Ben Solak: Emeka Egbuka Can Be Another Cooper Kupp
May 22nd, 2026
Good times coming for Emeka Egbuka, says popular NFL analyst.
Usually, if you mention Cooper Kupp to a Bucs fan, he/she will immediately fly into a rage, screaming for a new defensive coordinator.
Joe gets it. Cooper Kupp destroyed what would have been one of the most epic comebacks in Bucs history and likely kept the Bucs from returning to the Super Bowl for the 2021 season.
Kupp caught a 44-yard bomb in the final seconds of a divisional playoff game that set up a 30-yard Matt Gay game-winning field goal for the the Rams, the eventual Super Bowl champs as they knocked off defending champion Tampa Bay.
That is in the past for Joe. There’s not a damn thing anyone can do to change that. But Kupp was the best receiver in the game that season, though Kupp is clearly in the sunset of his career despite winning another Super Bowl ring last season.
Last week, Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson compared Bucs receiver Emeka Egbuka to Kupp and said he plans to use Egbuka as a Z-receiver this fall.
This got Ben Solak excited. The NFL analyst for ESPN, Solak took to TikTok, armed with data and graphics, and explained Robinson is onto something very, very smart. Solak is a big believer in Egbuka and Solak argues if Robinson uses Egbuka the way he warned, Egbuka could very well be the next Kupp.
In other words, as Solak states below, the arrow is pointing up for Egbuka and the Bucs’ passing attack.
@benjaminsolak Emeka Egbuka to the moon #nfl #buccaneers ♬ original sound – Benjamin Solak
May 22nd, 2026 at 7:32 am
Hmmm. I guess in that they’re both deceptively fast, and can line up in slot, diverse route tree. Not saying comparisons need to be 100% analogous but Coopers short area quickness in his prime, and twichiness to get that extra yard or two is much better. Emeka is more of a smooth route runner, routes are super precise where as Cooper is much quicker in and out of breaks and after the catch. I like Emeka. A lot. But idk if hes a 1, then he’s a 1b – I just don’t know if he’s a true 1A Top 10 S-tier type of receiver talent. Our receiver room is good to very good. Which is not a bad thing. A talent like Hurst can really change the dynamic a bit if he can play anywhere near to his physical potential
May 22nd, 2026 at 7:32 am
Let’s hope he gets somewhere near that level. I believe he can be
May 22nd, 2026 at 8:25 am
If so, what will be Godwin’s role? Robinson has a lot of mouths to feed in the passing game. If this isn’t a top five offense, we will have underachieved!
May 22nd, 2026 at 8:29 am
I expect to see a dramatically different offence this year. Sounds like Robinson will know how to use Egbuka properly.
May 22nd, 2026 at 8:51 am
ATL – I get it. But…who cares at the same time. Not in regards to your opinion, but who cares in regards to people’s “feelings.” I believe in establishing a clear number one, either for the season or depending on the game- and whoever that is – you feed him. While everyone else should know their role. Just like in basketball. Luka, Steph, Jordan, etc etc need to be taking 70% of the shots. I ain’t trying to hear about everyone needing 7 catches for 110 yards and TD. Only so many possessions, only so many balls to go around. If McMillan or Godwin closes out a game with 2 catches for 19 yards then oh well, can’t please everyone
May 22nd, 2026 at 8:52 am
EE start to his career is very similar to JSN. He has the potential to a superstar and I think he will just gotta get more comfortable as the guy
May 22nd, 2026 at 9:23 am
Just by designating a player as 1a, 1b, 2, etc, you are prescribing to that old school prima Donna WR mentality. Exploit what a defense is giving and feed the hot hand. If you need all the light on you as a player, go play tennis. Football is a team sport.
May 22nd, 2026 at 9:32 am
WR3
May 22nd, 2026 at 10:00 am
ChiBuc nailed it.
I believe what makes this group of WRs special, other than their talent, is the fact that there are no divas.
One week Godwin night catch 10 balls, the next week Jmac and Emeka might explode.
There will be weeks when they run it 35 times and the targets are few and far between.
Who cares who’s “number 1”..the WRs certainly don’t care.
May 22nd, 2026 at 11:00 am
Chibuc – do you play with toy trucks or something? If you know what I mean. What a goofball take. We hand out capri suns, oranges and trophies to everyone ok. This isn’t socialism. In the real world there is hierarchy, and people are compensated accordingly based on talent Mr everyone gets a pat on the head idealist
May 22nd, 2026 at 11:03 am
Another Cooper Cupp?
Is he going to cost us a trip to back-to-back super bowls?
May 22nd, 2026 at 11:21 am
I’m not 100% sold on Zac. According to the Falcons NFLPA report, he had a C grade. Why?
May 22nd, 2026 at 11:39 am
One big difference, Kupp is an A hole off the field.
May 22nd, 2026 at 11:53 am
He could be another Cooper Kupp.
Based on the last 9 games, he could also be a flop.
Once the league got tape on him, they shut him down.
Can he improve?
Let’s hope so. We lost our Exceptional WR. We have a room full of “ pretty goods”
We are gonna need SOMEBODY to be above average.
Let’s hope EE can adjust.
Because he sure isn’t Cooper Kupp right now.
He’s a first year WR, that flashed in 8 games. And sucked in 9
May 22nd, 2026 at 12:35 pm
@Hodad LOL, who cares what someone is off the field??, real FOOTBALL fanz don’t, so maybe you should stick to soap operas?, anyway I suppose you wouldn’t want to have 11 guys on defense who played with the talent, heart and smarts of Warren Sapp??, GTFOH!
May 22nd, 2026 at 12:36 pm
And Tez just sitting there for a reason to do another end zone backflip….. i loving our wr group!!!
May 22nd, 2026 at 12:49 pm
What about Chris Godwin? Chris Godwin is one of the best receivers in the NFL when healthy. I’m expecting a monster season out of Chris this upcoming season. 87 receptions for 1300 yards. Let’s Go Chris Godwin!!!
May 22nd, 2026 at 4:11 pm
Capt Tim. Go back, and watch the Rams game. EE beat his man like a drum, Baker throws late, and woefully short. What should’ve been an easy TD, almost turned into a pick. That’s on Baker, not EE. Baker’s play after the bye was a big reason EE didn’t get his first 1000 yard season. It’s no coincidence EE got worse when Baker did.
May 22nd, 2026 at 6:39 pm
In 2023, Godwin just wasn’t in the Canales’ game plan all that much. If he had lost a step, he must have gotten it back in 2024 when he was the best receiver in football until the ill-fated Ravens game.
I fully expect Godwin to be in elite form this season and the clear leader of the WR room. He got better and better as the season progressed last year.
Most important, Baker knows him, trusts him and relied on him heavily in 2024. I’m sure Baker is looking forward to a fully healthy Godwin this season.
As far as Evans goes, he did not leave because of Baker Mayfield. He left because the Bucs used a #1 draft pick to draft another receiver to an already stacked receiver room. He probably thought they should have gone defense and seethed about it all season long, especially after the third and 28 loss. He was no longer the big fish in the small pond. He was just another fish in a massive lake of receivers. He went to the 49ers where he has very little competition for catches and where he hopes to have a big year or two, cementing his Hall of Fame aspirations.
May 22nd, 2026 at 10:59 pm
If Baker doesn’t play like complete trash from week 7 on, e2 easily has the biggest rookie WR year in Bucs history and wins rookie of the year going away.
e2 is a stud, and any talk about a rookie wall is pure nonsense. All you have to do is look at the tape and you’d see him getting open over and over again only to have Baker throw it 15 yards over his head.
May 22nd, 2026 at 11:04 pm
ScottyMack Says:
May 22nd, 2026 at 6:39 pm
In 2023, Godwin just wasn’t in the Canales’ game plan all that much. If he had lost a step, he must have gotten it back in 2024 when he was the best receiver in football until the ill-fated Ravens game.
———
Well both are true. Godwin clearly wasn’t at full speed at the start of 2023, started to look like himself by the end of the year. With Coen, it was more about scheme. In particular after Luke got hurt , and they had to play Sucke at RT, Coen changed up the offense to get rid of the ball at lot faster and Godwin was the primary guy who benefited from that and was playing the best football of his career. And I will say at the end of last year, I thought Godwin looked really good – seemingly full speed but Baker was so terrible it was hard to tell.
But what was even more encouraging was watching tape – and I’ll tell you, the guy who I thought looked the best at the end of last year was McMillan. He looked so much better than his rookie year, looked so fast and crisp – if he keeps that up, it would not shock me if he ends next year as the teams top receiver.
Of course all of that is dependent on what Baker shows up. If we get last years week 7+ Baker, no one is going to look good.
May 23rd, 2026 at 7:34 am
I agree, I think the selflessness of this group of recieviers puts it above many of the WR rooms in the NFL. The talent is there but even if ME13 saw the writing on the wall & left because of lack of faith in Bowles or the Bucs philosophy across the board. To me the fact he went to SF shows he may have been one of the problems the TEAM had . He is obviously real aware of his personal goals & with the amount of talent in the Bucs WR room not just Eboka but several of the hungry young studs. ME13 imo wanted the bulk of the attention. He isn’t a BUC any longer so let the SF media praise him not Joe or any of the TAMPA BAY media or fans please
May 23rd, 2026 at 8:32 am
The world is upside down when a Nigerian American receiver is said be good as a European American receiver.
May 23rd, 2026 at 8:35 am
Baker usually makes people eat their words the wzy he did to the national media after the Bucs signed him. I will be looking for Ronald Munches response to an All-Star season.