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Emeka Egbuka has everything lining up for him to play a huge role in 2025.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could finish the season with a different leading receiver than Mike Evans or Chris Godwin for the first time in over a decade. ESPN’s 2025 NFL Bold Predictions saw Emeka Egbuka emerge as a breakout rookie who could defy the odds.
Ever since Evans’ rookie season back in 2014, he has led Tampa Bay in receiving all but two seasons, where Godwin has filled in. Vincent Jackson was the last different Buccaneer to lead the team, with 1,224 yards back in 2013.
Egbuka Has Shown He’s Ready
Dating back to his days in college at Ohio State, Emeka Egbuka has shown he can handle a large workload. The rookie tallied over 1,000 yards receiving in two different years during his four-year collegiate career.
Not being the number one target hasn’t been an issue for Egbuka, producing big seasons behind both Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jeremiah Smith. He’ll be in a similar situation in Tampa Bay, with Mike Evans taking most of the attention.
After an impressive training camp, Egbuka saw action in the Buccaneers’ first two preseason games. The 22-year-old started each game, but only played 29 snaps total. In his limited opportunity, Egbuka caught two passes for 26 yards, including a touchdown.
The rookie has impressed his coaching staff and teammates, quickly showing why he was worthy of a high draft pick. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater joined the team late in the offseason cycle, and was amazed by what he immediately saw from the young wideout.
“[I came in] like, ‘Who’s this number nine kid?’” Bridgewater said. “‘He’s flying around, he’s got good size.’ I thought he was a tight end, because he’s so yoked up. Then you watch him run, he’s so fluent. He’s got natural hands. It’s like, ‘Oh okay, this is who this is.’
The versatility Egbuka has shown to begin his career helps his odds of playing a big role as a rookie. He’s shown the ability to play both outside and in the slot, filling in anywhere that the coaches ask of him.
A Diminished WR Room Leaves the Door Open
With a few big-time injuries, and other players in the room beginning to hit the back end of their careers, Emeka Egbuka is set to be leaned on in 2025.
Chris Godwin is set to miss the beginning of the year, still rehabbing from his season-ending ankle injury suffered in 2024. Jalen McMillan came down awkwardly in the Buccaneers’ second preseason game, and it also going to miss time with a neck injury.
Mike Evans has been the model of consistency at the wide receiver position throughout his career, but is entering his age-32 season. The veteran also missed three games due to injury during the 2024 season.
Egbuka is the healthiest and youngest receiver in the building, and is set to take on whatever role is asked of him. With so many question marks in the room, the rookie seems more like the team’s exclamation point.
“I’m super blessed to be in this position, and on this team,” Egbuka said. “I love this team, I love that I was drafted here. Couldn’t be a better situation for me.”
Mike Maynard Mike Maynard is a freelance contributor at Heavy. In addition to writing for Heavy, Mike contributes NFL content to The Sporting News. Mike previously covered UMass football, baseball, basketball and hockey for the Massachusetts Daily Collegian during his undergrad and has additional bylines with the Boston Globe, MassLive, FanSided and the Cape Cod Baseball League. More about Mike Maynard
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