With fall camp upon us, it’s time to dive into my predictions for the WR and TE positions for the upcoming 2020 season! Down below, I’ll lay out a “two-deep” at every position as I project who the starter will be and the immediate backup/backups at each spot come the start of the season. (Whenever that may be…) Without further ado, let’s get after it!
Wide Receiver – A Matter of Depth…
Starter (Z): Randall St. Felix
Backup: Xavier Weaver
Starter (X): Latrell Williams
Backup: DeVontres Dukes
Starter (Slot): Bryce Miller
Backup: Terrance Horne
Mike’s Take: With Eddie McDoom and Jernard Phillips electing to opt-out for the 2020 season, the position will now lean on its depth to carry the receiver room throughout the year. RSF and Miller feel like safe bets to start at the Z and Slot spots with the X receiver (McDoom would’ve been my choice if he didn’t opt out) coming down to who the staff likes best on the other side. Do they go with the speed option in Williams or go tall with DeVontres Dukes? It’ll be a toss-up here before Week 1, but keep an eye out for backups like Xavier Weaver and Terrance Horne. Receiver has/always will be a position where the staff goes with the “hot-hand” so this position may vary throughout the year.
Tight End – 1A/1B
Starter: Jacob Mathis
Backup: Mitchell Brinkman
Mike’s Take: I’ll give the nod to Mathis over Brinkman (due to his experience on the roster) while also emphasizing that this position should look like 1A/1B in terms of playing time. Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. utilized two TEs often during his tenure at FAU and I expect more of the same here in Tampa. Brinkman, the graduate transfer from Northern Illinois is a solid addition to the TE room and I believe that both him and Mathis will be utilized frequently in this offense.
Feel free to @ me on Twitter @mic_Cusi or comment down below if you agree or disagree with any of my predictions! Be sure to tune in next week as I uncover my depth chart predictions for the OL and DL positions!