3 Buccaneers who could explode in the second half of the season

First-round draft pick Emeka Egbuka has been a wonder for the Buccaneers since being drafted 19th overall, and has only exceeded expectations filling in as the Bucs' go-to wide receiver with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin out.

It was hard not to go with fellow rookie wideout Tez Johnson here due to the aforementioned injuries to Evans and Godwin. However, Johnson fits more of the mold of a player who must step up in the second half rather than one we can envision having a terrific second half.

Egbuka has already solidified himself in the league, becoming the first rookie in NFL history with 25+ catches, 400+ receiving yards and 5+ touchdowns through his first five games. But with multiple guys still down for the count and the Bucs relying on him heavily, his ceiling is sky-high as long as he stays healthy and finds that rhythm he had earlier in the season.

OLB Yaya Diaby

The defense came alive against the New Orleans Saints in Week 8, forcing five sacks and four turnovers, and a larger reason for the reemergence has been thanks to the development of pass rusher Yaya Diaby.

Diaby finished his 2024 season strong, seeing a surge in sack numbers and pressures, and he has carried that over to the 2025 season. The addition of Haason Reddick on the opposite side has taken some of the pressure off of Diaby, and he has become one of the league's best at pressuring the quarterback.

Diaby is at four sacks on the season, just half a sack off from last year's total, and has plenty of opportunities to continue adding to his 2025 production. With the defense gaining momentum and matchups that favor him still left on the schedule, Diaby is primed for a breakout down the stretch.

RB Bucky Irving

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers running game has evolved over the past couple of seasons, with one of the large aspects behind that being the emergence of running back Bucky Irving.

Irving exploded onto the scene last year but has been hampered by injuries that have caused him to miss three contests.

Rachaad White and Sean Tucker have tried to fill the void left by Irving, but the Bucs' rushing attack has struggled with consistency and explosiveness in Irving's absence.

Getting Irving back healthy is key for the Bucs' offense. He has a unique blend of short-area explosiveness, receiving skills and vision in space that makes him easily one of the more dangerous weapons on the Bucs' offense.

With defenses keying in on Baker Mayfield and the passing game, Irving could thrive now that the attention is off him after his brief stint away from the field. Once Irving is back in the fold, there is no reason not to believe the offense won't balance itself back out and return to hitting some of those explosive plays that have been missing for a few weeks.