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Oct 14, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmets during pregame warmups against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

This Buccaneers rookie will have our attention during training camp

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By Caleb Skinner | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are approximately a month away from beginning training camp, but that doesn't mean things haven't started heating up on Florida's West Coast.

Tampa Bay added through the free agent market this offseason, but it is the rookies that will likely have much of the fan base excited as we barrel towards one of the most impactful periods of the offseason.

Predictably, the Bucs went defense-heavy in the 2025 draft, but they also went against the grain by taking two wide receivers.

The rookies have already begun to showcase their talents, with rookie minicamp and mandatory minicamp having been completed. However, they will also attract the eyes of onlookers even more so once the pads come on during training camp.

A case can be made for any of the draftees. It could be elusive seventh-round WR Tez Johnson, who has showcased his ability to work well in space, the question mark that is CB Benjamin Morrison due to his hip condition and limitations or even the standout of rookie minicamp, CB Josh Parrish.

However, here at BucsGameday, our eyes will be locked in on first-round wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.

All Eyes on Emeka

Egbuka was never the most thought-of wide receiver coming out of Ohio State, but he holds the Buckeyes' all-time receptions record with 205. He enters Tampa as a polished wide receiver, with Mike Evans even giving him a comparison to current Buccaneer Chris Godwin.

Egbuka did most of his work in college from the slot, but is expected to rotate throughout all three wideout positions in the Bucs' offense, as mentioned by head coach Todd Bowles.

Finding the zone, utilizing his leverage and manipulating coverage are all facets of his game, something that the front office greatly valued. The intriguing aspect of it all is how he will fit in a room that is so crowded and the potential of having to enter training camp in a position battle with second-year WR Jalen McMillan.

McMillan came on strong at the end of last season and should look to carry that over here in 2025. Add in that Evans and Godwin demand much of Baker Mayfield's passes, and it becomes hard to see what work the young wide receiver will be able to garner.

This is where training camp will come into play.

How many snaps will Egbuka get with the ones? Probably plenty, considering that Godwin is still yet to return from his serious injury from a season ago. But it will be up to him to show the staff exactly what he does with those reps working alongside Evans, McMillan and even a guy like Sterling Shepard to prove that he can be one of the top three guys in three-wideout formations.

Even with Godwin's return eventually on the horizon, the Bucs and new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard could look to utilize more four-man sets on the outside to keep opposing secondaries guessing, which could be a huge advantage.

Many might say this is an obvious choice, given that Egbuka is the first-round pick. However, there is still much to learn about these young cats and how Grizzard plans to call his offense as a whole. Things will start to unfold once pads come on. Defensive linemen will start getting actual pressures on the quarterbacks and offensive linemen will actually be able to play a bit more physical, potentially allowing for throwing lanes to develop later on the clock.

Egbuka has all the tools at his disposal, so we will be paying very close attention to whether or not he can take advantage of the opportunities given to him, with expectations quite high.