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Interesting read... LINK to article: https://www.joebucsfan.com/2021/06/did-jaelon-darden-arrive-tom-brady-approved/

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jaelon Darden, WR, North Texas While the Saints are loaded, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are even more so. The reigning Super Bowl champions are returning all 22 offensive and defensive starters and boast a roster that is virtually unchanged from the one that took home the Lombardi Trophy in February. This doesn't mean, however, that rookie fourth-round receiver Jaelon Darden won't crack the rotation. While he's not likely to overtake Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Scotty Miller and Antonio Brown on the depth chart, Darden has the short-area speed needed to contribute early as a sub-package player. Darden—who posted a 4.46-second 40-yard dash and a 6.66-second three-cone drill at his pro day—can be a terror for opposing defenses focused on stopping the vertical passing game. He can create separation underneath and turn short passes into long gains. This past season, he caught 74 passes for 1,190 yards and an impressive 19 touchdowns. READ MORE: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2943921-predicting-every-nfl-teams-2021-surprise-rookie-gem

Usually, controversies involving Antonio Brown arise from his own behavior. The latest issue regarding Brown flows from something other than anything he’s done. Three weeks after Brown agreed to terms on a return to the Buccaneers, Brown still isn’t part of the roster. Coach Bruce Arians disclosed that Brown had knee surgery on Tuesday, and that he has yet to pass a physical. Until Brown passes a physical, he won’t be on the team. It’s hard not to be curious about the timing of the news of Brown’s agreement to return to the Bucs — one day before the 2021 draft began — and the fact that the Bucs traded up in round four to get North Texas receiver Jaelon Darden. A cynic would say that the Bucs struck the deal with Brown the day before the draft so that other teams wouldn’t think they’d be looking to draft another receiver. The fact that they gave up a sixth-round pick to move up to get Darden shows that they definitely were targeting the position. read more: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/05/19/antonio-brown-situation-raises-several-questions/

TAMPA, FL - Jaelon Darden can move. “Being able to make guys miss, I feel like that’s what I do best,” said the Bucs’ rookie wide receiver. He’s already turning heads in just two short days of practice. “He’s super quick,” said Bucs head coach Bruce Arians. “Super quick and fast and catches the football extremely easily so, yea, he can be very explosive.” It’s easy to spot Darden on the field. He’s the little guy running around in the number one. While NFL players are celebrating the ability to wear the single digits of their youth or college days, Darden is cherishing that number for a whole different reason. “My dad (saw) me play in #1 so that means more to me than anything,” said Darden. read more: https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/sports/2021/05/16/news-bucs-wr-jaelon-darden-making-his-late-father-proud

The prototypical slot receiver is a piece of the puzzle that the Buccaneers' offense has lacked thus far under head coach Bruce Arians, but has now acquired in Darden. Arians instead opts to put bigger, more physical receivers in the slot such as Chris Godwin or even Mike Evans on occasion. In 2020, the 6-foot-1, 209 pound Chris Godwin played 55% of his reps from the slot, where he is dangerous thanks to his glue-like hands and crispy route running. Although Darden specializes in the slot, his speed allows him to create separation when lined up outside, especially when running 9 (go) routes. With his 4.46 40 yard time and unbelievable 6.67 three-cone result (ranked in the 91st percentile), Darden is a speed demon with cutting agility that unlocks another dimension of Tampa Bay's offense. read more: https://www.si.com/nfl/buccaneers/front-office/tampa-bay-buccaneers-jaelon-darden-scouting-report-nfl-draft

2021 NFL draft dark horses: North Texas WR Jaelon Darden

DENTON – Senior wide receiver Jaelon Darden enters his final season in Denton with his name on several of the program's career leader charts and is expected to continue to climb. His tireless work ethic and energy spent in the film room is a big reason why one of the most dynamic receivers in the country has been so successful with the Mean Green. "I'm trying to take that next step to better myself as a teammate," Darden said. "I'm passing as much knowledge as I can to everybody in my room, and also to the DBs. I just want to be able to help everyone get better." He's taken a lot of the time in quarantine this offseason to focus on film. In addition to his own and film of opponents, Darden has spent a lot of time watching a trio of NFL receivers that he follows often – Davante Adams (Green Bay Packers), Doug Baldwin (Seattle Seahawks) and Stefon Diggs (Buffalo Bills). He uses their film to understand how they're defended, why they make the reads they do in certain situations and how he can apply that to his own game. "Those three guys are my favorite because of their ability to be able to create space at the line, which allows them to do what they do afterwards," Darden said. "That's more of my game, so I've been watching them so I can see how they put together different routes, and keep all of my routes and stems the same way, so you would think I'm doing more than what I really am. Making things easier for myself. "To be honest, that's mainly the most part I'm looking at to see how the DB is playing. Yeah it's cool to see the receiver get open and do this and that, but at the end of the day, I'm looking at the task and the task is what's in front of me with the DB, so I pay a lot of attention to that. "Say for instance, I line up two yards inside the hash, nine times out of 10 a DB is very anxious – feet are tapping, hands shaking, so I know they are likely in man coverage because there is no reason he would be so nervous if he's just dropping to a zone. Those kinds of things are going to help me take my game to the next level because at the end of the day it's all mental and not so much physical. You could put in all the work you want physically, but at the end of the day if you don't know football, and how it's played, then it's going to be hard for you." In addition to an increase in the amount of film he watches, Darden has grown a lot as a leader during his three-plus seasons in Denton. So much of his impact among his teammates comes from within. He says his leadership comes naturally and comes from a desire to motivate and hold himself and his teammates accountable. His teammates noticed right away. read more: https://meangreensports.com/news/2020/7/3/football-darden-on-his-grind.aspx

Thoughts?