No, Drafting Emeka Egbuka Is Not A “Head-Scratcher”
July 17th, 2025
More questions.
Joe doesn’t know why in the past two days, potshots have been taken at Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht, questioning his motive for drafting Emeka Egbuka at No. 19.
First this week it was Walter Cherepinsky of WalterFootball.com, who is so unnerved by Licht drafting Egbuka, Cherepinsky slapped Licht with the Matt Millen tag. Sad.
Now it’s Michael Baca of NFL.com. In previewing Bucs training camp, Baca, like Cherepinsky, questions Licht’s motives.
That’s where the head-scratching begins. Tampa selected Emeka Egbuka with the 19th-overall pick and the Ohio State product seems poised for the slot role, especially with Godwin’s guidance. Jalen McMillan came on strong late last season and is in line for more playing time in Year 2.
Well, it’s nice that Jalen McMillan balled out to close the season. Perhaps the Bucs want to see more of that.
But back to Egbuka. Joe doesn’t understand why folks cannot see the forest for the trees. There are question marks surrounding Evans and Godwin. Evans is in a contract year. If he breaks Jerry Rice’s record of consecutive 1,000-receiving yards in a season, would anyone be surprised if Evans called it a career?
And no one knows when or if Godwin will return to 100 percent after having his ankle destroyed.
Last year when both Evans and Godwin were off the field, the Bucs got little production from receivers. So with Egbuka sitting there at No. 19 (the Bucs put a very high grade on him), why wouldn’t they draft him?
Joe doesn’t get how this is so difficult for some to understand.
July 17th, 2025 at 9:33 am
Why is it hard to understand that the bucs have greater needs than in the receiver room this year?
July 17th, 2025 at 9:41 am
If it’s best available – hard to understand why folks are shocked.
July 17th, 2025 at 9:41 am
Joe, in arguing for drafting Egbuka, the Godwin rationale is reasonable, as is the production drop off when both Evans and Godwin are out of the lineup. However, the uncertainty regarding Evans retirement is a bit lame. Licht was drafting for 2025, not 2026. You don’t think there will be any decent receivers in the 2026 draft pool?
July 17th, 2025 at 9:49 am
Who should we have drafted instead? If Egbuka was highest rated I don’t see the problem. If Campbell had been fully fit he would probably have been the pick.
July 17th, 2025 at 9:54 am
Agree with Boomer. Drafting BPA is how a team maintains a winning roster.
July 17th, 2025 at 9:58 am
Evans is on the wrong side of 30, and the last time Godwin got hurt, it took him a full season to look like himself again. After watching that four-game stretch — with what they had out there on the field — it makes all the sense in the world for them to draft Egbuka.
July 17th, 2025 at 10:06 am
Eeeeka!
July 17th, 2025 at 10:31 am
Drafting Egbuka in my opinion is part of a succession plan.
We had Mike drafted into a room that had Vincent Jackson in it (r.i.p).
This time around, it’s McMillan & Egbuka coming into rooms with Mike & Chris.
Different players obviously, different roster make up in ’25 compared to ’14, but in the same spirit of planning for right now and the future.
It’s like saying we have “too much ammo”.
July 17th, 2025 at 10:34 am
I understand the pick and don’t think it’s a big head scratcher but I still think they should have drafted the best defensive player they had on the board . Our needs are on defense . If we were middle of the pack last year we go far in the playoffs. I still think Licht should do more to address our D . I feel we have a window and Licht is not opening it. Trying to stay good or relevant 3 years from now is 1 thing but going for it all is another . I’m guessing Licht doesn’t think we are going all the way this year . Maybe next year he goes all in.
July 17th, 2025 at 10:37 am
Ya David is playing till he is 43
We need his replacement actually yesterday and a back up to him
I think Jihads shoulder spooked them.
I am okay with it
July 17th, 2025 at 10:38 am
Jason Licht use to draft for needs, instead of the best player available . So he drafted a lot of busts, mediocre players, that had a short lifespan in Tampa. And in return, we had a lot of nedicore seasons in Tampa. When you draft the BPA, you’re going to have a roster of good players.
It’s common sense
.
July 17th, 2025 at 10:43 am
Best player available and a difference maker. Teams that draft solely for need end up average rosters.
July 17th, 2025 at 10:51 am
I think it’s a great pick. It’s still crickets in regards to CG’s rehab status. What if he has to start the season on the PUP list or something. Besides, you win games by scoring the most points, it’s a passing league and you can never have enough offensive firepower.
GO BUCS
July 17th, 2025 at 10:51 am
I said before the draft that Bowles is clearly having issues fixing HIS defense and instead of allowing him to continue to fail they should just draft to their strength. This was a smart thing to do. A rare compliment by me to the Super Todd! You can thank me later fan boys.
July 17th, 2025 at 11:12 am
PSL Bob — There may be WRs available next year, but possibly not as good as Egbuka. Besides, waiting to grab a replacement until you absolutely have to is how bad reaches happen.
July 17th, 2025 at 11:14 am
So we draft some knucklehead for defense who isn’t able to contribute because he gets in trouble or blows off a couple fingers with fireworks and then when Mike goes to retire after the season, all they’ll talk about is how bad the offense is now that Mike is gone and CG isn’t what he used to be and we shouldn’t prepared for this and blah blah blah… These guys are surface level reporters, just in it for the job. We want real football guys on our team AND reporting on our team! Go Bucs!
July 17th, 2025 at 11:20 am
First round draft pick gets a 4+1 year contract. Evans could be gone next year, and also could miss time like he did last year. That would make Egbuka a starter. Rod God might not be ready to start the season, or might not be 100%. That would make Egbuka a starter. Not sure how people don’t understand this, especially after seeing both Evans and Rod God miss time simultaneously last year. WR might not be an immediate need, but it also might be based on last year. And if Evans and Godwin stay completely healthy all season, Egbuka still contributes (and that’s a big if). And when Evans and/or Rod God hang it up, Egbuka steps right in. It’s pretty straightforward.
July 17th, 2025 at 11:31 am
EE will perform better than the average 1st round rookie WR simply because of the mentoring he will receive from Evans and Godwin. NFL has become a pass first league and a stacked deck in the receivers room is a formula for winning games. The surgery for Wirfs was necessary to get him back to 100% and his replacement Mr. Heck will do a good enough job so that Wirfs absence will not be the difference in winning or losing games. Bucs WILL win the NFC South and WILL go deep in the playoffs and possibly win a Superbowl. To hell with the Negative Nellie Naysayers!!!!
July 17th, 2025 at 11:33 am
If LVD stays healthy and plays his usual HOF game and SVD turns out to be the real deal the entire question becomes moot.
“You don’t think there will be any decent receivers in the 2026 draft pool?”
I think that goes to taking BPA at any position. There will be decent players available at all positions but will they drop to where the Bucs can reach them.
Here is a wonderful problem for Jason and we Buc fans to have. Drafting is going to remain a LARGE challenge because the Bucs are GOOD! They’ll be drafting at the back of the pack for the forseeable future.
July 17th, 2025 at 11:54 am
It was absolutely the correct pick. I can’t believe this is even a debate. Evans’ drop off will likely be any day and then there are question marks around Godwin. It’s a solid pick. The Bucs need a new future #1 WR and Egbuka could be it.
July 17th, 2025 at 11:55 am
I think the Bucs had Egbuka ranked somewhere between top 5th-10th in the entire draft. They were ecstatic to draft him and I am pretty damn certain they weren’t wrong. These reporters are going to be eating their words by game 5 this season. Right out of the gate, I expect Egbuka to be excellent and contribute.
Im definitely going to be targeting him as a sleeper in fantasy drafts this year.
July 17th, 2025 at 12:06 pm
Maybe they just itch. Like some people have a full body rash and head lice, and just itch all over. Maybe they constantly scratch their heads, so saying it’s a head scratcher is actually just an update on how itchy they’re feeling.
Either that or they are abject imbecillen.
July 17th, 2025 at 12:10 pm
I have to admit I was disappointed with that pick at first. Not really angry, but certainly less than thrilled. That guy was not on my radar at all. I never even bothered to look into him. Now seeing that Godwin might miss the start of the season and impressive reports from Joe and others I’ve warmed me up to the kid quite a bit. In underwear football he seems to have clearly stood out. Weirdly…so did Tez. Assuming Morrison doesn’t hold out all camp the defense should be at least a little more aggressive. Maybe Reddick returns to form. Brasswell??? IDK. Rookie Walker? Sounds promising. SVD? Egbuka might be more important than people realize.
July 17th, 2025 at 12:19 pm
This is more about common sense and in my experience through life it’s almost as if you either have common sense or you do not and if you do not there’s a lot of things in life you do not get. Like the fact that Chris Godwin not only had an ankle injury but had a brutal gruesome dislocation almost exorcism type of an ankle dislocation. So there in one lies in the fact that he just may not come back as he once was. Evans is still running the field but for how many more seasons I would be happy if he can keep this up to the age of 45 but, not realistic Evans has missed time on a consecutive number of past seasons it has become yearly to expect three to six weeks missed due to hamstring injury alone. McMillan shows a lot of promise and really turned it on at the end of last year but he’s still so young after just a rookie year to tell if he’s a streaky type number two or if he’s going to play that way all the time to ball out as a number one. So therefore why not buy you offensive insurance with a receiver. And, finally look at the amount of talented cornerbacks that came out of the 2025 draft and the bucs literally got a couple of the better ones. Some are saying Morrison could be the steal of the draft but still time will tell
July 17th, 2025 at 12:20 pm
I think anyone who is still scratching their head over this pick has mental problems.
July 17th, 2025 at 12:21 pm
Stpetematt: no, the pundits will not rue their blathering even if Egbuka has 800 yards and 15 touchdowns by week 5. Those degenerates are like politicians. They’ll all just brag about how they knew all along that this guy was the best pick for the BUCS all along and have always said so. They’re just talking heads. They don’t even watch BUCS games.
July 17th, 2025 at 1:30 pm
jimmy Says:
Why is it hard to understand that the bucs have greater needs than in the receiver room this year?
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Your question seems to imply that a GM should draft players according to the team needs for the coming season only. No great GM does that on a regular basis.
If Licht failed to draft a quality WR, people would be calling for his head if Evan’s retired at the end of the coming season and Godwin never returned at 100%.
July 17th, 2025 at 1:32 pm
whole lot of kool aid drinkers. lets see how smart you are when EE has 246 yards and 3 touchdowns for the season. so many fools already fitting him for a gold jacket when he hasnt played one down of pro ball.
July 17th, 2025 at 1:48 pm
and i never said he isnt a good pick or a good player. do the bucs have more pressing needs? obvious to anyone and everyone. has anyone anywhere said he is a bad player? i havent seen that either. that whole best player available stuff is just nonsense. thats how you end up with roberto aguayo.
July 17th, 2025 at 1:53 pm
^^^
Would you take a lesser talent to satisfy a need?
July 17th, 2025 at 1:59 pm
jimmy Says:
whole lot of kool aid drinkers. lets see how smart you are when EE has 246 yards and 3 touchdowns for the season. so many fools already fitting him for a gold jacket when he hasnt played one down of pro ball.
—————————————————————————–
Ronde Barber, who DOES have a gold jacket, has been watching tape of EE from the OTA’s and mandatory mini-camp. He concluded that EE has better hands than Godwin, who has great hands.
jimmy Says:
that whole best player available stuff is just nonsense. thats how you end up with roberto aguayo.
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If you believe Aguayo was the best player available or was chosen by the Bucs for that reason, YOU are the one who has been drinking way too much
Kool-Aid.
July 17th, 2025 at 3:27 pm
Many variables. Couch Fan makes a good point that drafting high on defensive players is a waste if Bowles is going to continue to call the defense.
The irony is that the Bucs had top 5 passing production even with Evans and Godwin missing lots of time. Jalen McMillan was a 3rd round pick, proving that the value is there in the middle rounds to find good recievers, and the rosters of almost every NFL team right no can prove that. The WR position is the new RB position as far as value in the NFL draft is concerned .
….and there is definitely no consensus across the league that Egbuka was the best player available at that pick. That is pure homerism by anybody claiming that. So you can’t even call that a luxury pick. What you can call it is a head scratcher by anyone who isn’t blinded by homerism.
Time will tell, but when Egbuka is sitting on the sidelines while every team we play is driving the field to score in the last 50 seconds of every game to steal a win, how much better off would we be with Jahdae Barron out there. I like Morrison and I like Parrish, but they have medical red flags and limitations.
This pick was a gamble by Licht any way you cut it, and like I’ve said before, I do undestiny the logic and thought behind it, but that doesn’t mean I have to agree with it.
July 17th, 2025 at 4:41 pm
A SIMPLE QUESTION.
Who called the defense for the Bucs last Super Bowl?
If he did it once he can’t do it again? Perhaps hire somebody who has NEVER done it?
The Bucs have only had two different Defensive Coordinators win Super Bowls.
Yet one of them continually gets trashed as being unable to do what HE HAS ALREADY DONE!!!!
July 17th, 2025 at 5:43 pm
Nobody knows how much better off this team would be with any rookie. Offese or defense. They have not played in the NFL. Many flame out. This team already has a defensive starter that can’t even get on the field to open the season 2 years in a row. So I don’t scratch anything. I leave it to the real professionals to do what they determine best.
July 17th, 2025 at 7:12 pm
“Evans is in a contract year. If he breaks Jerry Rice’s record of consecutive 1,000-receiving yards in a season, would anyone be surprised if Evans called it a career?”
I for one would be shocked.
In my mind, Evans is almost guaranteed to play in 2026 – and I believe its highly likely he plays in 2027 also…
After that who knows – but I kind of expect him to play at least 3 more years – and wouldn’t be a bit surprised if he plays 5 more thanks to ME13’s adherence to TB12’s diet and training regiments….
July 17th, 2025 at 7:14 pm
@gotbbucs,
You wrote: “This pick was a gamble by Licht any way you cut it…”
That’s true. But EVERY pick in the draft is a gamble.
You wrote: “….and there is definitely no consensus across the league that Egbuka was the best player available at that pick.”
Was there a consensus on who WAS the best player available at #19?
If you feel more qualified than Licht and his staff at choosing draft picks, and knowing what is best for the team, then go ahead and submit your resume to the Glazers. Good luck on your interview!
July 17th, 2025 at 7:48 pm
Like everyone else I wanted defense. But I thought it was a great pick. They picked him because they were confident that he could step in right away. Its a good thing.
July 17th, 2025 at 9:21 pm
I won’t defend the choice of Egbuka because he obviously is a great player. I will defend the choice of an offensive player. It’s not so obvious in this case, but adding to a position of strength can sometimes –few things in this area are always true — improve the team more than adding to a position of weakness.
For example, there might be no available player who is, right now, better than the existing players at the positions, or even projected to be better in his rookie season. (For those who think this is unfair, when your dominant motive is to address a present need, you need an immediate solution.} On the other hand, if the defense is remarkably derelict in some area, say, pass defense, an acceptable solution can probably be found in the second round. Oh, wait, that’s what the Bucs did.
July 18th, 2025 at 12:55 pm
So the GM who finds Macmillan in the 3rd, BUCKY in the 4th, among other steals, and consistently kept this team atop the division after TB12’s retirement (when everyone else thought they’d be cellar dwellers) doesn’t know what he’s doing?
Leave the arm-chair GMs where they are – as anonymous mouthpieces with no significance to Jason Licht’s decision making.