Chris Godwin is a wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Playing his high school ball at Middletown High School in Middeltown, Delaware, Godwin was an All-State selection for three seasons. He was rated a four-star recruit, and accepted a scholarship to play football at Penn State University.
Godwin capped an otherwise-quiet freshman season at Penn State with seven catches for 140 yards and a score in their bowl win over Boston College. In year two, he posted 1,101 yards receiving, again saving his best for last with six grabs for 133 yards in a bowl game against Georgia. In his third and final season in Happy Valley in 2016, he once again was the top receiver, but posted modest counting stats. As was to be expected, however, he ended the season and his college career with a bang - nine catches for 187 yards and two scores in the Rose Bowl.
Godwin lit up the 2017 NFL Combine, posting a 4.42 40-time and outstanding workout metrics across the board. Tampa Bay selected him in 3rd round of the Draft. The team’s No. 4 WR as a rookie, Godwin saw just 44.7-percent of the snaps (No. 125) but, as always, finished strong, posting 10 catches on 18 targets for 209 yards and a score in the Bucs’ last two games.
In 2018, his Target Share grew, and he became a red zone favorite. He finished strong, grabbing six receptions for 114 yards and two scores in the season finale. In 2019, Godwin showed off his ability to produce from the jump, putting up four 100-yard games and six scores in the first six weeks of the season. He earned a 95.7-percent Snap Share on the season and led the league in YAC, earning 19.6 fantasy points per game to finish as the fantasy WR2. In an injury-plagued 2020, Godwin’s Target Share slipped; however, he still managed to finish No.15 among WRs with 15.9 points per game. Once again, he saved his best for last, with five catches for 133 yards and 2 scores in Week 17.
The Bucs franchise tagged Godwin in 2021. Once again healthy, he returned to being a YAC monster and red zone target magnet. Seeing just 4.0 Air Yards Per Target, he gained more than half his 1,103 yards after the catch, finishing No. 13 in receiving yards and No. 3 in YAC. According to Next Gen Stats, Godwin’s 6.3 yards after catch per reception was top-10 among WRs. Godwin worked in the short and intermediate areas of the field, seeing only 12 Deep Balls from Tom Brady. In the 2022 offseason, Godwin and the Bucs agreed to a three-year, $60 million contract with $40 million guaranteed.
Coming off an ACL injury, Godwin appeared in 15 games in 2022. He saw career-highs in targets and receptions, logging 104 catches for 1023 receiving yards. That volume helped him to 14.9 (No. 15) fantasy points per game. In 2023, Godwin returned fully recovered from the ACL injury but struggled to gain his footing in the offense. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay's new quarterback, developed much quicker chemistry with Mike Evans leaving him on the outside looking in. Despite playing 17 games Godwin only managed to finish as a top 25 fantasy receiver on four occasions.
Nonetheless, better days should be ahead for Chris Godwin in 2024. Despite his lack of production Godwin was still heavily targeted in a Buccaneers' offense that didn't gain traction until the second half of the season. With another year to work with Mayfield, look for Godwin to improve on his WR29 finish in 2023.
