Emeka Egbuka Reveals Exactly What Mike Evans Taught Him

Egbuka revealed to Matt Forte that when draft day came, he listed several teams that he believed were going to take him, but the Bucs were not one of them. When the opportunity came to learn behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin Jr., it was something he took in stride. Egbuka was not just watching two talented receivers. He was studying how they approached the game.

“Being a rookie, there’s still a ton to learn, and I was fortunate enough to be drafted into a wide receiver room with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin,” Egbuka added. “I think it was really cool for me to be a student of the game again. They taught me a lot, and I think that one of the main things I learned in my rookie year was just to see how Mike and Chris play the game with so much confidence without a governor.

“You can be like Bambi out there in your rookie year, just feeling stuff out and trying to make sure you’re doing this, that, and the third. Watching those two play the game, they get out there, they rip it, and they don’t care. Just that fire they play the game with, and seeing that filled me with a lot of that same energy, too.”

Emeka Egbuka Quickly Learned Why Mike Evans Was Different

Emeka Egbuka has more reasons to be confident heading into 2026. He has every chance to become the Bucs No. 1 wide receiver and had a full offseason to rest and reset, although a toe injury looms over him heading into Week 1.

Egbuka’s rookie season also mirrored the Bucs’ trajectory, as he started fast before cooling off during Tampa Bay’s disappointing second half. Even so, he finished 2025 with 63 catches for 938 yards and six touchdowns.

Going forward, Egbuka is carrying something else into Year 2: the confidence Evans helped instill in him.

“Whenever I talk about what I learned from Mike, I always bring Chris into it because I have to emphasize how different they are,” Egbuka said. “Chris is kind of like me, very methodical, very planned out. He is just a big thinker like I am, and he is always studying the game and trying to look for little advantages here and there. The reason I say Mike is different and not that he’s not pensive or all these things, but Mike is – whenever he steps on the field – his confidence is a thing that reigns supreme and he’s just like, ‘I’m Mike Evans. If there is a 50/50 ball, I’m going to go up there and get it.'”

Evans may be gone from Tampa Bay, but his influence remains in the Bucs’ wide receiver room. When Egbuka went through moments of doubt last season, it was M1K3 who picked him up.

“He was able to exude that same confidence into me,” Egbuka said. “I just remember every time we step on the field, whether it was cover 1 and it was hard outside leverage and I had to win on a go ball. I’d be like, ‘Ah, maybe I can get a different route.’ He’d be like, ‘No, you’re Emeka Egbuka, first-round draft pick, you’re that boy, you’re going to get open, you’re going to catch the rock.’

“Over time, hearing that confidence that he had in me, seeing the way he backed it up and he played as well. It allowed me to play freely just knowing someone was in my corner like that. That level of confidence in my game and in my ability in where I’m at is something I’m going to carry into this year and something he gave me a new perspective on.”

Emeka Egbuka had plenty more to share about how he is approaching his second season and also provided details on recently getting married and how growing in his faith continues to help him on his football journey. Check out the full podcast below: