The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have well-established star wide receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but the team’s decision to pick a wideout in the first round signals an eye to the future.
Rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka sees that as the Buccaneers took him with the No. 19 pick in the draft on April 24 out of Ohio State. Egbuka made it clear on what his expectations are for 2025.
“I think I’m going to fit in great. I think that the coaches think I’m going to fit in great which is why they decided to draft me tonight,” Egbuka told reporters on April 24. “I’m just really looking forward to all the ways that they’re going to use me and allow me to help the team.”
“I think, if I had to describe my skillset, I would say [I’m] one who’s super reliable, going to be at the right place at the right time,” Egbuka added. “I feel very confident with the ball in my hands as well as making every catch that’s asked of me.”
Emeka Egbuka: ‘I’m Just Really Excited’
Egbuka did just that at Ohio State where he caught 205 passes for 2,868 yards and 24 touchdowns in four seasons. He had two 1,000-yard seasons and had more than seven touchdowns in a season twice.
“I’ve never felt like there was a ball in the air that I couldn’t track or was a difficult catch so having a quarterback to be able to put it up and just trust you, which I know Baker [Mayfield] can do… I’m just really excited to get started,” Egbuka said.
Egbuka will have to carve out a role on the Buccaneers offense with Evans and Godwin, followed by promising young wideouts such as Jalen McMillan.
Emeka Egbuka is Accustomed to Deep WR Rooms
GettyEmeka Egbuka was a playmaker for Ohio State.
Egbuka joins a deep receiver room with the Buccaneers, but that’s not new for him. Ohio State regularly boasts a deep wideout room, which often leads to a Buckeyes receiver going in the first round of the draft.
“Year in and year out, you guys see it. I think this makes six straight first-round Ohio [State] receivers,” Egbuka said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it was seven or eight next year, so I think that we recruit like-minded individuals, people who want to win, who are uber competitive and we push each other to the highest limit.”
“I came into a receiver room with Chris [Olave], Garrett [Wilson], Jaxon [Smith-Njigba], Jameson Williams, Marvin Harrison Jr., so it’s like, we all wanted to share the field and there’s only one ball to go around so that created that super competitive atmosphere,” Egbuka added. “We’ve honed each other’s skills, we have a great wide receiver coach who has done it year in and year out.”
“He’s done it in the league,” Egbuka said regarding Buckeyes receivers coach Brian Hartline. “He was wide receiver one for Miami for multiple years so being able to learn from a craftsman like him has just helped us all the more.”
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