Frail size and a disappointing showing at the NFL Combine caused Tez Johnson to slip to the seventh round in the 2025 NFL Draft, but so far, nothing has been able to slow the speedster down.
"I think a lot of people are shocked by how fast I am when I'm playing football, because it may not seem like that from the combine," Johnson said after Sunday's practice. "I definitely use my speed to my advantage, for sure."
Heading into his second season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the former Oregon Ducks wideout is only gaining confidence while putting together an impressive training camp. As a rookie, Johnson saw the field in spurts, but still wound up second on the team with five touchdowns. He may not have been ready last year for a sizable role
offensively, but everything has changed this offseason.
Johnson has already hauled in multiple touchdowns early in camp from both starting quarterback Baker Mayfield and backup (and former Washington Husky) Jake Browning. The Buccaneers have trusted Johnson's game-breaking speed that he showed with the Ducks, and it's led to massive plays for the offense in camp.
"I think my confidence is just higher than last year," Johnson said. Last year, I was just trying to feel it out and I got kind of thrown in the fire a little earlier than what I expected. (I'm) coming back with the confidence. Having that playing time from last year, it just gave me the confidence that I needed."
TEZ JOHNSON TD! WHAT A CATCH AND WHAT A FLIP
— NFL (@NFL) October 12, 2025
SFvsTB on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/UtKZZW6YXw
Johnson spent two seasons at Oregon, playing one with his adopted brother Bo Nix and the other with Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel. He holds the record for most catches in a season by a Duck with 86 in 2023, and the second-most as well with 83 catches the following season. He also posted 1,123 yards in 2023, good for the third-most in a single season by an Oregon receiver, trailing only Dillon Mitchell and Troy Franklin.
The doubts that surrounded Johnson's career after he left Oregon have been silenced. His 5-foot-10, 165-pound frame may leave him underestimated, but he made defense pay for that mentality with long catches last season, winding up with 28 grabs for 322 yards as a rookie.
With veteran Mike Evans now out of the building, Johnson still has several names in front of him on the depth chart, but a regular role in the offense is quickly opening up with his work in training camp, thanks to his experience being tossed into the mix last season.
On Thursday, Johnson hauled in a long touchdown pass from Browning over a defender and did his signature acrobatics in the end zone, landing a backflip to wow the training camp audience.
Tez Johnson backflips are officially back 😎 pic.twitter.com/tFcR7KozjK
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) July 30, 2026
"I think it's kind of just how I've been my whole life, the Energizer Bunny," he said. "I love playing football and the game. I always tell people all the time that if they took all the money away, I would still play football. I just love the game."
That's the attitude that can earn a player a roster spot, or even a bigger role on offense. Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles isn't worried about the injury risk of the backflips, as long as Johnson continues making plays and keeps the vibes high.
"He brings energy every day," Bowles said. "He's the energizer of the bunch. Whether he's doing backflips, whether it's singing, whether it's just being exciting, whether it's his cleats or anything else, he brings a lot of flair out here and keeps everybody on their toes."
Bowles noted how Johnson's understanding of the offense has progressed moving into his second campaign. While he remains a vertical threat because of his speed, there could be some opportunities for Johnson to shine when the field shrinks as well.
On Sunday, Johnson scored on a shallow crosser in the red area, connecting with Mayfield over the middle for the score. Mayfield and Johnson have developed chemistry in camp, but he's made himself a go-to target in camp by watching Mayfield and Browning operate and adapting, much like he did at Oregon with Nix and Gabriel in the gun.
"As a receiver, you just need to be in the right spot and be friendly to the quarterback," Johnson said. "Just gain trust every time you catch the ball. Every time I catch the ball from each one of those guys, the trust in me for them goes up. I try to do that every single day and just be friendly to them and thank God they trust me to catch the ball for them."
Any great offense in the NFL needs speed on the outside, and Johnson certainly brings it to Tampa Bay as one of, if not the fastest option on the team. No, Johnson likely won't eclipse the 1,000-yard mark this season or be the focal point in the offense like he was in Eugene. But with plenty of quickness and a knack for being a quarterback's best friend, Johnson could take a sophomore leap with the Buccaneers in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: 'Energizer Bunny;' Tez Johnson shining with Buccaneers in training camp
