Emeka Egbuka: Everything you need to know

New Bucs OC Zac Robinson said Tuesday that Egbuka will focus on the Z receiver position in 2026 after moving around the formation as a rookie last season, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports. With Mike Evans and Chris Godwin missing a combined 17 regular-season games to injuries last season, Egbuka was forced into multiple roles as a rookie. Godwin split time between the slot and out wide on his 428 offensive snaps, but he figures to play mostly a slot role in three-wide sets under Robinson, who talked up third-round rookie Ted Hurst (6-foot-4, 206 pounds) as a prototypical X receiver Tuesday. After Egbuka got off to a hot start last season, he suffered a hamstring injury in Week 6 and dealt with the issue for multiple weeks after despite not missing a contest. Full health and a dedicated position should help Egbuka return to form in his second campaign. He's going in the fourth round of early best-ball drafts.

Egbuka brought in one of three targets for eight yards in the Buccaneers' 16-14 win over the Panthers on Saturday. He finished the 2025 regular season with 63 receptions for 938 yards and six touchdowns on 127 targets and two rushes for nine yards over 17 games. Egbuka was thrust into a significant role from Day 1 of his rookie season, as the Buccaneers began the campaign without Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan due to ankle and neck injuries, respectively. The Ohio State product looked like an instant star after posting a 25-445-5 line on 38 targets over his first five career games, but Egbuka topped 64 receiving yards just once in the remaining 12 contests despite Mike Evans and Godwin missing significant time, and McMillan not making his season debut until Week 15. Nevertheless, there isn't any doubt about Egbuka's talent after he still nearly eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in his first season, and he could be set for a similar elevated target share in 2026 if Godwin isn't retained this offseason.

Egbuka caught three of five targets for 20 yards in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Dolphins. Egbuka was held out of the end zone for the seventh straight game, failing to exceed 64 receiving yards in each of those contests. The wide receiver finished fourth at his position in targets behind Jalen McMillan (nine), Chris Godwin (eight) and Mike Evans (seven), which doesn't inspire much confidence for Week 18 against the Panthers.