The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to compete for their fifth straight NFC South title. Legendary quarterback Tom Brady finished his career and Tampa Bay tenure by winning the division in 2021 and 2022. Current starting signal caller Baker Mayfield has led the team to their latest two titles and undoubtedly wants to win number three in 2025.
This Buccaneers team might be the deepest one since the Brady-led 2020 edition that won the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy. Mayfield leads a stacked and loaded attack filled with weapons. Once fully healthy, the team’s passing game will have at least six legitimate weapons, with room to grow from other players. One of these threats is running back Rachaad White, who looks to pair with sophomore sensation Bucky Irving in the backfield to give Tampa Bay another dimension on offense.
While tight end Cade Otton looks to hit another level in 2025, the wide receiving room is arguably the NFL’s best when fully healthy. Veterans Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have long been the engines that fuel the Bucs’ dynamic passing game. Each wideout has their own specific skillsets that attack opposing defenses in different ways. Second-year wideout Jalen McMillan will miss the first few weeks of the season with a neck strain but will look to claim a big role when he returns. Due to the ailments affecting McMillan and Godwin, first round pick Emeka Egbuka will team with Evans for the season’s first few weeks. Will this lead to a standout rookie campaign?
For at least the first few weeks of the season, Egbuka will lead the Bucs’ receivers alongside Evans. The former Ohio State Buckeye couldn’t learn from a better role model. Evans is a surefire Hall of Famer who has notched over 1,000 yards in each of his 11 seasons. If Mayfield has his way, he’ll hit 12 seasons in a row in 2025. In fact, Egbuka learning under Evans will give him a similar mentorship to Godwin, whom he’ll replace in the starting lineup while the veteran recovers from last year’s ankle injury.
Egbuka will start off hot right out of the gate, notching 100 plus receiving yards against the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans on the road before scoring not once, but twice in Tampa Bay’s home opener against the New York Jets. This will help lead the Buccaneers to a 3-0 start ahead of a titanic Week Four clash against the Philadelphia Eagles at Raymond James Stadium.
This scorching start will lead to Egbuka leading the NFL rookie class in receiving yardage. While he won’t break 1,000 yards in his first season, he’ll end up with over 900 yards. A midseason slump could slow him down, not to mention the fact that Godwin and McMillan will receive snaps and a lot more when they get back. There’s only one ball to go around. Luckily for Egbuka, his performance will lead to him being named a Pro Bowl alternate. This honor will only add to a large contingent of Buccaneer Pro Bowlers. Who else would join him in the annual All-Star matchup?
The current team record is nine Pro Bowlers, set by the 2000 and 2021 teams. Both squads were loaded with talent, and each of them made deep playoff runs. However, this year’s team could be deeper and more dangerous than both of those rosters. After all, they’ve won four division titles in a row. The expectation is for a fifth straight and more. So, which names would make the NFC roster?
Some easy selections include Mayfield and Evans. Offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs will rebound from his early season injury to prove why he’s the NFL’s best left tackle. Irving explodes in his sophomore campaign and earns one of the running back slots. Furthermore, breakout campaigns from center Graham Barton and tight end Cade Otton will give the Buccaneers six Pro Bowlers.
Four more will come from the defense. Stalwarts Vita Vea, Lavonte David and Antoine Winfield Jr. will all earn nods to tie the team record at nine picks. All three players are among the best at their positions in the NFL and based on how the Bucs will finish this projection, earn nods to the annual All-Star event. The final defensive player? None other than cornerback Zyon McCollum, who will cement his spot as Bowles’ top cover man. Lastly, rookie seventh rounder Tez Johnson will not only set a team record with punt return touchdowns but give Tampa Bay their 11th and final Pro Bowler.
It all feels like it’s going to lead to this, right? Licht and Bowles have loaded this team to the extent where only star additions would improve it. Mayfield has earned the right to lead this team long-term, and even if a Super Bowl run doesn’t happen, it looks as if the former number one selection will earn indeed earn the moniker of franchise quarterback. However, the replacement for the legendary Brady will lead the Buccaneers to their third Super Bowl.
In what could be their biggest matchup of all time, Tampa Bay would enter Caesars Superdome on a hot streak. They would most likely need to beat two of the following contenders on their path to the Lombardi Trophy: the Detroit Lions; Philadelphia Eagles; Green Bay Packers; Washington Commanders; and Los Angeles Rams. Other threats could include the Atlanta Falcons, a division rival, and a potentially resurgent San Francisco 49ers.
The Baltimore Ravens would be equally as toughened. If the Ravens return to Caesars Superdome for yet another Super Bowl, that means they would have outlasted a field including the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. Super Bowl 60’s opponents seem a bit hazy because the NFL is deep with talented rosters this season. Would the Buccaneers come out on top and capture their third Lombardi Trophy? A lot of people’s guts believe that could very well happen. When the stakes are this high, betting against Mayfield, Evans and this roster certainly doesn’t feel like a wise move.
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