TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The injuries to Chris Godwin Jr. and Jalen McMillan are going to seriously test the depth of the Bucs’ wide receiver room.
Mike Evans, Emeka Egbuka, and Sterling Shepard will likely serve as the team’s top three wideouts, but after that, it’s anyone’s guess. One name to keep an eye on is Ryan Miller.
The third-year receiver is off to a hot start this preseason, reeling in six catches for 66 yards in the Bucs’ win over the Tennessee Titans. Miller also proved last year he could step up in a pinch, finishing the 2024 season with 12 catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns.
“Ryan is smart, he’s reliable, he’s tough, he has great hands, he’s going to block when you need him to block, he’s going to get open when you need him to get open, he’s a very good special teams player,” said Bucs head coach Todd Bowles. “His confidence has grown from year one until now. Coming out of college as a free agent tight end and playing wide receiver, you see the toughness, but his work ethic has changed. I kind of knew he arrived when he cut his hair because he had been walking around a little crazy before, but now he’s kind of settled in and become a little mini vet right now. So that’s a good thing.”
Miller was originally a tight end in college who converted to wide receiver when transitioning to the NFL. He said his biggest area of growth since signing with the Bucs in 2023 has been his consistency.
“I will say my rookie year,” Miller said. “I don’t think I was entirely ready to play in the NFL. I was still developing – because obviously, I played tight end in college so transitioning to NFL wide receiver, I guess was a little bit different for me, having to work against outside cornerbacks and stuff like that. But being consistent, working on my craft, I had a good offseason this past offseason, just working out. I would throw with Baker [Mayfield] about once or twice a week, so I was here prepping for the season.”
Miller and the rest of the Bucs players fighting for a roster spot will get one final chance to make a good impression in Tampa Bay’s preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.
