ClutchPoints
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to compete for their fifth straight NFC South title. Legendary quarterback Tom Brady finished his career and Tampa Bay tenure by winning the division in 2021 and 2022. Current starting signal caller Baker Mayfield has led the team to their latest two titles and undoubtedly wants to win number three in 2025.
This Buccaneers team might be the deepest one since the Brady-led 2020 edition that won the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy. Mayfield leads a stacked and loaded attack filled with weapons. Once fully healthy, the team’s passing game will have at least six legitimate weapons, with room to grow from other players. One of these threats is running back Rachaad White, who looks to pair with sophomore sensation Bucky Irving in the backfield to give Tampa Bay another dimension on offense.
While tight end Cade Otton looks to hit another level in 2025, the wide receiving room is arguably the NFL’s best when fully healthy. Veterans Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have long been the engines that fuel the Bucs’ dynamic passing game. Each wideout has their own specific skillsets that attack opposing defenses in different ways. Second-year wideout Jalen McMillan will miss the first few weeks of the season with a neck strain but will look to claim a big role when he returns. Due to the ailments affecting McMillan and Godwin, first round pick Emeka Egbuka will team with Evans for the season’s first few weeks. Will this lead to a standout rookie campaign?
For at least the first few weeks of the season, Egbuka will lead the Bucs’ receivers alongside Evans. The former Ohio State Buckeye couldn’t learn from a better role model. Evans is a surefire Hall of Famer who has notched over 1,000 yards in each of his 11 seasons. If Mayfield has his way, he’ll hit 12 seasons in a row in 2025. In fact, Egbuka learning under Evans will give him a similar mentorship to Godwin, whom he’ll replace in the starting lineup while the veteran recovers from last year’s ankle injury.
Egbuka will start off hot right out of the gate, notching 100 plus receiving yards against the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans on the road before scoring not once, but twice in Tampa Bay’s home opener against the New York Jets. This will help lead the Buccaneers to a 3-0 start ahead of a titanic Week Four clash against the Philadelphia Eagles at Raymond James Stadium.
This scorching start will lead to Egbuka leading the NFL rookie class in receiving yardage. While he won’t break 1,000 yards in his first season, he’ll end up with over 900 yards. A midseason slump could slow him down, not to mention the fact that Godwin and McMillan will receive snaps and a lot more when they get back. There’s only one ball to go around. Luckily for Egbuka, his performance will lead to him being named a Pro Bowl...
