A fresh set of wide receiver rankings from ESPN left the Buccaneers off the board, but that doesn’t mean Tampa Bay’s passing game suddenly lost its teeth.
Jeremy Fowler recently polled anonymous NFL executives, coaches and scouts for their view of the league’s best receivers, and no Buccaneer cracked the top 10. The omissions didn’t stop there.
None of Tampa Bay’s current wideouts showed up among the 16 honorable mentions that also received votes. Former Bucs receiver Mike Evans did land on that list, while Chris Godwin and second-year wideout Emeka Egbuka were left out entirely.
That kind of result can look worse on paper than it does on the field. Tampa Bay still has a receiver group that can do real damage, and Godwin is now the veteran expected to carry the lead role.
He’s put together a strong nine-year run in Tampa, including four 1,000-yard seasons, but the last two years have been interrupted by injuries. Godwin has missed 18 games over that stretch, and that likely explains why he didn’t get much league-wide love in Fowler’s poll.
The bigger question is whether Godwin can get back to the level Buccaneers fans remember. He’s been grinding to return to that form, but he hasn’t quite reached it yet. Still, if he does, there’s no reason he couldn’t be viewed as one of the better receivers in the league.
Egbuka already gave Tampa Bay a strong first look as a rookie. The Bucs’ first-round pick from last offseason posted 938 receiving yards and six touchdown catches, leading the team in both categories last season. That kind of production gives him a clear runway for a bigger Year 2.
With Evans gone, the opportunity only grows. Egbuka is positioned to work as the No. 2 receiver in the offense, and the opening left behind should give him more chances to make the kind of impact that matches his first-round status.
And he’s not the only young name in the mix. Jalen McMillan, Tez Johnson and Ted Hurst all factor into the picture for 2026, which is why the Buccaneers’ receiver room still projects as a strength even without a consensus star at the top.
In Other News...
Jon Grudens One-Night Buccaneers Return Feels Bigger Than It Seems
Jon Gruden is set to be back in an official NFL role in August, when he handles play-by-play for a Buccaneers preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs. For Tampa Bay fans, it is a notable reunion with a coach who once helped shape the franchises most memorable era, even if this latest assignment is in the booth rather than on the sideline.
The move also gives Gruden another public foothold in the league after his resignation from the Raiders in 2021, and it comes at a time when he has made no secret of his interest in broadcasting and, potentially, coaching again. For now, though, the only confirmed step is the preseason broadcast, leaving the bigger question of where this leads still open. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Fans May Not Realize How Much Tykee Smith Played Through
The Buccaneers spent the offseason trying to clean up a defense that never quite found its footing last season, adding help through the draft with Rueben Bain Jr. and bringing in veteran pieces to stabilize the unit. Through all of that, Tykee Smith still stood out at strong safety, giving Tampa Bay a rare bright spot on a side of the ball that needed one.
Smiths play matters even more when you consider how much he was dealing with while doing it, and it helps explain why some around the team see a much higher ceiling ahead if he can get fully right. With better health and a stronger supporting cast around him, the conversation about Smith is no longer just about what he already gave the Bucs, but how much more he could become in a defense that finally gives him some help. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Face One Tough Call On Their Biggest Offensive Weakness
The Buccaneers have built one of the more complete offensive rosters in the league, but there is still a clear soft spot behind Cade Otton at tight end. Tampa Bay does not have much proven depth there, which is why the position keeps surfacing as one of the few areas that could still use attention if the front office wants to keep the passing game balanced and protected against injuries.
One recent idea floating around was the possibility of adding a tight end from Houston, where the depth chart is crowded enough that a move might make sense for both sides. The appeal is obvious for Tampa Bay: a player who can help as a receiver and give the offense another option without asking too much of the system. The harder part is the cost, because it would be a little out of character for Jason Licht to spend draft capital on someone who would likely be more of a rotational piece than a headline addition. [Read more 🡒]