The Buccaneers are believers in Trey Palmer

The young receiver is looking for an even better sophomore season

Buccaneers brass are at the NFL scouting combine this week and both Jason Licht and Todd Bowles spoke to the media and one thing that is glaringly obvious is that they are big fans of one player in particular. Thats wide receiver Trey Palmer.

Palmer, a sixth round pick by Tampa Bay in the 2023 NFL draft, had a solid rookie season which included him being thrust right into the role of WR3 after Russell Gage suffered a season ending injury in training camp.

Palmer stepped up and had a solid rookie season with 39 catches, 385 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He also stepped up in the postseason, having a 56 yard touchdown in the wild card round. The man who traded up for and picked him, Jason Licht is a big fan of Palmer’s game.

“Trey [Palmer] did some outstanding things for us. He’s obviously very fast. He’s learned multiple positions for us – that’s always tough on a rookie – but he put a lot of effort into it. [He] made some big plays for us, and so he’s somebody that can take it off the top for us. We need speed, we need more speed like that, he did a nice job, [and] Rakim Jarrett too. We are looking forward to him coming back this year too, his second year off the injury at the end of the year.”

Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Licht is correct in his assessment that the Bucs could use more speed on offense. The NFL today is all about getting guys in space and letting them do the rest. Palmer certainly has that speed ability, which is a big reason why they are high on the receiver heading into his second season.

The general manager is not the only one who is a fan of Palmer. Head coach Todd Bowles spoke about him as well and while he did acknowledge some of the rookie’s short comings, he is also excited about his future.

“Obviously, he had a few drops, but Trey is a very tough and talented player. I think the sky is the limit for him. Route running can always be better as a rookie. I think the NFL season is a shocker. It’s a little longer than the college season, longer than they expect. I think the training he’ll do this offseason will prepare him for next year. I thought he had a very good rookie year, especially getting him that late. He wasn’t afraid of the situation, he’s a smart football player, he’s a talented football player, and I think he knows how good he can really be.”

Palmer figures to be a key piece of Tampa Bay’s offense regardless of whether Mike Evans is back or not. With a new offensive coordinator in town, it will be interesting to see how Palmer is used this upcoming season. The Buccaneers are fully supporting Palmer and the sky is the limit for the young receiver as he enters his second season in the NFL.