Chris Godwin

Godwin has a three-year streak of 1,000-yard seasons and six in a row with at least 840 yards, despite missing two-to-four games each year from 2019 to 2022. Last season was his first time avoiding absences since he became a full-time starter in 2019, but it was also his worst effort in the five-year stretch for per-game production. Godwin averaged 4.9 catches for 60.2 yards per game, down from 6.9 for 68.2 the year before and 7.0 for 78.8 in 2021. He also scored just three touchdowns (including one on the ground) for a second straight season, and had 10 receiving TDs and two rushing TDs in 46 regular-season appearances over the past three years. Known for his excellent work out of the slot combined with a physical profile (6-1, 209, 4.42 40) that allows him to also succeed on the perimeter, Godwin surprisingly took just 32 percent of his snaps inside last year, down from 60 percent in 2022 and 53 percent in 2021. The Bucs attributed it to an effort to keep him healthy, though new offensive coordinator Liam Coen has already said he's moving the 28-year-old back to a primary slot role. That's the first piece of good news, with the other being that the Bucs are bringing back QB Baker Mayfield and didn't acquire significant new target competition for Godwin and Mike Evans in free agency. Whoever ends up in the No. 3 role -- be it Trey Palmer or someone new -- figures to spend more time on the perimeter, allowing Godwin to align in the slot where both his target rate and catch rate tend to be higher.

Godwin's well-rounded skillset and primary slot role would seem to make him relatively QB-proof compared to other wide receivers, but the Bucs may be pushing it with their upcoming QB battle between veteran retread Baker Mayfield and 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask. While last year's highly disappointing season for the Bucs didn't prevent Godwin from catching 100 passes for the first time, it did contribute to a career lows in yards per catch (9.8) and yards per target (7.2) as well as a miserly total of three touchdowns. As did a perhaps quick return from a 2021 ACL injury. Mike Evans held up somewhat better from an efficiency standpoint, buoyed by one massive game, though he finished with 15 fewer targets than Godwin in the same number of games (15). Target competition improved for Godwin in August when Russell Gage suffered a season-ending injury in training camp, but it's the quality of the targets that truly concerns for Godwin's age-27 season ahead.

Apart from injuries, the Brady Era has been kind to Godwin, starting with an injury-plagued 2020 that ultimately ended in Super Bowl glory. He signed a franchise tag last offseason, and appeared to increase his value with a big year until an ACL/MCL tear in Week 15 fouled things up. Godwin nonetheless finished with a career-high 98 catches, and he signed a three-year, $60 million contract in March after the Bucs used a franchise tag again. Godwin figures to have high- quality QB play for at least one more season, albeit with the added challenge of first completing his rehab from a serious, late-season injury. His return to Tampa Bay also means at least one more year sharing targets with talented teammates, subbing Russell Gage and Julio Jones for Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski (reitred). It's Godwin's recovery from knee surgery that reigns supreme, as his combination of physical talent (4.42 40 at 209 pounds) and reliability means he'll see the ball whenever he's healthy. He avoided the PUP list at the start of training camp, suggesting he has a chance to be ready for Week 1.

Plagued by hamstring and finger injuries, Godwin missed four games last year, but he was the same dynamic, productive receiver when he was on the field, averaging 10.0 YPT, catching four passes of 40-plus yards and scoring seven times in 12 games. The problem for Godwin was volume - 84 targets in 12 games prorates to 112 in a full season, a big drop from 2019 when he had 121 in 14 games. Tom Brady should again preside over a pass-heavy offense, but Mike Evans is another bona fide No. 1 WR, the team re-upped Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown, O.J. Howard should be back from a knee injury and speedster Scotty Miller could also have a role. Nonetheless, Godwin is arguably the team's best receiver. At 6-1, 209, he has above-average size, excellent hands and runs good routes, mostly from the slot, but occasionally on the outside. He'll play out 2021 under a franchise tender, potentially hitting free agency next offseason are he and the Bucs were unable to work out a long-term contract before the July 15 deadline.

Godwin had a monster season in every respect despite missing the final two games of 2019 with a hamstring injury. On only 121 targets, he put up an 86-1,333-9 line, leading 100-target receivers with 11.0 YPT. (Kenny Golladay was a distant second at 10.3). Godwin didn't catch many deep balls (three grabs of 40-plus), but he led the league with 25 catches of 20 or more yards in only 14 games. And while he also didn't see much red-zone work (14 targets, T-21st), he was tied for fourth with 10 inside-the-10 targets. As a result, only Golladay and Cooper Kupp caught more touchdowns. At 6-1, 209, Godwin is big for the slot, where he usually lines up, and he has good speed (4.42 40). He's also quick, explosive and has excellent hands (one drop last year). The biggest issue for Godwin is Tom Brady replacing the erratic but highly productive Jameis Winston. While Winston led the NFL with 30 interceptions, he also had 33 TDs and 5,109 yards, making him an ideal option for his receivers' fantasy output, despite being far less than that for the Buccaneers. While Brady in his age-43 season will make fewer mistakes and likely lean heavily on Godwin out of the slot, he'll also take fewer risks, which likely means fewer big plays for both Godwin and co-No. 1 Mike Evans. Moreover, should un-retired tight end Rob Gronkowski stay healthy, he'll siphon some of last year's targets from the wide receivers, particularly in the red zone. But coach Bruce Arians will almost certainly have a more open attack than last year's receiver-depleted Patriots, and a prime-age, 24-year-old Godwin should be in line for another big season, especially if Brady defaults to short, quick throws like he did the last few years.

Few players had a better offseason than Godwin - at least as far as their fantasy prospects were concerned. Both DeSean Jackson (74 targets) and Adam Humphries (105) are gone, replaced only by Breshad Perriman, an athletic 2015 first-round pick who has never quite caught on in the league. Moreover, GM Jason Licht compared Godwin's upcoming role to Larry Fitzgerald's, hinting at many of the slot snaps and targets that went to Humphries last year. Finally, head coach Dirk Koetter is gone, replaced by the more aggressive Bruce Arians, though last year's offensive coordinator and play caller Todd Monken could be missed. At 6-1, 209, Godwin has above-average size to go with 4.42 speed. He averaged a robust 8.9 YPT and 14.3 YPC on 95 targets a year ago and dropped only two passes the entire season. Mike Evans is still the team's top target and likely red-zone hog, and rising star TE O.J. Howard will chip in for big plays and looks around the goal line. But Jameis Winston will sling the ball around plenty in Arians' presumably pass-happy offense, and Godwin should set a career high in targets.

After doing nothing for the first eight games of his career, Godwin saw increased work in the second half of his rookie season, and the results were promising - 15.4 YPC, 9.5 YPT. From Weeks 10-17, he had four games of 68 or more yards and showed the ability to stretch the field. Godwin exploded for 111 yards and a touchdown Week 17, the second time he exceeded 10 targets. At 6-1, 209, and with 4.42 speed, Godwin is bigger and faster than most wideouts, and he's also quick and athletic. The biggest issue for Godwin is the presence of Mike Evans entrenched as the team's target hog, along with DeSean Jackson who is still the fastest wideout on the team and its most dangerous deep threat. But Bucs GM Jason Licht indicated Godwin showed enough to push for a bigger role, and the team raved about Godwin at OTAs, so there's a good chance he supplants slot man Adam Humphries in three-wide formations. Just be aware that the Tampa Bay offense is likely to struggle in September, as Jameis Winston will be suspended the first three weeks for games against the Saints, Eagles and Steelers.

The Buccaneers' third-round draft pick, Godwin has a shot to see targets sooner rather than later. The Bucs receiving corps is deeper than it was last year with the addition of DeSean Jackson, but Jackson's slight frame precludes him from ever being a high-volume player, and Mike Evans can't see all of Jameis Winston's other targets. Enter Godwin, who at 6-1, 205, has decent size and good (4.42 40) speed. He also put on a show at the NFL Combine -- 36-inch vertical, 126-inch broad jump. Godwin has excellent hands and good ball skills, and this offseason trained with former Lion Calvin Johnson to work on the finer points of his game. Godwin is likely to be the team's third WR -- though he will have to beat out veteran Adam Humphries -- and both tight ends, O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate, will also see looks.