Offensive line was the priority for the Buccaneers entering the 2020 NFL draft, and the team was able to trade up a spot to get Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs with the 13th pick, which probably made Tom Brady breathe a little easier.

After the Bucs added running back depth in round three by selecting Vanderbilt’s Ke’Shawn Vaughn, it seemed the Bucs had addressed all their pressing needs on offense. Then, the team surprised some by using their fifth-round pick on Minnesota wide receiver Tyler Johnson. The Bucs have the perfect combo in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, so why go after a receiver?

To answer that question, you just have to look back at how the 2019 season ended for the Bucs and their two Pro Bowl receivers. While Evans tied Hall of Famer Randy Moss for the most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons to begin a career (6), his season ended in Week 14’s win over the Colts, when he came up limping with a hamstring injury following a touchdown catch. One week later against the Detroit Lions, Godwin came up limping with a hamstring injury of his own, ending his season as well.

But the big story was what happened over the last three weeks with third receiver Breshad Perriman. Getting the start in Evans’ place in Week 15 against the Lions, Perriman had the first 100-yard receiving game of his NFL career, finishing with 113 receiving yards and three touchdowns. It was the first of three-straight 100-yard games Perriman would have to end the season, the last two of which came while Evans and Godwin were both out.

That proved to the Bucs that they needed that third option at receiver in case Evans and Godwin both went down again towards the end of the season, when playoff races are tight. It’s no surprise then that they took Johnson, who at 6-foot-2 is the same height as Perriman. And with Perriman’s departure to the Jets, the Bucs needed someone who could slide right in and be that third option. Johnson fits that mold, and, hopefully, will be able to put up big numbers of his own when called upon.