“More Explosive Than I Was Giving Him Credit For”
June 28th, 2025
Ponder for moment that Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht invested a first-round pick into rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka, a premium draft choice the Bucs were ecstatic to make. And now Licht evaluates Egbuka higher than he did two months ago.
Damn.
That’s downright scary.
Receivers like Egbuka chosen at No. 19 overall are guys clubs expect to be Pro Bowlers and No. 1 receivers.
The Jaguars picked stud receiver Brian Thomas at No. 23 overall last season. Dude was in the Pro Bowl and has All-Pro talent.
The Chiefs traded up to grab receiver Xavier Worthy at No. 28 overall. The 49ers’ receiver pick at No. 31 overall Ricky Pearsall recovered well from getting shot in the chest at close range to finish last season looking like a No. 1 receiver. That’s likely the role he’ll fill for San Francisco this season.
Is Egbuka a No. 1 receiver?
The Bucs don’t need him to be, but if he’s not of that caliber, then a major mistake was made.
Licht is very confident Egbuka is more than worthy of his draft status.
“I think he’s a little bit more explosive than I was giving him credit for, too, just now seeing him live every day,” Licht said of Egbuka while visiting Sports Day Tampa Bay.
Licht added that while Egubka was a safe pick in the team’s draft board at No. 19, Licht doesn’t like the word “safe” because it implies that talent might be lacking. And he said that’s not the case at all.
Joe doesn’t want to hear chatter about the Bucs drafting a No. 2 receiver midway through the first round. It’s too nauseating a concept.
Hopefully everyone at One Buc Palace views Evans, Godwin and Egbuka as No. 1 receivers — and they deliver as such.
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June 28th, 2025 at 2:53 pm
At some point next year Mayfield will have Evans, Godwin and Egbuka at WR, Otton at TE with Irving lined up at RB. If you’re a DC your best hope is to keep blitzing Mayfield and hope it gets their quickly. Otherwise that’s the most intimidating group of skill starters in the NFL. No other group will have that much talent, depth and experience to contend with across the board.
As long as the new OC Grizzard doesn’t screw it up, the 2025 Bucs have every reason to make a deep playoff run.
June 28th, 2025 at 3:04 pm
… not to mention the Randy Mossesque as a rookie… Mr Jalen McMillan. If he continues his late 2024 season surge into 2025… will become the “hard to guard” room for sure.
June 28th, 2025 at 3:08 pm
LouisFriend Says:
“Mayfield will have Evans, Godwin and Egbuka at WR, Otton at TE with Irving lined up at RB”
Yea – that’s gonna be tough on Defenses alright…. Pick your poison basically…
Either someone will be wide open, or there will be at least a couple mismatches available on any given pass play – like Evans 1 on 1 on the outside or Otten vs a LBer over the middle or Bucky in the flat vs a safety who started out lined up 9 yards away from him….
June 28th, 2025 at 3:11 pm
Agree with Louis.
If Dennis is healthy, this could be a very good season.
LFG!!!
June 28th, 2025 at 3:37 pm
@ Louis Friend et al,
I will try to up your ante a bit with a pipe dream by sometimes substituting White for Otton in a Pressure Package.
Line up Bucky in the backfield, Godwin and and White as chippers just outside the tackles about two yards deep, and line up Evans and Egbuka out wide on the line of scrimmage. You could rotate Tucker with Bucky in the same formation if you want a stouter RB to help in pass protection or to surprise the defense with an inside run.
Obviously, this is not a power run formation. But, when you need a quick score and anytime an opposing defense looks tired, go no huddle with this formation, dinking and dunking, and keeping an eye open for a big play opportunity anytime the defense makes a mistake against any of those deadly threats.
June 28th, 2025 at 5:04 pm
Watching his college tape, e2 doesn’t look particularly explosive – just very very professional. BTW, that’s not a knock. In my mind a professional WR, at the highest levels possible, would be Jerry Rice – not a guy who ever looked explosive, but who was just very smooth, made plays, and at the end of the game you look at the box score and went, wow. But, with that said, if e2 is more explosive in the pros than he was in college, what a huge bonus, and would very much keep in the mold of Godwin who shocked everyone with a 4.42 speed, because on his college tape, he too just looked like a very solid professional WR, but once he got to the pros, he was a lot faster and stronger than people thought, and has had an amazing career so far.
As for e2 being a #1 WR – God I hope not, because if that happens it means Evans and Godwin both got hurt. Hopefully e2 isn’t needing to be a #1 WR for a few years.
June 28th, 2025 at 6:26 pm
Ppl mostly compare him to Godwin and I see the resemblance. But I see a little terry mclaurin in his game. He’s not a burner but I don’t think he’s going to have any issues playing on the outside.