Which Buccaneers’ Rookies Will Have The Biggest Impact Immediately?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers seemed to have had a very good draft a few months ago. And those rookies will have plenty of chances to shine either due to injury or a lack of competition in front of them. Or potentially a combination of those two things. While you usually can’t expect rookies to make immediate impacts on their team (although there are exceptions for certain positions or just really good players), I think we can expect big things from certain players here.

The most obvious one is Emeka Egbuka. It’s not just obvious because he was the first-round pick, but now most reporting suggests Chris Godwin won’t be available to start the season like Tristan Wirfs.

Before Egbuka would’ve had a chance to be the number 4 receiver behind two pro-bowlers and a guy coming off a hot end of last season. Now, he can be in the mix for number 3 or maybe even number 2. It’s a big opportunity for the guy that was touted as the most pro-ready wide out. Some have said Godwin’s recovery is the reason Egbuka was drafted, but I doubt they were thinking that short-term. The age of the Bucs top WRs was more than likely the deciding factor. Egbuka now has a chance to show out in the present.

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A guy I think we will ultimately not see a ton of, at least not as much as most fans want, is Benjamin Morrison. Jamel Dean is not the worst starting CB in the NFL. But right now it feels like he is playing for a chance to stay on the team after this year. It’s not just injury anymore, but also just kinda average play with very few turnovers.

However, I think the Buccaneers will ride with him at the start and for as long as possible. That’s not to say Morrison won’t have a chance,but unless he has a big training camp and pre-season, Dean will be starting until he either plays himself out or gets injured. You can decide which is more likely.

I also think David Walker has an outside chance of making a big impact. The Bucs edge rushers the past few years have been fairly average minus Yaya Diaby. If Haason Reddick returns to form, then Walker will be given time to develop and break out next year. However, if Reddick is just average, then Walker will be seeing the field a lot more. Walker was one of my favorite picks for the Bucs, even if it was torturous to see his home field (seriously that purple field he played on was a crime against humanity). I know he played against lesser competition in college, but his high motor shows a good pass rusher. I hope he does get a chance as I think he can be something.