June 10 Updates
Back in April, Baker Mayfield was clearly pleased with the Buccaneers somewhat unexpected pick of Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka in the first round of the draft. General Manager Jason Licht revealed tht Mayfield quickly called him after the selection and asked for Egbuka's phone number so he could set up brunch with the newest Buc when he visited the next day for an introductory press conference.
Now the calendar has flipped to June, the Buccaneers are in the midst of the three-day minicamp that caps their offseason training program, and Mayfield seems even more happy about the addition of another dynamic playmaker to the team's already loaded passing attack. That's because he's now seen the rookie's work up front and has been impressed with his mental grasp on the game and the playbook.
"At this level, you have to have talent, and obviously he has that, being a first-round draft pick," said Mayfield. "The thing that sticks out is how cerebral he is. He's so smart. Right now, I think we could plug-and-play him at every receiver spot – he understands the offense that well. That's just him being a pro already."
The Bucs have seen this kind of rapid assimilation to the pros from a receiver before, notably with Chris Godwin in 2017. Like Godwin before him, Egbuka doesn't present as a newcomer to the NFL but rather an experienced veteran.
"He's not a rookie – he doesn't act like it at least," said Mayfield. "It's been really good to see him take that ownership. He takes it really [seriously]. He's in constant communication – he always wants to be in the right spot at the right time. He's much like J-Mac (Jalen McMillan) [in] the understanding of zone coverage – and like Chris, as well – of understanding when to be open, the voids in the zone defense, and how to be friendly to the quarterback. It's a nice luxury to have."
To some, Egbuka did seem like a "luxury" pick for a team that already employs Godwin, McMillan and future Hall of Famer Mike Evans, but the Bucs are certain they can find ways to get production out of all four. It helps that Egbuka seems capable of filling in ably at multiple spots, at least in his quarterback's opinion.
CLICK HERE for Baker Mayfield's press appearance after practice on Tuesday.