Emeka Egbuka, Round One (19)
Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay's first-round selection in April, has already met, if not exceeded expectations at One Buccaneer Place. Egbuka has been praised by coaches for his cerebral approach to the game and perfectionist mindset on route running. The self-proclaimed over-achiever has displayed the skills that made him a prodigy in the esteemed Ohio State fraternity of receivers. Egbuka is a savvy, detail-oriented route runner who is adept at manipulating coverage through tempo. He can line up all along the formation and has elevated the room in Tampa Bay and has gained Baker Mayfield's trust.
"He's been, in a great way, as expected. Even though there's that expectation with him coming in as a first-round pick, he's even exceeded that," said Offensive Coordinator Josh Grizzard. "His communication skills are off the charts, and his ability to pick up the scheme. It's different for, say, 'J-Mac' (Jalen McMillan) coming back and it's similar verbiage and things of that nature. What [Emeka] has been able to do as a rookie has been unbelievable. Once the ball is snapped, and you guys have seen it, he's been getting open. You can tell how strong he is through the catch – his YAC has been great. Of course, he's a really good blocker. He's such a cultural fit, as well, it's been off to a good start for him."
Benjamin Morrison, Round Two (53)
Benjamin Morrison, who suffered a season-ending hip injury at Notre Dame in October of 2024 that required surgery, is back at full health. After missing rookie minicamp and OTAs, Morrison has made several highlight plays during camp. The Notre Dame product nabbed an interception down the sideline on Tuesday night in the indoor facility and has shown his ability to read routes and react. With effective angles to the football to disrupt the catch window and sensational ball production in college, Morrison is off to an outstanding start in Tampa Bay.
"We throw a bunch of people in with the one's, just to see what they're doing," said Todd Bowles. "Morrison has learned enough where he can go in with the one's and not flinch. We want to see, when we throw guys in there, how they respond. Some guys go into the tank and some guys respond. He responded."
Jacob Parrish, Round Three (84)
Jacob Parrish, a Kansas State product with inside-outside versatility, has showcased his fluidity throughout the offseason workout program. He has a knack for getting to the football and can challenge receivers from both man and zone coverage and possesses outstanding short-area burst. Parrish is physical in press and has the speed to stay with vertical threats. For Tampa Bay, Parrish has primarily received reps at nickel and has taken advantage of being in the box, making thudding hits and blitzing with proficiency, the latter of which he did not do at a high frequency at Kansas State.
"I'm very excited about that," described Parrish. "[At] Kansas State I think I only blitzed – I can't even count how many times I blitzed to be honest. When I got here, I've been blitzing a lot. I feel like I [have] good speed, a good intensity to get the quarterback. I'm excited for that."
David Walker, Round Four (121)
David Walker, who had shown his propensity for getting after the quarterback by attacking weaknesses, suffered a torn ACL during practice and will miss the duration of the 2025 slate. The three-time Consensus All-American will essentially undergo a redshirt freshman year in the NFL.
Elijah Roberts, Round Five (157)
Elijah Roberts has joined the Buccaneers' interior line rotation as a viable weapon for Bowles to utilize in pressure packages. He entrenched himself as one of the most disruptive interior defenders during his collegiate tenure. Roberts thrived with the Mustangs and totaled 131 pressures over the previous two seasons – number one in the FBS over that span. He maximizes his brute strength and led SMU in sacks in 2023 with 10.0 and again in 2024 with 7.5.
Tez Johnson, Round Seven (235)
Tez Johnson's shiftiness has ignited the crowd and the Buccaneers' offense during training camp. He finished top-five in Oregon recordbooks in career catches (169), despite only playing two seasons in Eugene and playing with two different quarterbacks. Johnson ranked No. 2 in the FBS with 35 catches behind the line of scrimmage in 2024 and has shown of his YAC-prowess and effectiveness in the open-field. He can redirect his course and accelerate on a dime, leaving defenders relenting. His energy has galvanized the locker room in Tampa Bay and his theatrics during practices have brought fans to their feet.
"That is my guy, man," said Mike Evans of Johnson. "With the ball in his hands, he is a crazy athlete. He catches the ball really well for a smaller, faster guy. Because a lot of smaller guys do not have the best hands, but he has really good hands. [He is] super positive, a fun guy, very down to earth. He knows a lot about the stuff I like, so we will listen to old music in [the locker room], and he knows about that."
