top-five finish for Chris Godwin and reminded everyone why Mike Evans is still one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, 11 record-breaking seasons on.
The season began with Godwin carrying the Bucs pass offense. Through seven games, he caught 50 passes for 576 yards and five touchdowns, putting him on pace to finish top-five in all three categories among wide receivers. Even after suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 7, Godwin posted the NFL’s best reception rate (83.3%) and was top-10 in yards per route run, yards after catch per reception, and NFL passer rating (minimum 35 targets). Godwin even posted a career-best zero dropped passes.
Godwin’s success was not shared by Mike Evans, who posted just 335 receiving yards through Week 7, which would have put him well short of getting an 11th-straight 1000-yard season. For the first half of the season, Evans simply was not the focal point of the offense as he had been his entire career.
Week 7 is where the story turns, as the Bucs lost Godwin for the season and Mike Evans to a hamstring injury for several weeks in a crushing loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Bucs faced a brutal three-game stretch in which Baker Mayfield relied on veteran Sterling Shepard and undrafted players like Ryan Miller and Rakim Jarrett.
Once Evans returned in Week 12, he reminded everyone who he was and what he could do. He broke a couple of records. First and foremost, he tied Jerry Rice’s record of 11 straight seasons with at least 1000 receiving yards. Evans also became the NFL’s all-time leader in defensive pass interference yardage in the regular season and playoffs (860) per FTN.
Though Godwin and Evans peaked at different points in the season, they proved they are among, if not the best, wide receiver tandem in the NFL.
That is why the Bucs will move heaven and earth to ensure Chris Godwin stays in Tampa Bay.
The continuity of Evans and Godwin is a major reason for the Bucs’ sustained offensive success over the last five years. Despite considerable turnover at offensive coordinator and quarterback, Evans and Godwin just make everyone right on offense.
Evans has another year on his extension, while Godwin’s expires this offseason. Due to the heavy borrowing, the Bucs did during the Brady years, Godwin has a dead cap hit of $18.8 million in 2025 per Over the Cap.
However, re-signing Godwin before the start of the league year would likely cost less than letting Godwin walk. At 29 years old and coming off a significant ankle injury, Godwin probably would command a salary similar to Cooper Kupp or Davante Adams, averaging between $25 and $30 million per year. While this would again require the use of void years and back-loading his contract, the Bucs could keep Godwin in Tampa Bay at a competitive price.
2025 also saw the rise of rookie Jalen McMillan, who started the season slow but came on as a viable scoring weapon down the stretch. In the last five games of the season, McMillan scored seven touchdowns. While he could be the Bucs’ WR2 if Godwin signed elsewhere, he would be a top-end WR3 next season playing behind Evans and Godwin.
The Trey Palmer experiment may have reached its untimely end. Despite the injuries to the wide receiver corps this season, Palmer was less productive and no more efficient than he was in 2023, catching just 12 passes for 172 yards compared to 39 catches for 385 yards and three touchdowns in 2023. He was also an ineffective punt return, averaging just 7.6 yards per return and muffing twice.
While the Bucs are sure to bring back some combination of Palmer, Shepard, Jarrett, and undrafted rookie Kameron Johnson, more talent is needed at the position to ensure against age and injury to Evans and Godwin. To bring back Godwin, the Bucs cannot afford to pay an up-and-coming receiver, so the draft will be their primary venue for acquisitions.
Iowa St. WR Jayden Higgins would add a little more size to a receiving corps that otherwise lacks it outside of Evans. He is a physical player known for his ability to make contested catches. While he is not the field stretcher that Evans is, he could be the next big target in the Bucs’ receiving arsenal.
While Utah St. WR Jalen Royals does not add much size to an NFL wide receiver room, his build and skill set are not dissimilar from Godwin’s. Royals averaged 3.0 yards per route run and 7.9 yards after the catch per reception, both top marks in this year’s receiver class.
Both Higgins and Royals could be targets for Tampa Bay on Day 2 of the draft. Though the Bucs are sure to emphasize adding defensive talent with their top picks, adding either prospect would simultaneously prepare for the future and reinforce the strength of the offense.