What Emeka Egbuka Does for the Buccaneers

The Bucs opt to upgrade their already-lethal offense with another top-tier weapon.

In one of the biggest shockers of the night, the Buccaneers opted to maintain long-term stability in their receiving corps by selecting Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka 19th overall.

Egbuka immediately slots in as WR3 behind Evans and Godwin, certainly with the idea that he will take over higher duties when Evans and Godwin eventually move on. Let’s learn more about Baker Mayfield’s newest offensive weapon.

Emeka Egbuka Career Stats

Egbuka, a five-star recruit who ranked tops in the 2021 recruiting class, quietly compiled career accolades with the Buckeyes despite playing with a plethora of first-round talent — including Marvin Harrison Jr., Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Egbuka set the record for most receptions in school history (205) and second in receiving yards.

He grinded away for the National Champions, tallying 81 receptions for 1,011 yards, and 10 touchdowns in his final season as a primary slot in Chip Kelly’s offense. He finished 50 career games (38 starts) with 2,868 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Athletic Testing

Egbuka (6-foot, 202 pounds) sticks with Tampa’s trend of drafting elite or near-elite athletes in the first round. His Relative Athletic Score (RAS), although partially incomplete, still ranked 9.72 for an elite mark and near top 100 in the last 40 years.

It plays on tape as well. Egbuka is a smooth athlete with effortless body control, which allows him to work in and out of breaks and re-adjust on the fly. It allows him to maximize his route-running ability, which is arguably tops in the entire class.

He’s strong enough to hand fight through contact down the field, and he’s not an elite speedster but he can break away when given the opportunity.

Overall, Egbuka isn’t a dominant physical force but he’s got all the tools to succeed at the pro level.

What Type of Player is Emeka Egbuka?

Egbuka maintains the Bucs’ reputation of drafting players with sterling character (a 2024 team captain), football intelligence, and overall grit.

Praised by former NFL pro and Ohio State receivers coach Brian Hartline as NFL-ready, Egbuka will remind people a lot of Chris Godwin.

Egbuka just has an innate sense of where the ball is and reliably snags from all kinds of angles and positions. It’s hard to fluster him, and he’s exceptional at maintaining focus in tight quarters (15 of his 24 TDs came in the red zone). He knows how to get open against all types of coverage and has the feet and awareness to make all manner of tough grabs.

He’s the definition of a quarterback’s best friend.

He’s equally tough as a blocker, which is consistently valued by the Bucs, so he’ll find himself consistently trusted in those situations. On top of it all, he has kickoff and punt return experience so that’s another place he can contribute right away.

Conclusion

While defense was overwhelmingly the favorite amongst pundits and fans (yours truly included), the Bucs chose to further improve their elite offense and secure it for the long-term future.

With Egbuka, who is universally praised for his pro-readiness and perfectionist approach, will fit right into the most professional receiver room in the NFL. It might not fit a “need”, but it is certainly a pick that should generate immediate impact nonetheless.