NFL Week 4 Practice Squad Power Rankings 2022: Buccaneers need to up the exact type of WR Tom Brady loves

Tom Brady has a lot on the football field. What he doesn’t do is discriminate against short receivers.

In fact, what Brady has loved more than anything in his 20-year NFL career is… the short pass catcher. From Troy Brown at 5-10 to Dion Branch at 5-9 and of course Wes Welker at 5-9 and Julian Edelman at 5-10 to Danny Amendola at 5-11 and Kevin at 5-8 from countless checkdowns. up to the fork. , 5-9 James White, and 5-7 Dion Lewis, Brady revealed as less affinity for the target than 6-0.

If there’s one quarterback who has characterized short receivers and can be trusted to routinely throw to those types with surgical precision, it’s Brady. I was.

That’s why the Buccaneers should not only feel comfortable, but promote Deven Thompkins, just five to seven wideouts from the practice team, this moment. OK, Mike Evans’ return from suspension this week has taken some of the pressure off the passing game. And Julio Jones has to face the Chiefs because he missed his last two weeks, but he’s 33 and dealing with his partially torn PCL. But Chris Godwin, who was injured against the Cowboys in Week 1, is showing no signs of returning anytime soon.

In the Bucks’ Week 3 home loss against the Packers, Russell Gage led the team with 12 catches for 87 yards. Yes, 7.3 yards per catch. Overall, Tampa Bay’s backup wideout group struggled against the stingy Packers secondary. Not completely shocking. But I expected a little more from something like veteran Scotty Miller, who recorded one catch for 4 yards. Alas, his 33-year-old Cole Beasley was sitting on the couch on Tuesday, and on Sunday he was targeted four times against Jaaire Alexander and his Co. No wonder Brady pressed the Buccaneers to sign him!

Tompkins would give Tampa Bay the young, fresh and surprisingly resilient wideout who threw for 1,704 yards on 102 receptions at Utah State last season. He’s not exactly a YAC specialist, he’s only forced off a tackle eight times in 2021. Additionally, Tompkins has dropped only five passes to 161 targets. Brady will love Tompkins’ reliability.

He ran a 4.44 and recorded a huge 11-foot long jump on pro day. And those workout metrics mean he recorded 20-plus-yard receptions (24) on his FBS last season. And guess what? The Buccaneers have only eight offensive plays of 20 yards or more in three contests. Only eight teams had fewer results.

It’s time to give the explosive, petite Tompkins a chance. Brady may hit him with his 10 targets in his NFL debut.

The PSPR callup tracker is humming. We have 6 calls in the young season (!), including 3 heading into week 4. Let’s keep it going, NFL front office.

An expanded 16-man practice team is the only good thing coming out of the pandemic and we’re here to stay in the NFL. I write about 16 people every Friday, 10 of him in the official ranking, and 6 honorable mentions.

But I will always stay true to The PSPR’s origins, which were meant to highlight younger players. That means this season won’t feature “Veterans.” Picking someone like Josh Gordon, who is currently on the Titans’ practice team, doesn’t live up to the PSPR’s core intent. In order to maintain the integrity of the practice match power rankings, only rookie, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year practice players will be posted. Players drafted in 2019 and beyond. that’s it.

As always, I will keep track of all PSPR members who get The Call. AKA promoted to her 53-man roster on each team on game day. At that stage, the player will transition from being a member of her PSPR to her exclusive Practice Squad Power Ranking Alumni Fraternity. The running count is known as “Call Up Tally” or “The CUT” for short.

This season, the Practice Squad Power Rankings are in full swing, emerging as bona fide superstars, earning huge payouts, and beginning to cement their legacy in the hallowed halls of the internet’s football media industry.

My ears perked up when I saw a tweet that Johnson had been added to the Lions practice team. In that game, Johnson had eight grabs for 149 yards and one score. He skates the field as a knowledgeable and seemingly slick athlete despite his stocky build. He finished the season in tears with at least six catches and a three-game streak of 115 yards. I would love to see more of Jared Goff’s weaponry in Detroit.

Muti was my #1 interior offensive lineman in the 2020 class. The balance of the run game appealed to me more with Muti than anyone else playing guard or center. But last season, the former Fresno State stud got his chance, shining in his last two starts and putting pressure on 61 pass-blocking snaps once. However, the initial timeframe for his return is three to four weeks, which Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett announced a month ago. If Quinn Meinerts’ injury lingers, Denver has the perfect replacement for the guard job.

Hodgins must have been one of the Bills’ final cuts after completing the preseason. He recorded his 16 grabs for his 124 yards and some of those receptions were of the highlight his reel variety. Hodgins, his sixth-round pick in 2020, made headlines early as a rookie in training his camp, but then two injuries derailed his debut NFL season. He spent 2021 on the Buffalo practice team, finally healthy and showing off to the Buffalo coaches the stunning ball skills he demonstrated repeatedly during his illustrious career in Oregon State, going 6-4. His Bills measure greatly expanded his size.

Peavy has had a long and credible career at Texas A&M battling strong SEC centers and guards. He uses these tentacles prominently against runs, keeping blockers away from his chest before dispatching them on their way to his ball carrier. Peevy plays more athletically than the combine suggests, with plenty of distance between tackles. Tennessee has quality players along its defensive line, but Peavy can add some internal sturdiness if needed.

DJ Reader will be put on the shelf for a while with an injury. Who is injury free in the NFL today?! Now, I’m not trying to put a lot of pressure on Shelvin to supplant the impact that leaders have on the game. A giant, athletic nose tackle for the Bengals practice team.

Washington could be the Ravens’ multi-dimensional weapon in the secondary, and Baltimore’s plans require a lot of defense. Cover slots on one play and dig deep into the field on the next. he can do it And that would help Washington transition to playing veteran Marcus Williams in the other safe spot.

There is a saying that the team ultimately becomes the embodiment of the coach. Kennedy is the receiver version of Dan Campbell. This is a 5-10, 190-pound ex-undrafted free agent who roasted his NFL cornerback in the preseason and scored his 16 catches for 143 yards with two touchdowns. Grainy. football. Man. Kennedy can give Lyons a two-headed monster in the Amon La St. Brown slot.

Knight averaged 3.8 yards per carry in the preseason, and I’m happy with that. He was never in business without being drafted out of North Carolina, bouncing 5.5 yards for three consecutive 700+ yard seasons and 31 yards on four rushes in Gang Green’s preseason finale. Accumulated. A compact runner with the perfect blend of power from contact and elusiveness to avoid contact in tight spaces.

Fulgham, has he ever signed a live deal in the last few seasons. And everyone in Wisconsin is scratching their heads about the youthful Packers receiving corps who aren’t exactly on the same page as Aaron Rodgers. yet. Fulgham at least has experience and feels relatively unknown after a few beautiful back shoulder grabs by Rodgers.

What more can we say about Tompkins? How about he recorded five catches for 53 yards. — During the 2022 preseason. He’s also a Brady type in that he was a zero-star recruit when he joined the Utah program in 2018. Brady loves the underdogs, and that’s exactly what Tompkins is.

honorable mention

Nagy Johnson, DB, Chiefs

Johnson filled the stat sheet with Marshall with 302 tackles, seven picks and 19 pass breakups in five seasons. He can take charge of his spot in Nickel’s Corner. Free safety. strong safety. He tackles well and plays with authority at every snap.

Zakandr White, RB, Dolphins

White was the #1 junior college running back recruit in the 2020 class. Last season, he averaged 6.6 yards in his 88 totes for South Carolina. And in the movies, his juices burst off the screen. Dynamic cuts, Tesla-like acceleration, power on contact. It still shocks me that he was undrafted. Think the team would love to see more college workloads for runners? Love the minimal wear on his body. In the Dolphins backfield are Raheem his Mostert and Chase Edmonds. White can step in and contribute in his first year. he is very talented

Jason PoeOG, 49ers

We have Mercer on the PSPR board! A Mercer alumnus, Poe was a wrecking ball in college, but tested like an elite athlete during his days at the Georgia Pro. Yeah, Bulldog gave him a chance to show off his skills, and he was totally impressed. I feel like I can take advantage of it.

Jarrett Patterson, RB, Commander

The Commanders are averaging 3.5 yards per carry over the two contests. The idea isn’t a bad idea when it comes to how to fix your run game. Of course, the running back himself cannot single-handedly fix his NFL team’s rushing offense. But it doesn’t hurt to incorporate the diminutive and very crafty Patterson into this offense, especially if the coaching staff doesn’t trust JD McKissic to handle regular running back duties. forced 4 miss tackles on 16 attempts during.

Curtis Brooks, DT, Colts

Brooks was a late bloomer in Cincinnati, but he may have had the most dynamic, purely pass rushing three technique in the 2022 class. What I mean is With only 304 pass rushes in his snap, Brooks recorded his 43 pressures. This is thanks to a nice blend of quickness in the first step, leverage and power on attack.

Curtis Weaver, EDGE, Browns

Okay, Curtis. PSPR gives you another opportunity. Just a few years ago, when I got hooked on the draft, Weaver broke his leg in training before his first NFL season started. A stat sheet with lots of pressure, tackles to lose, and sacks.