“I’ve never seen anything like it,” quarterback Baker Mayfield says of Tampa Bay’s first-round pick.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield says of rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka, pictured. “And people are like, ‘You’re just blowing smoke.’ But truly, I’ve never seen a rookie handle things like he has."
TAMPA — It’s the way they talk about Emeka Egbuka that’s so striking. Greatness is supposed to take its time, not be rushed front and center.
Not one regular-season snap, but it’s as if the Bucs rookie receiver already has leapfrogged potential, skipped prodigy and landed on All-Pro.
They rave about his route-running. His attention to detail. His hands. His speed. His ability to consume an entire playbook in one sitting.
Learn one receiver position? Nope. The former Ohio State star can already play three.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said of the Bucs’ first-round pick. “And people are like, ‘You’re just blowing smoke.’ But truly, I’ve never seen a rookie handle things like he has,
“With (Jalen McMillan) going down, we’ve said (Egbuka) knows all three spots. But he truly knows all three spots, and for a rookie to handle that with all the motions, formations. But with the run-game blocking and little details, he’s so dialed in that truly I don’t know that I’ll ever see it again with a rookie like that.”
Good thing, too.
The Bucs began the offseason with a crowded receiver room led by Mike Evans. Chris Godwin was coming off a dislocated ankle, but the Bucs still had McMillan, Sterling Shepard, Trey Palmer, Rakim Jarrett, Ryan Miller and Kameron Johnson.
In April, they added Egbuka and former Oregon receiver Tez Johnson via the draft.
Johnson was a seventh-round selection. The Bucs used their first pick, the 19th overall, on Egbuka, a self-described perfectionist who plays like he’s been in the league for half a dozen years.
“I’ve felt comfortable for a while now,” Egbuka said. “I don’t have any classes to go to when I get done with practice, so I just spent most of my free time studying. It’s my job, and it’s why I get paid to be able to know what I’m doing on the field. If I go out there with any hesitation at all, it’s on me.
“It’s my job to be able to know the offense, and obviously (offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard’s) job to be able to create a game plan for us that we feel confident in and it’s (Mayfield’s) job to be able to run the show and get things right. All of us know what our roles are, and we just have to do it.”
Emeka Egbuka (9) catches a pass in front of Titans safety Amani Hooker during a preseason game last month in Tampa. Egbuka shares more than similar size with slot receiver Chris Godwin. Both are tough, too, willing to throw their bodies into the pile to help the run game. [ JEFFEREE WOO | Times ]
Some roles will be filled by understudies to start the season.
Godwin likely will not be ready to play before October. McMillan suffered a neck strain in the second preseason game and could be out until after the Week 9 bye. Palmer and Jarrett were waived, and Palmer was claimed by the Saints.
Egbuka is the perfect player to replace Godwin in the slot. They are nearly identical in size, both 6 feet 1 and between 205-209 pounds. They’re also willing to throw their bodies into the pile to help the run game.
If you’re looking for a good omen, consider that the last time Egbuka played in a game that counted, it was at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, where the Bucs will open the season Sunday against the Falcons.
Ohio State beat Notre Dame in the same stadium in January to win the national championship.
“This is a familiar setting for me,” Egbuka said. “I’ve had some very good outcomes and some not good outcomes at the stadium, so you know I’m very familiar with it and know what I’m going into.
“Super excited. I mean, this is what it’s all about. The NFL is the best against the best. I’m really excited to be able to test my talents and see how I’m able to perform.”
Egbuka also has experience playing against Falcons rookie safety Xavier Watts, a third-round pick from Notre Dame.
“The last college game I played against him,” Egbuka said. “So, a lot of familiar faces out there but also some new ones. Some really talented people, and I’m excited to display my talents.”
Egbuka said the key to his early success in training camp and the preseason was remaining in Tampa Bay after the draft and adapting to the heat and humidity.
Emeka Egbuka (9) celebrates a touchdown catch in the preseason game against the Steelers with fellow receivers Sterling Shepard and Tez Johnson.
“I think training out here in this humidity and working every single day, it definitely builds a certain type of stamina, as you can imagine,” he said. “I remember when I went to Pittsburgh in the preseason game. We had a practice out there before we played. I felt like I could run for days in Pittsburgh.”
Head coach Todd Bowles credited Egbuka for not succumbing to the heat or missing a single day of practice.
“To come from Ohio to this weather down in Florida and adjust and not miss a day and be mentally sharp and physically sharp at the same time and not having to look like he had to adjust to the heat ... I think that’s been outstanding,” Bowles said. “And that takes a lot of preparation, which means he really worked hard this offseason to come into camp ready. That was very impressive.”
How many passes will Egbuka catch in Atlanta? How many for the season?
It’s hard to say, but the slot position in this offense under Liam Coen and now Grizzard gets a high volume of targets. A year ago, Godwin was leading the NFL with 50 receptions when he dislocated his ankle against the Ravens.
Mayfield said Egbuka has the ability to adjust his routes to the coverage, knowing few things are going to be perfect in a game and he has to make himself available to the quarterback in the right spots on the field.
“I think we draw up a lot of plays for the ideal look, but that’s not realistic football,” Egbuka said. “That’s not what you’re going to get every single play. I think talking with Baker and just his cerebral approach to the game, he’s talking to me through all the looks, even the ones we don’t get, so that on Sundays nothing scares me and we’re able to connect.”
Egbuka said he’ll have the same butterflies before Sunday’s game that he always has. But he’s ready for his NFL debut.
Boy, is he ready.
“Being as smart as he is, intentional as he is showing up to work every day, that’s a blessing,” Mayfield said. “It’s good for the Bucs.”
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