In a recent look at breakout candidates across the NFC, Zachary Pereles of CBS Sports identified Emeka Egbuka as Tampa Bay’s top breakout candidate heading into the 2026 season.
Pereles pointed to Egbuka’s rookie campaign as a season of two very different halves. The former Ohio State standout burst onto the scene early, recording 445 receiving yards and five touchdowns over his first five games. During that stretch, he looked every bit like the first-round talent the Buccaneers believed they were drafting.
The production slowed as the season progressed, however. Over Tampa Bay’s final 12 games, Egbuka totaled 493 receiving yards and just one touchdown. According to Dajani, drops became a bigger issue during the second half of the season, a surprising development for a receiver whose reliability and consistency were among his biggest strengths coming out of college.
Even with the uneven finish, there were plenty of encouraging signs. Egbuka finished his rookie season with 938 receiving yards and six touchdowns while showing an ability to line up across multiple receiver spots. His best performance came against the Seahawks, when he hauled in seven catches for 163 yards and a touchdown while posting a 4.66 yards-per-route-run average.
The opportunity in front of him is also significantly different entering 2026. With Mike Evans departing in free agency, Tampa Bay is expected to ask more of Egbuka within the offense. While veteran Chris Godwin Jr. remains an important part of the passing attack, the Buccaneers will likely need Egbuka to take another step as one of quarterback Baker Mayfield’s primary targets.
Pereles’ argument is simple: Egbuka already showed flashes of high-level production as a rookie. If he can eliminate some of the inconsistencies that appeared during the second half of the season, he has the talent and opportunity to emerge as one of Tampa Bay’s most productive offensive players in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: CBS Sports names Bucs’ Emeka Egbuka as breakout candidate
