Buccaneers' Emeka Egbuka Using Vets' Experience To Hone His Craft
Buccaneers' Emeka Egbuka Using Vets' Experience To Hone His Craft originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
We don't often like to use the word perfect around here, but sometimes it is appropriate, and when it comes to a young rookie receiver landing in a perfect spot, we think Emeka Egbuka has landed in such a place with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Entering an offense that has Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Baker Mayfield, Egbuka has three quality Pro Bowl players to learn from, something that other receivers from his draft class don't have.
Yes, he might be a little down the pecking order right now, but Emeka is using what is available to him to learn and grow as a player.
When appearing on NFL Network's The Insiders, Egbuka detailed how much help he's gotten from Tampa Bay's veterans.
"Considering the room that I'm in, with such established vets and pros and with Baker at the helm of the offense, I'm just taking bits and pieces every single day learning from them," Egbuka said on the Insiders. "There's really not a scenario throughout the day where I don't learn from them. So I'm just trying to use every experience here to be able to learn, grow, and establish a routine here so I can be the most successful I can be."
Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Talk about fast-tracking your development.
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Some were confused as to why the Buccaneers selected Emeka in the first round of the NFL Draft, considering the defensive needs, but maybe the Ohio State stud is seen as Evans' replacement in a year or two.
So learning as much as he can now, not only from Mike, but Godwin, Cade Otton, and Mayfield, will set him up well for the future.
The best trait a rookie can have is to be a sponge and soak up any information they can get, and for Egbuka, he's doing just that in the hopes of hitting the ground running in his first season.
Related: Buccaneers New Coach Passing First Test in Unique Role
Related: Buccaneers Offense Trying To Match High Expectations in 2025
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
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