Breakout For Emeka Egbuka
May 16th, 2026
Big 2026 predicted.
Joe isn’t sure if the following is comforting or the kiss of death.
Yes, the PFF tribe is still alive. A stats outfit bought out everything from the PFF tribe but its website and its dumbass grades, so Cris Collinsworth decided to lay off a bunch of people.
Apparently, after a lull, the PFF tribe has returned to life. For example, the PFF tribe published an All-Breakout team for 2026. Bradley Locker (not to be confused with Jake?) included Emeka Egbuka.
Another touted prospect whose first season didn’t live up to the hype, expect superior outcomes for Egbuka in 2026.
Egbuka started off his NFL career red-hot: Through the first five weeks of 2025, Egbuka’s … 2.49 yards per route run placed seventh. However, the Ohio State product subsequently struggled. His issues were mostly fueled by drops, with his 11.6% drop rate the second-highest among qualified wideouts.
With the legendary Mike Evans now in San Francisco, the Buccaneers are assuredly expecting Egbuka to help shoulder much of that vacant production. The smoothness, versatility and sure-handedness that Egbuka put on display in Columbus figure to catalyze a second-year breakout.
Joe’s not sure what Locker was watching (though this sort of reinforces Joe’s long-held belief that statheads don’t often watch games). Joe would say Egbuka, before the bye, exceeded the hype.
Egbuka hit the rookie wall last year. Bucs receivers coach Bryan McClendon all but confirmed that when he said this week the Bucs put too much on Egbuka’s plate last season, mostly out of necessity.
Now that Egbuka has had a full offseason to rest and has be in an NFL weightroom, Joe is confident Egbuka will pick up right where he left off before he hit the dreaded rookie wall.
May 16th, 2026 at 12:53 am
Mike didn’t have much production last year for Mek to shoulder, not all that much the prior year either
May 16th, 2026 at 2:12 am
He’ll be fine. I’m really going to miss Evans but I still believe we have one of the best WR rooms in the league. I think Chris Godwin is licking his chops to prove he can be the guy.
May 16th, 2026 at 6:32 am
with wide receivers they usually go with who is hot so i expect all of them to compete and one to emerge and take the x and it may not be who you think…. maybe jmac
May 16th, 2026 at 7:09 am
Godwin was thriving in Coens offense and was way ahead of ME13 in receptions and yards before he got hurt. I look for more of the same. This offense is designed for slot receivers and TEs. Can’t wait to see the 3wr sets
May 16th, 2026 at 7:35 am
I hope it was just a rookie wall, he was dropping passes left and right the second half of the season. Bucs dont need another Michael Clayton.
May 16th, 2026 at 7:46 am
Of course Egbuka is going to take off. He’s the #1 WR in The Ohio State school history for a reason. Baker won’t feel the need to force ME13 the ball anymore. And BTW, ME13 was just a shell of himself the past two seasons. His production will be easy to replace.
May 16th, 2026 at 7:58 am
I hope his career follows the same trajectory as Jackson Smith-Njigba. They are very similar players so that would be just great for him and the Bucs!
May 16th, 2026 at 8:24 am
Good news about Egbuka stepping ?♀️ up this season. The Bucs need to be cautious of high expectations in rookies. Alot of hype is surrounding Bain. We saw what happened with Egbuka last ? year.
The NFL is a big learning curve from College football. Baines puts high expectations on himself. People are looking to him being the next super star edge rusher.
Going to the NFL from college isn’t easy. Learning the playbook and executing plays in practice takes time. The old saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day” applies well to the NFL.
May 16th, 2026 at 8:48 am
I don’t know how anyone can not be excited and optimistic about EE. The kid was playing at damn near an all-pro level to begin his career. I fully believe that it was more about Mike Evan’s and JMac returning and him struggling to find his place amongst them than it was a “rookie wall”. The kid just missed 1000 yards and offensive rookie of the year. He was the reason we were able to beat the Supwr Bowl champs in their home. I expect huge things from EE
May 16th, 2026 at 9:45 am
EE IS going to shine. I have no doubt…. But will he be the brightest? Not so sure about that…
BECAUSE…. J Mac IS going to be right there, if not Better…. Telling you, Tracy Ullman and T Bowl REALLY screwed J Mac up last year! Poor decision making meets Poor ability equals HOSPITAL BEDS for everybody….
I mean, did you see J Mac go up 20 ft in the air to go get that ball though? It looked like he had jet packs strapped to his shoes as he just kept rising higher and higher to retrieve the rainbow! JMac learn a serious lesson that cost us All probably 2 to 3 games without him. He WAS the 2024 savior after all…. Do Not close your eyes on a Healthy, J Mac…..
May 16th, 2026 at 10:29 am
Trolls sleeping in? Took a day off? You suck, they suck, we suck crap?
How refreshing.
EE is going to have a solid if not great season. We will be fine without ME. Agree about Baker no longer worried about ME’s 1000 yards will only help us.
May 16th, 2026 at 10:33 am
Didnt he have over 900 hundred yards last year. Not bad for a rookie. A few things happened to him and the team that slowed him. He’s going over 1k this year.
May 16th, 2026 at 10:53 am
@Joe, for a guy who seems to revile statheads, you sure do get a lot of content from them. I do admire how data and facts never seem to sway your opinions though. Some might call your quaint old school approach a bit “parochial.” But that’s why we love you Joe, you’re the Ray Nitschke of sports blogging
May 16th, 2026 at 10:59 am
Bojim is right. A few things happened to the team that slowed him. The OLine didn’t give Baker throwing lanes a few times, penalties called back a large gain or two, Baker couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn numerous times, but the kid sure deserved over 1000 yards. I’m sure glad we’ve got him. He’s gonna be a star in this league.
May 16th, 2026 at 11:06 am
Need consistent play to “breakout” and that takes playing up to your level of talent and not just what the opposing defense allows. We’ll see, but I’ve got to see this offense moving before I just sign up for the “well they’re healthy, so they should be good” mentality.
May 16th, 2026 at 11:54 am
Joe doesn’t “revile” stats, but Joe does loathe folks who think stats > play on the field. But when folks start to twist stats “expected … adjusted” that’s when Joe puts his foot down. That’s playing hopscotch with numbers.
Joe *does* “revile” the PFF tribe’s “grades” — which are not stats. (NFL folks find the PFF tribe’s grades, especially for offensive linemen, funnier than Chris Rock.)
May 16th, 2026 at 12:16 pm
Emeka Egbuka was part of an offensive unit that completely stalled
They all hit a brick wall, and couldn’t perform
It was a complete failure of all involved
I never seen anything like it
May 16th, 2026 at 12:52 pm
Until I see it…..
Prove it
May 16th, 2026 at 2:55 pm
He is a nice player but was clearly over drafted
WR3
May 16th, 2026 at 4:20 pm
Someone was over drafted but it wasn’t Egbuka.
Pick # 8 McMillian. 1000 yard 7 tds
#19 Egbuka 940 yards 6 tds
#23 Golden 360 yards 0 TDS
May 16th, 2026 at 4:27 pm
Trade Godwin sign tyreek
May 16th, 2026 at 7:05 pm
Ya once people figured his game out how did he finish ?
Wr3
May 17th, 2026 at 7:42 am
Or he hit the rookie wall and was ask to do too much too soon like everyone is saying. It’s that or Everyone is wrong and you alone have it all figured out.
Ohio State WRs don’t do too well in the NFL. lol.
May 17th, 2026 at 10:56 pm
e2 didn’t hit a rookie wall last year – just watch the tape.
The wall he hit was Baker throwing for 122 yards, 144 yards, 158 yards, etc. Baker was terrible after the week 6 MVP nonsense went to his head. How many times did we see a wide open e2 standing there waiting for the ball only to see Baker throw it 30 yards over his head?
May 18th, 2026 at 11:30 am
Something you guys forget is that he was on a national champion team, so he played through Jan, then combine prep, pro day, draft, OTAs and camp.
He basically played for ~18 mos without a real break. Yes, he hit the ‘rookie wall’…