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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.
The only thing that can make an NFL general manager look like a genius is time. Time to see your draft picks thrive. Time to see the coaches you hire win games.
Over a long enough period of time, a few general managers in the NFL have kind of earned the respect that comes with making enough genius moves — one of those is Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht.
Licht’s latest first round pick, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, has Licht looking like a genius once again.
ESPN’s re-draft of the first 2 rounds of the 2025 draft saw Egbuka, a finalist for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, make a massive leap up, from the No. 19 overall pick to the Buccaneers up 8 spots to the No. 11 overall pick to the San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers picked 6-foot-5, 267-pound University of Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams at that spot and watched him play just 9 games and finish with 22 tackles and 1.0 sack.
From ESPN: “The 49ers had strong interest in Tetairoa McMillan around the draft, but he was off the board. And though Williams showed promise, Egbuka would have helped stabilize a position that has a lot of question marks. Although Egbuka’s fast start turned into a slow finish, he’d be the best and most proven wideout under contract for the Niners right now.”
Egbuka Led Bucs in Receiving as Rookie
We still haven’t got a real idea of what kind of player Egbuka will ultimately be thanks to a rash of injuries to Tampa Bay’s wide receivers that saw him get used early then, when the team tried to jam Mike Evans and Chris Godwin back in the lineup, Egbuka’s role changed.
Still, the NFL placed Egbuka on its list of NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year finalists on Thursday — one of 3 finalists from the NFC South Division along with New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough and the favorite, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
The other 2 finalists were New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart and New England Patriots running back Treveyon Henderson.
Egbuka and Henderson were teammates on Ohio State’s College Football Playoff National Championship Team in 2024.
“Our guy is a finalist for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year,” the Buccaneers wrote on the team’s official X account.
Egbuka led the Buccaneers with 63 receptions for 938 yards and 6 touchdowns wile playing in all 17 games. He was also one of 2 Buccaneers to make the NFL All-Rookie Team on Wednesday alongside cornerback Jacob Parrish.
Tampa Bay Turned Heads With Surprise Pick
The Buccaneers made a surprise move to select Egbuka in the first round when all signs pointed to them picking a defensive player.
When Egbuka, the No. 19 overall pick, caught 6 passes for 113 yards and 1 touchdown in a Week 10 loss to the Patriots, he was third in the NFL with 40 receptions for 677 yards and 6 touchdowns — he wouldn’t have another 100-yard receiving game or score another touchdown the rest of the season.
McMillan didn’t overtake Egbuka for the rookie receiving lead until the 2 teams faced each other in the Week 18 regular season finale — a game in which he had 4 receptions for 85 yards to finish the season with 70 receptions for 1,014 and 7 touchdowns.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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