Receiver puzzle.
It’s a good question. And Joe is pretty confident he has the answer.
Over at the PFF tribe, Bradley Locker has a pressing question for each NFL team as we are in the early stages of underwear football season.
For the Bucs, Locker asks, so who is the Bucs’ No. 3 receiver, again?
After making the wild-card round, the Buccaneers made sure to retain important free agents and make compelling upgrades at multiple positions. And the team’s first-round pick creates a fascinating wide receiver room.
Tampa Bay brought back star Chris Godwin on a three-year, $66 million deal, but then also drafted Emeka Egbuka at 19th overall. On top of that, Mike Evans remains one of the league’s best receivers, and former third-round pick Jalen McMillan came onto the scene in the final five games of the year. Perhaps Godwin may not be ready for the start of 2025 following ankle surgery, but if he’s ready to go, then Tampa Bay won’t have an easy call for whom to put next to him and Evans.
The way Joe looks at this, it depends on a lot of things. First, and probably most important, is who will be active on gameday?
Given a chance to offer reassuring words Tuesday, Bucs coach Todd Bowles had no updates on Chris Godwin’s rehab. Joe cannot pencil Godwin until he hears otherwise.
(For those who think Joe is making too big of a deal about no firm updates on Godwin, consider the Bucs have gone on record that rookie corner Benjamin Morrison is expected to be full-go by the beginning of training camp and that SirVocea Dennis is just fine and is currently practicing. Those two guys also had recent surgeries. But with Godwin coming off ankle surgery? Shoulder shrugs. You do the math.)
So first, who is available? Second, what’s the gameplan? Third, what package are the Bucs using at any given time in the game?
Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard recently said each of the receivers has different skillsets. So, depending how the Bucs may want to attack a defense, that will determine who the Bucs have at No. 3 receiver — and Grizzard didn’t rule out at all using four-receiver sets.
So, whoever the Bucs’ No. 3 receiver is could change on each offensive possession. Or multiple times on a particular drive.
Who is the Bucs’ No. 3 receiver? TBD.
More specifically, who is the Bucs’ No. 3 receiver? The answer is yes.
#BUCS 1ST ROUND RECEIVER EMEKA EGBUKA HAS INSANELY GOOD FOOTWORK.
DAMN 🥶🥶🥶
pic.twitter.com/FyKnbQOvHs
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) May 28, 2025