SR’s Fab 5: Bucs Training Camp Sleepers For 2022

Bucs WR Deven Thompkins – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR

SR’s Fab 5 is a collection of reporting and analysis on the Bucs from yours truly, Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds. Here are four things that caught my attention this week, plus some random tidbits in my Buc Shots section at the end. Enjoy!

FAB 1. Bucs Sleepers On Offense Heading Into Training Camp

With a Super Bowl-ready roster, it will be harder than ever for newcomers or fringe talent to crack the Bucs’ final 53 this year. Here are three underdogs on offense who could defy the odds and surprise with a great training camp. Will anyone from this trio of Bucs do enough to win a roster spot or a spot on the practice squad? Or will the amount of talent that general manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles have assembled be too great to overcome?

WR Deven Thompkins – Small Spark Plug Could Ignite Special Teams

When the head coach singles an undrafted free agent out and says he’s excited to see him in training camp, that’s not a good thing. It’s a great thing. Bucs head coach Todd Bowles mentioned Thompkins when asked that question right before summer break. Thompkins did have an electrifying offseason during the rookie mini-camp, OTAs and the mandatory mini-camp. The Utah State product flashed his 4.35 speed and sticky hands in practice after practice and has become a real sleeper to possibly make the team.

Thompkins was one of four undrafted free agent receivers the Bucs signed in May. He was the second-leading receiver in college football with 102 catches for 1,704 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Bucs also signed the leading receiver in Western Kentucky’s Jerreth Sterns, who had 150 catches for 1,902 yards and 17 TDs. But Sterns sat out half of the OTAs and the entire mini-camp with an injury. That allowed Thompkins more reps to really stand out.

At 5-foot-7, 167 pounds, Thompkins is the smallest Bucs player on the roster. Sterns, who is also 5-foot-7, weighs 183 pounds, which is 16 pounds heavier. But what separates Thompkins is his return ability. He averaged 24.9 yards per kick return and 14.3 yards per punt return with a touchdown. Thompkins will battle Jaelon Darden for the return duties as well as a reserve receiver spot.

The Bucs have 13 wide receivers on the roster and will likely keep six or seven. Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage are locks. There is a chance Thompkins can beat out the other undrafted receivers as well as either Darden or Scotty Miller and steal a roster spot. If not, he’ll be a prime practice squad candidate with a great camp and preseason.

TE Codey McElroy – It’s Now Or Never For McElroy

The odds are stacked against McElroy making the 2022 Bucs roster. Starter Rob Gronkowski is expected to re-sign prior to training camp. Veteran Cam Brate returns to fill the No. 2 tight end spot. The Bucs just drafted a pair of tight ends in fourth-rounder Cade Otton and Ko Kieft in the sixth round. With Tampa Bay traditionally keeping four tight ends, there doesn’t seem to be room for McElroy.

But the Bucs have kept the 6-foot-6, 255-pounder around on the practice squad since 2019 for a reason. McElroy is big and athletic. And sometimes, the patience pays off, as it did for wide receiver Cyril Grayson Jr. The former LSU track star developed on the practice squad for three years before emerging as a key contributor down the stretch last year. It took Grayson several years to learn the game of football behind the scenes.

The same can be said of McElroy, who turns 30 in December. He played baseball and basketball in college before walking on to the football team at Southeastern Oklahoma State during his final year. McElroy has had a lot of catching up to do in terms of learning how to play tight end, especially at the NFL level.

In addition to competing against Kieft, McElroy must beat out a pair of undrafted free agents in Ben Beise and J.J. Howland. Consistently catching the ball and showing some grit and effectiveness as a run blocker are a must for McElroy in camp. But his advantage is that he’s been in the Bucs offense for three years now. The time is now for McElroy to rise to the occasion.

G Sadarius Hutcherson – Uphill Climb For Hutcherson At Crowded Guard Spot

The Bucs were quite high on Hutcherson, an undrafted free agent guard out of South Carolina last year. While his pass protection needed a lot of work, Hutcherson’s punch and power in the run game was evident in training camp. He really turned some heads during a few practices with his strength and brute force. A preseason ACL injury prematurely ended his rookie season and set back his development. Hutcherson was placed on injured reserve last August.

Bucs G Sadarius Hutcherson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

His rehab caused him to miss the OTAs and mini-camp, which put Hutcherson behind in his development. The 6-foot-3, 321-pounder will be cleared for camp, but he’ll have a lot of catching up to do. Guard is one of the most stacked positions on Tampa Bay’s 2022 roster. There are 10 interior offensive linemen on the team vying for five or six spots.

Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen and right guard Shaq Mason are locks to make the team. Veteran Aaron Stinnie will also make the roster, as will second-round pick Luke Goedeke and last year’s fourth-rounder Robert Hainsey. Those three are battling for the starting left guard spot. That leaves one potential open spot with Hutcherson battling Nick Leverett, John Molchon and Curtis Blackwell for it.

Leverett is versatile enough to play center and tackle as well as guard. That, plus the fact that he saw some action last year at Indianapolis, gives him the edge heading into training camp. Hutcherson doesn’t have that experience or versatility. He will truly need to stand out as an exceptional guard to make the roster or the practice squad. Hutcherson must get healthy, stay healthy, rapidly improve in pass protection and kick some ass in training camp.

FAB 2. Bucs Sleepers On Defense Heading Into Training Camp

Tampa Bay’s defense is just as stacked as the offense when it comes to talent. Here are three young Bucs at three different positions that have a chance to stand out – and possibly stick on the 53-man roster – with a great camp.

OLB Elijah Ponder – Former DT Has Embraced Livin’ On The Edge

Ponder played 3-technique defensive tackle at Cincinnati in college, where he weighed 275 pounds. He switched positions once he signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent in 2021. Ponder is now playing outside linebacker, having lost 35 pounds over the last two offseasons. The Bucs liked his quickness and ability to penetrate in college ,where he notched 12 tackles for loss and four sacks.

Bucs OLB Elijah Ponder – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Tampa Bay also liked his physicality. Ponder is a hard hitter and plays with a mean streak. He’s taken on the challenge of learning a distinctly new position quite well and was running with the second team defense with Anthony Nelson out during the OTAs with a minor injury. Ponder and Cam Gill got a lot of reps during the offseason behind Shaq Barrett and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.

Ponder spent most of the 2021 season on the Bucs practice squad. That made him eligible to participate in this year’s rookie mini-camp because he didn’t accrue an NFL season last year. That extra weekend also aided Ponder’s development. Because of his defensive tackle background, Ponder taking on a new position as an edge rusher is quite remarkable.

With Barrett, Tryon-Shoyinka and Nelson locks to make the team, the battle is on for a fourth and perhaps fifth outside linebacker. Gill made the team last year as a fifth outside linebacker in part due to special teams. That’s an area Ponder must master this summer. Not only will Ponder be battling Gill for a reserve edge rusher role, but he’ll also have to take on seventh-round pick Andre Anthony and undrafted free agents JoJo Ozougwu and Jordan Young.

CB Rashard Robinson – Will His Speed On Special Teams Be Enough?

The Bucs love LSU players and have six on their current roster, including three on defense. Robinson might be the least known. The six-year veteran played for Todd Bowles in New York from 2016-17. He’s recorded 87 tackles, 15 pass breakups, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble in his six years in the NFL.

Bucs CB Rashard Robinson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

He joined the Bucs’ practice squad on Sept. 20, 2021 and was promoted to the active roster a month later. Robinson recorded two tackles on defense and two stops on special teams. A broken hand kept him out of the OTAs and mini-camp. That certainly didn’t help his cause, especially with reserve cornerback Dee Delaney having a great offseason on defense.

The Bucs cornerbacks that will be on the roster include Carlton Davis III, Jamel Dean, Sean Murphy-Bunting and rookie Zyon McCollum. Battling for the fifth spot – and perhaps sixth spot, depending on special teams – will be Delaney, Ross Cockrell and undrafted free agents Kyler McMichael and Don Gardner.

McCollum figures to be one gunner. Robinson excelled as a gunner late last year. At 6-foot-1, 177 pounds, Robinson has the ideal height that the Bucs are looking for. He might also be the fastest Buccaneer, according to fellow Tampa Bay speedster Cyril Grayson Jr. That’s high praise coming from the former LSU track star.

DL Mike Greene – Can The Greene Machine Roll On To The Roster?

Greene is one of the newest additions to Tampa Bay. He signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent after a tryout during the team’s rookie mini-camp. Hailing from James Madison, which is the same school as Aaron Stinnie, Greene was a two-time All-American.

Bucs DT Mike Greene – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

He logged 177 tackles, 39 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in his Dukes career. Greene was a four-year starter and his best season in terms of sack production came in 2019 when he notched 7.5 sacks. The 6-foot-3, 293-pounder had five sacks and 12 tackles for loss last year in addition to a career-best 56 tackles.

Greene has already beaten one Bucs defensive tackle already. Tampa Bay cut Kobe Smith, who had been on the practice squad for two years, in order to make room for Greene on the roster after the draft. Greene plays like he belongs in the NFL. He looked quick and strong during the team’s OTAs and the mandatory mini-camp.

The Bucs will likely keep six – maybe seven – defensive linemen on the roster. Vita Vea, William Gholston, Akiem Hicks, Logan Hall and Rakeem Nunez-Roches are locks. So, there is room for one or two more. Special teams ace Patrick O’Connor is the front-runner for what could be the final spot. Greene will have to beat out veteran newcomer Deadrin Senat and a pair of practice-squaders in Willington Previlon and Benning Potoa’e to stick. His best bet might be to make the practice squad – unless he becomes a big factor on special teams.

FAB 3. More Than Meets Eye With This Bucs Transformer

One look at Bucs outside linebacker Elijah Ponder and it’s hard to think he played defensive tackle at the University of Cincinnati. He was a two-time All-American Athletic Conference selection, tallying 64 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles for the Bearcats.

When Ponder signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent last year, he was too light to play defensive tackle in the team’s 3-4 defense. At 6-foot-3, 272 pounds, Ponder didn’t have the frame to add much more weight.

Bucs OLB Elijah Ponder – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

But the Bucs liked his tape and made the radical decision to have him play outside linebacker. But with Todd Bowles prioritizing speed over size for his edge rushers, Ponder had to lose some weight in order to get quicker and faster.

So, Ponder began working with strength coach Anthony Piroli to rapidly remake his body.

“I weighed in the 270s and now I’m 240,” Ponder said. “It’s definitely been a transformation. A lot of people tell me they hardly recognize me. It’s crazy. But sometimes you have to do what’s uncomfortable to get where you’re trying to go. That’s the mindset I have. I’m just trying to work hard.

“When I arrived I was 272 and working with Coach AP, by the time camp rolled around, I was in the 250s. I changed my diet and how I ate and I started cutting down a little more. Once I got to 240, I’ve stayed at that and tried to be as solid as possible.”

The hard work has paid off. Ponder looks nothing like he did at Cincinnati or even in camp last year when he weighed 15 pounds more than he does now.

“Well, you can see the work in his body transformation,” Bowles said. “He puts in a lot of work here. Obviously, it means a lot to him. He’s here every day – he’s trying to do all the right things. Come training camp, we’re looking for a lot to see from him in preseason. We’re excited about him.”

Ponder has gotten so fast that when the Bucs were down a few players during the voluntary OTAs, he moved to inside linebacker for the first time to help the team out.

“I feel faster, I’m not going to lie. I’ll be watching film and it’s shocking,” Ponder said. “That weight loss and transition really helped me with my speed and my get-off.”

But if Ponder is going to make the team this year after spending last season on the practice squad, it will be as an outside linebacker. Ponder has really been working on his pass rush this offseason.

“I definitely feel like I’m way faster. During the offseason, I worked with Chuck Smith and Dez Walker working on my pass rush moves. Coming out from a two-point stance, in addition to a four-point stance. I’m just trying to sharpen my tools.

Bucs OLB Elijah Ponder – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I feel like my pass rush has improved. I’ve really elevated my game there to become a pass rusher. I still want to work on my coverage skills, so I still want to sharpen those. Coming from a 3-tech, dropping into coverage is kind of new. It’s very different, standing up as well. And it’s different not having your hand down. It’s something I’ve had to get comfortable with – the space, the timing. Everything is different.”

Ponder said he’s leaned on the veterans in the room to help his transition to edge rusher, mainly the Bucs’ two-time Pro Bowler.

“Shaq Barrett, I respect him a lot and his story. He’s helped me,” Ponder said. “The things he’s gone through as an undrafted free agent to where he is right now – I feel like it can be similar for me. He’s a good role model for me.”

Ponder racked up a few “sacks” during the OTAs and mini-camp, but is anxious to take a quarterback down for real in the preseason.

“It really gets physical when the pads come on in camp. You can do a few things out here, but you can only do so much,” Ponder said. “It’s definitely more physical when the pads come on. I can’t wait for that time to come. My physicality separates me from others. I’ve got to be confident and continue to be consistent with what I do.

“And I need to get to the quarterback when the preseason comes. If I get to the quarterback, I’ll be good. I had a fumble recovery last preseason and I got close to the quarterback a few times. This year, it’s going to be coming. I’m trying to lead the room in sacks during the preseason.”

FAB 4. Darden Playing Faster With A Better Grasp Of Bucs Playbook

Bucs receiver Jaelon Darden flashed during last year’s OTAs, mini-camp and even the start of training camp. The 5-foot-8, 174-pound receiver was the team’s fourth-round pick and he was routinely getting by Tampa Bay’s defensive backs.

Until the pads came on.

Then, Darden started to slow down when the hits started to come. The reason was that the North Texas receiver was unsure of what he was doing.

Bucs WR-PR Jaelon Darden – Photo by: USA Today

It’s one thing running wrong routes in practice when you won’t get hit. It’s different not being precise when defensive backs are looking to take your head off on any play.

The buzz around Darden fizzled in the preseason when he posted just seven catches for 72 yards – a pedestrian 10-yard average. He underwhelmed as a rookie receiver in the regular season, catching just six passes for 43 yards (7.0 avg.).

It turns out it was a big leap from North Texas, where Darden caught 74 passes for 1,190 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior.

“We are a different offense than what he did at North Texas,” Bucs receivers coach Kevin Garver said. “Everything was at the line, and everything was no-huddle. We ask our guys to understand a little bit more and put a little bit more on their plate. That was a transition for him, having to learn to do that.”

Darden agreed. He needed to put more work into learning the playbook and understanding the plays in the huddle.

“Definitely have to work on that. Coming from North Texas, there has been a big emphasis on learning how to be in the huddle,” Darden said. “I have to stay in there longer now and listen to key concepts and key words. I have to know the whole play. That’s what I’ve been working on the most. I’ve been knowing where to line up, where to get to and how to run my routes.

“I’ve been working hard. The playbook has been the emphasis for me. Getting in the playbook and learning the concepts and learning where TB (Tom Brady) wants me. Knowing my alignment and my assignment.”

The Bucs run option routes – also called choice routes – in which the receiver and the quarterback have to read the defensive coverage the same way literally a second or two into the play. Whether it’s man coverage or zone coverage allows the receiver to modify his route. And that tripped up Darden during his rookie year.

“Exactly, it’s reading the defenses,” Darden said. “Towards my senior year, I was reading some coverages, but before that I wasn’t seeing that. It was normally Cover 2, Cover 3 or press. But in the NFL, they do a lot of disguising. So, you have to pay attention to the top of the house, which is the safety. That is another thing I had to hone in on during the offseason.”

Once again, Darden flashed in the OTAs and in the preseason. But Darden looks like he’s playing faster than a year ago and running his routes more confidently this year because he knows what he’s doing.

Bucs WR-KR Jaelon Darden – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I think getting the experience, on-field experience – everybody learns differently,” Garver said. “Some guys can sit in the room, watch the film and then go on the field and execute it. And some guys can look at the picture and say, ‘Okay, this is what the route is. I can go do it.’ Some guys need to actually get those physical reps, and I think Jaelon probably fits in more to that category.”

Not having Chris Godwin and Russell Gage on the field increased Darden’s reps this offseason. When Scotty Miller and rookie Jerreth Sterns got hurt and missed some OTAs and the mini-camp, Darden got even more reps in practice.

“It’s good on good here, so you better be at your best when you come in here every rep,” Darden said. “I had to be sharper with my routes and I had to be smarter. Had to keep my head up because coverages may shift. There’s a lot going on.”

Darden didn’t get too many opportunities on offense last year, but when he did, he didn’t make the most of them. At Washington, Darden had a quick pass bounce right off his hands. That play turned into a costly first-quarter interception.

“Around that time, I was overthinking stuff. The majority of the time, it’s just about being comfortable,” Darden said. “When you’re not comfortable, you are a little hesitant about getting to a certain spot. You are hesitant to have the ball come to you. But now I understand the offense and I know I can get to somewhere full speed, sit down and have the ball coming on me hot because TB is putting it right on my chest. Now it’s just turning around and doing what I do after that. So, it’s a lot of me slowing the process down first.”

The Bucs will take 13 receivers to training camp and only Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage are locks to make the team. Darden will be fighting with 10 other receivers for a reserve spot, and he’ll be trying to keep his return specialist role. Armed with a much stronger grasp of the playbook, Darden needs to carry his momentum from the offseason into training camp – and not slow down.

“When you’re unsure, you play slow. But when you know, you play fast. It’s a big difference,” Darden said. “It’s way different. I can say that was me last year. I was unsure with certain things and where they wanted me and what they wanted me to do. Now I know where I have to be and what I have to do. So, it’s full speed for me right now. There’s no looking back.”

FAB 5. SR’s Buc Shots

• BUCS RULE THE NFC SOUTH: Not only do the Buccaneers have the most Super Bowl wins (two) in the NFC South, Tampa Bay also has more franchise playoff wins with 11. As former Pewter Reporter Taylor “Grizz” Jenkins points out, the Saints only have 10 playoff wins despite having Drew Brees at quarterback for 15 years.

• BRADY BLOWS BREES AWAY IN THE PLAYOFFS: Since Saints QB Drew Brees won a Super Bowl in 2009, he’s only won five playoff games. Tom Brady has only been with the Bucs for two seasons (since 2020), yet he already has five playoff wins with Tampa Bay. One of those came at Brees’ expense in the 2020 NFC Divisional Playoffs in a 30-20 win at New Orleans.

• BRADY’S BETTER THAN RODGERS: Tom Brady Facts, a popular Twitter account that chronicles the statistical milestones of the legendary Patriots and Bucs QB, stacks Brady’s record vs. Aaron Rodgers.

THIS WEEK’S PEWTER REPORT PODCASTS

• BUCS MINI-CAMP WRAP-UP ON THE PEWTER REPORT PODCAST: The Pewter Report Podcast is energized by CELSIUS and broadcasts four live episodes each week. Pewter Report Podcasts typically air on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 4:00 pm EST in the offseason.

Matt Matera and Scott Reynolds wrap up Bucs mini-camp with some final thoughts on Monday’s show.

Matera and Reynolds discuss Pewter Report’s choices for the mythical Bucs Mount Rushmore on Tuesday.

Wednesday’s show analyzed where the Bucs’ skill position players ranked, according to Matera.

On Thursday, Matera and Bailey Adams talked about the 10 craziest Bucs moments of 2022… so far.

FINAL VIDEO

• GET TO KNOW THOMPKINS: Former Utah State receiver Deven Thompkins generated some buzz this offseason during the Bucs OTAs and mini-camp. Here are some of his highlights from his senior season.

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