Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images

Emeka Egbuka's 'Very Rare' Trait Revealed by Bucs Coach

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Apr 28, 2025 11:40 AM ET

When the NFL Draft process begins, right up until it is finished, a lot of evaluations, conversations, and scouting take place, and for Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht, this led them to Emeka Egbuka.

With Tampa Bay holding the No. 19 pick, and having glaring defensive needs, most thought linebacker Jihaad Campell or an edge rusher like Mike Green would be the franchise choice. But when everyone thought the Bucs would zig, they zagged and selected Egbuka.

For Bowles, he revealed a key reason why the franchise was so sold on Egbuka as its first-round selection.

"The character of the guy, the character of the man especially tells you a lot about the player," Bowles said. "It's very rare that you have the character and the player match up, there's a lot of good ones in the league right now, but when you meet the rare ones that have both and equally great at both, that tells you all you need to know. Whether he's an offensive player or a defensive player, that's the kind of guy you want to draft.

"Me and Jason [Licht] were on the same page wholeheartedly with this one."

The character that Bowles is referencing here is key.

Egbuka, while a star receiver, has also made his name as someone who loves doing the dirty work in the run game blocking, but also loves the little details of football, working tirelessly to perfect the art of playing receiver.

That is the type of character the Buccaneers are getting, and it is due to that, it's why Tampa Bay had the easiest decision to turn in its draft card with Emeka's name on it.

Yes, they are getting a good football player, but they are also getting a good person, a man who takes pride in what he's doing, and for some, that means more to a franchise than just ability alone.

And it's clear that Egbuka's character, as much as his ability, was a big factor in the Buccaneers selecting him in the first round.

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

More must-reads: