Who Should I Start? Xavier Smith or Tez Johnson

Saturday, August 16, 11:52 PM

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Xavier Smith caught all four of his targets for 48 receiving yards during Saturday's preseason victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. He also rushed for five yards. Smith has been quite productive this summer. He paced the team with 55 receiving yards last week, and he now has a total of eight touches and 108 scrimmage yards through two preseason contests. NFL opportunities have been few and far between for the 27-year-old Florida A&M product, but he did total six receiving yards, 36 rushing yards, and a pair of first downs in 2024. Los Angeles' first four wide receiver spots are essentially locked up, which means they only have two or three spots to divide over seven remaining receivers (Smith, Tru Edwards, Mario Williams, Konata Mumpfield, Drake Stoops, Britain Covey, and Brennan Presley).

Friday, November 7, 5:13 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson has become a viable option in this offense over the last few weeks. It took a few injuries for Johnson to get a chance, but the 23-year-old is showing he deserves to stay in this spot on the depth chart. In Week 8, Johnson hauled in five of his six targets for 43 yards in the win over the New Orleans Saints. The Bucs are still without Chris Godwin (leg) and Mike Evans (shoulder) for this weekend, so Johnson should continue seeing a high volume of passes coming his way. The rookie wideout should be able to offer flex value for the upcoming Week 10 matchup against the New England Patriots.