Buccaneers Wide Receiver/Return Specialist Could Be ‘Pushed Out’ in Trade

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in quite a different world when it comes to wide receivers in 2025 than they were for most of 2024.

After injuries decimated the wide receivers room and saw Pro Bowlers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin out for extended periods of time — Godwin for the final 10 games of the regular season — there was a vacuum created that almost swallowed the Buccaneers’ season whole.

Were it not been for the stellar play of tight end Cade Otton and rookie running back Bucky Irving picking up the slack for the wide receivers, the Buccaneers may very well have had their streak of consecutive playoff appearances snapped.

That didn’t happen. Evans returned for the stretch run, rookie Jalen McMillan finally stepped up down the stretch and Tampa Bay was in the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season.

With Godwin back healthy and Tampa Bay’s first round pick (No. 19 overall), Emeka Egbuka, looking like a plug and play starter at any of the 3 wide receiver spots, the Buccaneers now find themselves with an abundance of talent at the position.

That could set up a trade that could bring the Buccaneers back a late round pick in exchange for third-year wide receiver/return specialist Trey Palmer if Tampa Bay can identify a trade partner in need of a WR3 or punt returner.

Deep WR Room Doesn’t Bode Well for Palmer

Logan Ulrich of NFL Trade Rumors put Palmer among the top wide receiver trade candidates in the NFL headed into training camp.

“Palmer had some flashes as a deep threat as a rookie but could be pushed out in a deep Tampa Bay receiving corps,” Ulrich wrote. “The Bucs drafted two rookies this year and return their top four receivers from last season.”

Palmer won a College Football Playoff National Championship at LSU in 2019 and was an All-Big Ten pick at Nebraska in 2022 before the Buccaneers drafted him in the sixth round (No. 191 overall) of the 2023 NFL draft. He had 39 receptions for 385 yards and 3 touchdowns as a rookie in 2023 but saw his offensive output take a dip to 12 receptions for 172 yards and 1 touchdown in 2024.

While Palmer’s dip in numbers is concerning, he also took over full time punt return duties in 2024 — something that may have impacted his role in the passing game.

Buccaneers Drafted 3 Wide Receivers Last 2 Seasons

The Buccaneers have loaded up on wide receivers in the NFL draft over the last 2 seasons. They drafted McMillan in the third round (No. 92 overall) in 2024 and used their first and last picks in 2025 on wide receivers with Egbuka and Oregon’s Tez Johnson in the seventh round (No. 235 overall).

With Egbuka and McMillan on the active roster, along with Evans and Godwin, that leaves Palmer, Johnson, Sterling Shepard and Ryan Miller to duke it out for the final 2 spots — Johnson could very well take Palmer’s spot returning punts as well.

Of all those wide receivers, McMillan was playing the best football at the end of the season — he had 7 of his 8 touchdown receptions over the final 5 games of the season, including at least one touchdown catch in all 5 games.