Last season, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers started the year, it seemed that their Super Bowl aspirations were not out of the question. Quickly, their season made a complete 180, and the Buccaneers finished 8-9, narrowly missing the playoffs.
One of the main storylines was franchise legend Mike Evans missing games throughout the year with injuries, and it was the first time in his career that he did not eclipse 1,000 receiving yards. Evans had been a pillar of the Buccaneers since being drafted in 2014, but with his departure in free agency, Tampa Bay must find his replacement.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Hosting De’Zhaun Stribling on Top-30 Visit
With Evans’ departure in free agency, the Buccaneers are left with Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillan as the top starting options for next season. This is a decent group, but Egbuka had a late-season slump, Godwin has dealt with significant injuries in recent years, and McMillan is more of an unproven commodity.
If the Buccaneers want quarterback Baker Mayfield to bounce back after an inconsistent year, getting him more weapons would be a smart decision, so wide receiver will be a need entering the 2026 NFL Draft.
Tampa Bay could address the position early in the draft, but given the team’s defensive needs and the fact that the Buccaneers selected Egbuka in the first round last year, they may wait to add another rookie receiver.
That player could be Ole Miss’ De’Zhaun Stribling, and Tampa Bay is hosting the receiver on a top-30 visit, per Evan Winter:
“Source tells A to Z Sports the Bucs are hosting Ole Miss WR De’Zhaun Stribling on a top-30 visit. The 6-foot-2, 207-pound receiver is coming off back-to-back seasons of 50+ catches, 800+ receiving yards, and six TDs (in each season). The X receiver is projected to be a Day 2 pick.”
Source tells A to Z Sports the Bucs are hosting Ole Miss WR De’Zhaun Stribling on a top-30 visit.
The 6-foot-2, 207-pound receiver is coming off back-to-back seasons of 50+ catches, 800+ receiving yards, and six TDs (in each season). The X receiver is projected to be a Day 2… — Evan Winter (@evan_AtoZ) March 16, 2026
Last season, Stribling was ranked 87th overall in PFSN’s CFB WR Impact Metric, and although that’s not great, what he did when he got the ball has made teams very interested.
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Stribling is a 6-foot-2 receiver who can win contested catches and, once he gets the ball, speed past defenders. He is also very difficult to tackle. For the Buccaneers, he has the potential to be a starter right away and could be a big weapon for Mayfield.
