In a wide receiver room led by potential Hall of Famer Mike Evans, rookie Emeka Egbuka was Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield's favorite target in a Week 1 23-20 win against the Atlanta Falcons. The two hooked up for a team-high 67 yards and two touchdowns on four passes.
With the game on the line late in the fourth quarter, it was Egbuka that Mayfield targeted in the end zone for the decisive 25-yard scoring strike. One day removed from Egbuka's regular-season debut, Mayfield was filled with praise for his first-year wideout.
"He's so good. He really is," Mayfield said on the Bucs Player' Table. "All the natural things that you try and get receivers to do, it just comes easy to him. You combine that with how intelligent he is, his football IQ, it's a dangerous combo that he's got working for him. The lights will never be too bright for him."
EMEKA EGBUKA. THE ROOKIE. AGAIN.
— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025
TBvsATL on FOXhttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/pLyQEvaSG4
Egbuka's role will continue to grow as the weeks progress, especially since veteran wide receiver Chris Godwin remains sidelined while recovering from a devastating ankle injury. Despite being well-stocked at wideout, Tampa Bay went out of its way to select Egbuka with the 19th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Ohio State product was the second wide receiver taken off the board and the first outside of the top 10. He was the fifth Buckeye wide receiver drafted in the first round since 2022.
Egbuka had two 1,000-yard receiving seasons at Ohio State and finished his four-year career with 205 catches for 2,868 yards and 24 touchdowns.
