Emeka Egbuka Debut
With Jalen McMillan on injured reserve and Chris Godwin progressing towards a return from the dislocated ankle that ended his 2024 campaign, the Buccaneers will begin the year without two of the club's top-four weapons in the receiver room. Tampa Bay drafted Emeka Egbuka in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft and the Ohio State product has exceeded expectations throughout the offseason. His attention to detail, precise route running and absorption of the playbook has impressed the coaching staff and Egbuka will make his debut against the Falcons at Mercedes-Benz. Egbuka excelled against defensive backs in the Big Ten and will look to continue the trend at the NFL level. He possesses the flexibility to play all three receivers spots and commands the catch point. Egbuka pairs elite ball-tracking with tactics to create separation from coverage at the stem of routes through tempo. His inclusion in the Bucs' offense has fostered confidence as the squad gears up for Week One.
"It was already going to be a big role, and it still is," said Offensive Coordinator Josh Grizzard. "Like we've talked about a little bit up here, his ability to play different positions and move around – you feel better if somebody comes out of the game that he can take over that role. It might be something he hasn't repped, but he can go out there and not only execute it but he can win on the route, win on the run block. That gives us a lot of confidence – especially myself as a play-caller – to lean on him in those situations. He's been up to the task since he's been here. I'm looking forward to doing it on Sunday for him."
Versatile Running Backs
The talented tandem of pass-catching running backs in Bucky Irving and Rachaad White opens up the playbook for Josh Grizzard in Tampa Bay. Neither provides a tell to the defense when they are on the field with their efficiency in the screen game, out of the slot and big-play potential post-catch. The duo are reliable underneath options for Baker Mayfield to create YAC and create mismatches on the field. Their skillset on the field allows for various concepts out of the same personnel grouping, keeping defenses guessing.
"It's huge," noted Grizzard. "Whether it's run game, protections, or throwing the ball like you saw last year. Especially with 'Buck' catching that fade in Pittsburgh – it was really cool. As flexible as they can be, we try to get them the ball in different ways, as well as the receivers and utilize their skill sets. It's huge for us, because we can look at them somewhat as positionless players where he might play halfback, but he can catch it, so we can use him a little like a receiver."
Addition of Haason Reddick
The Buccaneers added another edge rusher to bolster the pass rush in free agency with Haason Reddick. Reddick has appeared in 124 career games between the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets, making 83 starts and compiling 419 tackles (71 for loss), 102 quarterback hits, 59.0 sacks (14 strip sacks), 20 passes defensed, 18 forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries throughout his NFL tenure. Dating back to the 2020 season, Reddick has posted four seasons with double-digit sacks, tied for the second-most in the NFL, trailing only Myles Garrett (five). Reddick's 51.5 sacks across the past five seasons are the sixth-most in the NFL over that span, trailing only T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett, Trey Hendrickson, Nick Bosa and Micah Parsons. Reddick has recorded 15 forced fumbles since 2020 – the second-most in the NFL– including a league-leading 14 strip-sacks across that time. He is a fluid mover with quick-twitch athleticism to move in space and will elevate the team's frontline on Sunday in Atlanta.
"Well, I think Haason is a rare athlete as far as his ability to rush, his ability to drop [back]," said Pass Game Coordinator George Edwards. "He's very instinctive, you know, in the different roles that we asked him to play. So, we're excited to see him and be able to use his talents as we progress through the season with different jobs that he's able to do. I think that'll help the guys around him because it can take pressure off of certain things that we do ask him to do. So, we're excited about the possibilities as we move forward with him. He's done a great job of grasping what we're doing defensively from a schematic standpoint. You can really see his athleticism and his ability to get hands on the ball and be able to move around."
