Tampa Bay Buccaneers' first-round pick Emeka Egbuka has garnered lavish praise throughout the offseason workout program for his absorption of the offensive system, route-running acumen and commitment to his craft. On Saturday night against the Steelers in Preseason Week Two, Egbuka brought the Bucs' travelers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh to their feet with a touchdown.
With just over three minutes left on the clock in the first quarter, up 7-0, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater delivered a dime to Egbuka, where only the rookie receiver could grab it in the end zone. From third-and-four, Egbuka lined up in the slot and ran a corner route against Cover Zero (pure man coverage with no deep defender). He forced Steelers' corner Brandon Echols outside as he cut back inside towards the boundary and Bridgewater put touch on the football. As it arrived, Egbuka adjusted and was able to haul it in as he fell to the ground.
"Could not be in a better situation for me and I am so grateful to God for this opportunity and to Teddy for such a great ball," said Egbuka. "He was throwing dots out there left and right. The one he threw to Bucky [Irving] was perfect placement but [the touchdown to me] it was red zone, Cover Zero. Very highly anticipated coverage and I had a corner route and he put air on it, which I like because it gives me time to be able to adjust, and it was perfectly placed in the corner."
Egbuka, who can line up at all receiver spots, finished his collegiate career at Ohio State with the most receptions in school history (205) and he finished second in receiving yards (30 behind Michael Jenkins). He works in and out of the break point with ease and possesses elite ball tracking and understanding of how to manipulate coverage with subtleties. Egbuka opens up the Bucs' playbook with his ability to stretch the field vertically or put defensive backs on notice in the short-to-intermediate area with a knack for exploiting voids. He effectively works back to the football and has been a quarterback-friendly target throughout the preseason and training camp. Egbuka is poised for a breakout year in 2025.
