When the Bucs drafted Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka 19th overall in the first round of the NFL Draft, it came with mixed reviews from the fanbase. On the one hand, Egbuka is an NFL-ready talent who is as polished as they come. The fact that he was even available at 19 was a surprise in itself. On the other hand, the Tampa Bay needs a lot more help on the defensive side and there were several first-round prospects available at edge rusher, inside linebacker and defensive back.

The general reason of concern for those not in favor of the selection was merely, “Why go for an offensive player when there are several holes to fill on defense?” Regardless of whether someone is for or against the pick, the Bucs have a clear direction they are going with the wide receiver position. Drafting Emeka Egbuka shows that the Bucs have a succession plan in place for this team.

Why Taking Emeka Egbuka Makes Sense For Bucs

Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka – Photo by: USA Today

Mike Evans will be 32 by the time the 2025 season kicks off and is on the last year of his current deal. Chris Godwin just signed a three-year contract, but may not be ready by the start of the season due to his dislocated ankle. Egbuka could very much challenge Jalen McMillan for third-string wide receiver, and at the same time take some reps to give a break for Evans and Godwin to keep them healthy for the postseason and another run toward a Super Bowl.

Because Egbuka is a first-round pick, Tampa Bay will have a fifth-year option on him. Let’s say hypothetically that Evans signs another two-year contract after this season just like the last time he was set to hit the market and then retires after it. Godwin’s contract would also be up, as will McMillan’s. The Bucs would be more than prepared with at least having Egbuka still under contract for two more seasons and presumably as their number one or number two receiver.

“We felt this was a pick for the future, but also for the present,” Bucs general manager Jason Licht said Thursday. ” You saw what happened last year – we had some injuries and the coaches did a great job with what we had, but adding another great [wide] receiver…Todd [Bowles] has said all along, I think he told you guys back in March, ‘A good offense can help a defense.’ It’s about scoring points. It’s exciting to add him to the mix. We’ve got ‘J-Mac’ (Jalen McMillan) and [Emeka] now for the future, but also the present, and then, still, we have an elite room with Chris [Godwin] and Mike [Evans].

“Chris is still on track, we’re still shooting for Week 1 with him. This had nothing to do, really, with Chris’s injury rehab right now; this had everything to do with [the fact that] he was a player that Todd [Bowles] and I, and our staffs – obviously, we had a lot of meetings – but Todd and I, at the end of the day, we had some players and said, ‘If this player is here, we’re going to take him and we’re going to be happy with him.’”

Bucs Will Be Defensive-Heavy After Picking Emeka Egbuka In Round 1

Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka – Photo by: USA Today

What the selection of Egbuka also says about the front office of Tampa Bay is that they like a lot of the defensive prospects that will still be available in rounds two, three and even further. There’s very much a possibility that the rest of the draft for Tampa Bay is all on defense.

The Bucs need a corner, safety, inside linebacker and another edge rusher when it’s all said and done. There were plenty of those prospects when the Bucs were up in the first round, but they still chose Egbuka. Licht has done some of his best work in the middle rounds, and it all could be from one side of the ball.

“We went through all of those scenarios and painstakingly did it over the last month,” Licht began. “If these guys are sitting here, who is it going to be? With Todd [Bowles] I’d go over it every day with him, text him late at night…Well, he’s more of an early morning [guy], I don’t text him at three o’clock in the morning. He’s insane. Maniac.

“So, we go through all of these scenarios – ‘If these four players are here, if this position group is here, are you still okay with him being the top?’ I wouldn’t do it if he wasn’t okay with it, and he was.”