Bleacher Report believes Emeka Egbuka is primed for a breakout
· Yahoo Sports
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are entering a new era at wide receiver, and Bleacher Report believes Emeka Egbuka is in line to become the face of it.
In a recent article highlighting players primed for breakout seasons, Bleacher Report's Moe Moton identified Egbuka as one of the NFL's top candidates to take a significant leap in 2026. Moton cited Mike Evans' departure as the primary reason Egbuka is poised for a much larger role in Tampa Bay's offense.
Visit afsport.lat for more information.
Evans commanded at least 109 targets in 11 of his 12 seasons with the Buccaneers, leaving behind a massive opportunity in the passing game. Moton also noted that Chris Godwin has missed 18 games over the last two seasons, while Jalen McMillan has missed 17, making it even more important for Baker Mayfield to have a dependable target he can lean on throughout the season.
Egbuka showed flashes of becoming that player as a rookie. He topped 100 receiving yards three times during the first half of the 2025 season before his production tapered off as Tampa Bay rotated several receivers throughout the year. With Evans no longer in the picture, Moton expects Egbuka to maintain that early-season production over a full campaign instead of seeing his opportunities decline.
Moton also highlighted comments from offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, who made it clear he expects Egbuka to take a major step forward in his second season.
"He doesn't have to change a thing. I think he's come back, he's refreshed. He played a ton of snaps and obviously played a lot of college football leading into that season and played a ton of snaps [there]. I think Mek's just going to take huge, huge strides. He knows the new terminology and is asking great questions. Mek's just got to be Mek and do his thing and he'll be just fine."
The Buccaneers added third-round pick Ted Hurst III this offseason, but Moton doesn't expect the rookie to impact Egbuka's role in three-receiver sets. Instead, all signs point toward Egbuka becoming the focal point of Tampa Bay's passing attack as he looks to deliver the breakout season many expected when the Buccaneers selected him in the first round.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Bleacher Report believes Emeka Egbuka is primed for a breakout