While Emeka Egbuka doesn’t carry himself that way — other than how he plays on the field — it’s hard to ignore the growing number of people who believe he really might be that dude.
Speculating on how good Egbuka could eventually be is a fun game to play for everyone who loves the Tampa Bay Buccaneers right now. That doesn’t exclude the rookie wide receiver’s teammates.
To that end, as far as current NFL players, it would be hard to find a better comparison than quarterback Baker Mayfield came up with for Egbuka in a recent conversation with RG.org’s D.J. Siddiqi after Egbuka scored a preseason touchdown reception for the Buccaneers in a 17-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on August 16.
“Receivers don’t always stay on the ground, run through the catch to get yards after the catch, and (Egbuka) reminds me of Amon-Ra St. Brown in a way, which is obviously high praise,” Mayfield told Siddiqi on August 18. “Amon-Ra St. Brown is an absolute stud, but he does a lot of things similar to where he’s always trying to make a big play.”
Were Egbuka to come anywhere close to what St. Brown has done in his first 4 NFL seasons for the Detroit Lions, it would represent an incredible new era for the Buccaneers.
After putting up 90 receptions for 912 yards and 6 touchdowns as a rookie in 2021, St. Brown has been one of the NFL’s elite wide receivers as a 3-time Pro Bowler and 2-time NFL All-Pro the last 3 seasons.
St. Brown’s domination paid off huge before the 2024 season, when he signed a 4-year, $120.01 million contract extension which included $77 million in guaranteed money.
Mayfield: One NFL All-Pro WR in 7 Seasons
In 7 seasons as a full time starting quarterback with the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mayfield has only had one wide receiver named NFL All-Pro with Mike Evans in 2023.
No tight end who has played with Mayfield has ever earned All-Pro or Pro Bowl honors.
Current Tampa Bay wide receiver Chris Godwin was named All-Pro in 2019, with Jameis Winston as his starting quarterback.
Egbuka Created ‘Biggest Buzz’ at Bucs Training Camp
According to Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman, no player at Buccaneers training camp created a bigger buzz than Egbuka, who was taken with the No. 19 overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft out of Ohio State and signed a 4-year, $18.1 million rookie contract.
“First, it was a leaping grab in front of the goalpost in the back of the end zone,” Auman wrote on July 30. “Then it was a toe-tap touchdown in the back right corner for another touchdown. Each day of Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp seems to bring another head-turning play for rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka, and the only thing as consistent is the unmitigated praise from teammates and coaches.”
Egbuka, 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, was a 3-time All-Big Ten pick. He capped his career with 81 receptions for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024 as he helped lead the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff National Championship.
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