Thompkins, who's looking to secure a spot as a reserve receiver in addition to a potential returner role, has been making spectacular catches in nearly every training camp practice, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
The diminutive Utah State product already clawed his way onto the active roster last season, going from training camp standout to the practice squad before getting into the last five regular-season games and the wild-card loss to the Cowboys. Most of Thompkins' touches came on special teams -- he posted 324 total return yards -- but he also logged 70 regular-season snaps from scrimmage and compiled a 5-32-0 line on 10 targets while also rushing twice for 26 yards. He's naturally still looking up at the top trio of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage on the wide receiver depth chart, but with veterans Julio Jones and Breshad Perriman off the roster, Thompkins appears to have a legitimate chance at earning the No. 5 receiver spot, at minimum, if his preseason play matches his training camp performances.