Emergence of Emeka Egbuka and Devin Culp
On Thursday, both first-round pick Emeka Egbuka and second-year tight end Devin Culp stood out during practice. Egbuka made a leaping grab in the back of the end zone during 7-on-7 for a touchdown and Culp made an acrobatic catch during the team period along the boundary.
"On a day like today where Mike [Evans] was not practicing, you can put Emeka anywhere and that really is the truth," stated Baker Mayfield. "It is fun to have a guy like that that is that intelligent and does not act like a rookie, his head is not spinning and who is able to do it and handle it the right way and it raises the standard for everybody else."
Throughout rookie minicamp and OTAs, teammates and coaches have praised Emeka's absorption of the playbook and grasp of the offense. Egbuka displayed the capability of playing all three receiver spots at Ohio State, the slot, Z and X. He concluded his collegiate career with the most receptions in Buckeyes' history (205) and was second in receiving yards all-time. Egbuka is a route-running technician, with an understanding of how to generate leverage and bait coverages with subtle fakes. His background as an outfielder shows up in his ball-tracking prowess. He is adept at working back to the quarterback and boxing out defenders, while also delaying his intentions/adjustments to keep defenders guessing. As Offensive Coordinator Josh Grizzard continues to find ways to move players around with motions to prevent double teams on Mike Evans, opportunities will develop for both Egbuka and speedster, Culp, to take advantage of.
"Devin has taken a lot of steps," noted Mayfield. "He is a guy that is extremely athletic for his size and can really run, so just being able to have a guy like that [is huge]. Cade [Otton] is trustworthy and is more of our dominant meathead guy but having an athletic guy like Dev to stretch the field at the tight end position will create mismatch problems. If you want to line a linebacker up on him, he can outrun you so you will have to take a safety out of that and that kind of opens a spot up for everybody else."
Culp is another deep threat to foster explosives downfield for Tampa Bay. He posted 41 snaps and was inactive for 13 games last season, but his strides were evident on Thursday. At Washington, Culp flashed with a plethora of circus grabs and his outstanding body control showed up on Thursday. The rare specimen adds another dimension to Mayfield's arsenal.
Charlie Heck Focused on Daily Growth
Charlie Heck, the Bucs' primary swing tackle, has taken first-team reps at left tackle in place of injured stalwart Tristan Wirfs (PUP). Heck signed with the Bucs in March and will now be thrust into the lineup, protecting Mayfield's blindside. Overall, he has appeared in 50 career games, making 23 starts, between the Houston Texans (2020-23), Arizona Cardinals (2024) and San Francisco 49ers (2024). He has primarily played right tackle, posting 1,334 career snaps there, but Heck saw most of his action at left tackle in 2024 (80 snaps). The last three seasons, Heck has yielded just two sacks across 311 pass blocking snaps. Throughout training camp, the Bucs' frontline will work on generating continuity and smoothing communication at the line of scrimmage. For Heck, he takes a day-by-day approach to craft maturation.
"There is always something new that you are trying to work on every single day and it is not repeating he same mistake twice, especially in camp," stated Heck. "If there is one thing and you go out there and say, 'Ok, 'I am going to work on quicker feet today,' and you go out there, you are not going to make the same mistake. Then throughout camp, you are just building each day on something new."
Benjamin Morrison Taking Advantage of Reps
In the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Buccaneers selected cornerback Benjamin Morrison out of Notre Dame. Morrison missed the second half of his final collegiate campaign due to hip surgery but had done enough to cement himself as one of the nation's top prospects at his position. Over the 2022 and 2023 seasons for the Fighting Irish, Morrison recorded nine interceptions and 23 passes defensed. He has a knack for getting his hands on the football and for attacking the catch point. With stellar route recognition and ability to challenge 50-50 balls, Morrison helps fortify the back end for Tampa Bay. Now with a clean bill of health, Morrison is taking advantage of every rep with a newfound perspective.
"I feel like I am back to myself," noted Morrison. "This is the best I have ever felt since injury and since the surgery and everything. To be out here and to be able to compete, it is a blessing and you do not take this for granted anymore. Reps that you could have done in the past or took for granted, now you don't…Being a look or being on the scout team, I take pride in that. Last year when I was on the sideline, I said that when I get a chance to get on the field, I am going to stay on it."
