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 and is posting content. For example, the PFF tribe put out 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.