Bucs 'Monster Offense' Means Super Bowl Contention?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Apr 29, 2025 11:11 AM ET

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in the Baker Mayfield era, have struggled to get consistent praise for how they are going about their business.

Back-to-back division titles and playoff appearances with one of the league's best offenses and run games in 2024, paint the Buccaneers as a potential contender in the NFC.

After the NFL Draft that saw the Buccaneers add yet another offensive weapon and fill some key defensive needs, Tampa Bay's 2025 roster has filled out well.

And as it turns out, others think the same. NFL.com's Eric Edholm, in his power rankings has the Buccaneers at No. 7, and labeled them a contender.

"The Buccaneers, pound for pound, assembled one of the most impactful draft classes this year," Edholm writes. "The Emeka Egbuka pick did make me question giving Chris Godwin all that money a bit, but it's terrific insurance, at the very least. The offense looks like a monster, and the defense looks improved. Don't overlook the Bucs among the league's contenders. They're right among them."

The Buccaneers appear to be poised to make some serious noise in the NFC.

Are we ready to say they could be borderline Super Bowl contenders? Not quite, but the roster they've assembled looks formidable on paper, especially on the offensive side.

Mayfield has everything he needs to continue his career surge with Bucky Irving and now a handful of receivers that are the envy of the league.

The defense will be the "weak" link, if you want to call it that, but with draftees Benjamin Morrison, Jacob Parrish, David Walker, and Elijah Roberts, improvement is expected.

On paper, the Buccaneers have one of the better rosters in football, but as we know, games aren't won on paper; they're won on the field, and Tampa Bay, if the injury bug stays away, might just embody "contender" status in 2025.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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