Emeka Egbuka’s rookie year was enough to land him on Pro Football Focus’ 2026 NFL All-Breakout offensive team, and the Buccaneers wideout enters the new season with a bigger spotlight waiting for him.
Egbuka made an immediate impact in 2025, finishing his first NFL season with 63 catches for 938 yards and six touchdowns across 17 games. He was a central piece of Tampa Bay’s offense right away, leading the team’s receivers with 126 targets.
His first real surge came in Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles, when he put up four receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown in a 25-31 loss. He kept rolling the next week against the Seattle Seahawks, hauling in seven passes for 163 yards and another score in Tampa Bay’s 38-35 win.
By the end of the season, Egbuka had added Offensive Rookie of the Month honors for September and finished as a finalist for the 2025 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award. The Buccaneers selected him 19th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Ohio State.
Now the path looks even clearer. With former Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans gone to the San Francisco 49ers, Egbuka has a real chance to become the primary target for quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Egbuka wasn’t the only offensive player to make the breakout list. Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward was also included after throwing for 3,169 yards and 15 touchdowns against seven interceptions in his rookie season, a year that helped establish him as the Titans’ franchise quarterback.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden earned a spot as well after catching 29 passes for 361 yards in his rookie year, despite dealing with wrist and shoulder injuries.
Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty rounded out the group of notable names. The sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft finished his rookie season with 975 rushing yards and five touchdowns, and he was also a finalist for the fan-voted Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Year Award.
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