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Many believe that the best strategy for the NFL Draft is to prioritize the best player available over need, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did that with the selection of wide receiver Emeka Egbuka with the No. 19 pick, even though Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are still on the roster. Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht spoke on where they had Egbuka ranked on their board.
“He was super-high on our board,” Jason Licht said, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “You know, top-10 on our board, kind of stood out like a sore thumb.”
In the first round, it is usually wise to pick the best player available, especially if the discrepancy is as large as what Licht said the Buccaneers had. Positions can become needs faster than anticipated in the NFL. With Evans in the later stages of his career and Godwin coming off of injury, Egbuka could quickly become an important weapon for the Buccaneers early on in his career, if not in his first year with the team.
The Buccaneers have now strengthened their depth at the receiver position, and if Egbuka is as good as they anticipate, solidified the long-term picture for the position.
Licht previously detailed Baker Mayfield's reaction to the pick, saying that the quarterback was surprised that he was given another weapon to throw to. He then outlined how Mayfield welcomed Egbuka to the team.
The Buccaneers added five more players in the draft, adding two corners in Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish out of Notre Dame and Kansas State. Outside linebacker David Walker, defensive tackle Elijah Roberts and wide receiver Tez Johnson were also added in the draft.
After adding some talent in the draft, the Buccaneers will look to defend their NFC South title in 2025, and this time advance further in the playoffs.
