When Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans praised rookie Emeka Egbuka recently, he said something that seemed to speak to what the first round pick’s tremendous upside might be.
“He looks like a running back, but I mean, he catches like Chris Godwin,” Evans told NFL.com on June 13. “He’s a very polished, very well-rounded player.”
It wasn’t the first time Egbuka has been singled out for his level of professionalism.
“I call him a professional receiver,” ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. said on the draft telecast. ” … that workmanlike, that professional approach.”
What Evans said about Egbuka looking like a running back tapped into something else — and brings to mind a player who could very well have the same skill set as Washington Commanders superstar and NFL All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
Samuel has become the master of the short catch and run over his career, and his ability to do so was a big reason why the Commanders traded with the San Francisco 49ers to get him after last season and a big reason why they didn’t really bother to upgrade at running back this offseason.
The Buccaneers might be in an even better situation with a potential Pro Bowler in second year running back Bucky Irving, who has already shown he can be elite catching the ball. With 2 players on the field to move around and get the ball to in the flat or underneath, it could be a nightmare for opposing defenses.
Samuel, Egbuka Seem Like Carbon Copies
Physically, Samuel (6-foot, 214 pounds) and Egbuka (6-foot, 202 pounds) are almost carbon copies of each other. Right down to their 40-yard dash times, with Samuel at 4.48 seconds and Egbuka clocking in at 4.45 seconds.
Samuel ended up being one of the keys to unlocking a couple of trips to the Super Bowl. The 49ers won NFC championships following his rookie year in 2019 and again in 2023. In his first 6 NFL seasons, Samuel has a stunning 42 touchdowns and 17-game averages of 1,246 yards from scrimmage and 9 touchdowns over his career.
In 2024, Samuel was primarily used catching the ball around the line of scrimmage — he averaged 6.9 yards per target and averaged 8.2 yards after catch, which was fourth in the NFL.
Egbuka can only hope he gets paid like Samuel one day as well — he’s playing on a reduced salary of $17.5 million in 2025 and will have approximately $83.2 million in career earnings following the 2025 season.
Egbuka Anticipated as Plug and Play Starter for Bucs
Egbuka, who signed a 4-year, $18.1 million rookie contract, is expected to be an instant starter for the Buccaneers after he was selected in the first round (No. 19 overall) in the 2025 NFL draft. That leapfrogs him over 2024 third round pick Jalen McMillan.
If anything, it speaks to Egbuka’s ability to play multiple positions. While McMillan can really only play the slot, Egbuka can play in the slot and either of the outside wide receiver spots.
Most mock drafts had the Buccaneers projected to take an edge rusher in the first round — arguably their greatest position of need — but instead they added another offensive weapon for 2-time Pro Bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield.
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