In a move that caught many off guard, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers surprised everyone by picking Ohio State’s talented wide receiver Emeka Egbuka with the 19th overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Given the team’s other pressing needs, the selection raised some eyebrows, as fans and analysts alike were expecting the Buccaneers’ front office, led by general manager Jason Licht, to prioritize filling gaps elsewhere.
The Buccaneers’ existing receiving corps, featuring Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillan, made Egbuka’s selection seem puzzling at first. However, considering Godwin’s season-ending ankle injury in 2024, the move starts to make more sense. Perhaps Egbuka is insurance for the team in case Godwin’s recovery takes longer than expected, or maybe he’s even being groomed as a potential Week 1 starter.
Recently, general manager Jason Licht joined “The Pat McAfee Show” and fielded questions about Chris Godwin’s status, including whether concerns over the Pro Bowler’s injury played a role in the Buccaneers’ decision to select Emeka Egbuka.
“It’s all about the weapons,” Licht stated. “It was all about the best player available there. Chris is on target, where we thought he’d be. Chris, we signed him at three years. One year is a long time in the NFL, but three years, we’re excited to have him this long.”
Licht continued,
“This gives us some comfort that we can make sure that he’s rehabbing at a steady rate, that we aren’t rushing this. We’re expecting him Week 1, but now we’re not worried about trying to rush it too quickly ’cause we’ve got another receiver that can step in. That doesn’t mean we’re not expecting him to be back Week 1 — ’cause we still are.”
The Buccaneers already had one of the NFL’s top receiving duos in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Now, with the additions of talented young receivers Jalen McMillan and Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay’s pass-catching corps just got even deeper. Assuming Godwin is ready to start the season, quarterback Baker Mayfield could be looking at the most loaded receiving arsenal in the league.
