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HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 15: Emeka Egbuka #2 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates after scoring a 15 yard touchdown against the Houston Texans during the second quarter in the game at NRG Stadium on September 15, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need Emeka Egbuka to be their number one wide receiver in 2026. After an up-and-down rookie season, Jared Dubin of CBS Sports notes that there is a legitimate question as to whether Egbuka can take that step.

It was hard to start an NFL career as fast as Egbuka did. He had two touchdowns in his NFL debut and two 100-yard games in his first five starts. However, his season was a tale of two halves.

In the first nine games, Egbuka recorded 40 catches for 677 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 2.2 yards per route and hauled in 54% of his targets. In the final eight games of his rookie season, Egbuka averaged 1.14 yards per route run and caught just 44% of his passes. This led to 23 catches for 261 yards and no touchdowns.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Need to Understand Why Emeka Egbuka Hit the Rookie Wall

When looking at the stats for Egbuka, it is hard to tell whether he was the issue, or if it was the offense as a whole. He had slightly fewer yards per route run, but a similar target distance. He had a few costly drops late in the year, but his drop rate in the first half of the season was exactly the same.

Baker Mayfield was not nearly as healthy in the first half of the season as he was in the second half. He dealt with a sprain on his non-throwing shoulder and an oblique injury. Mayfield had 17 touchdowns to three interceptions and averaged 7 yards per attempt in the first ten games of the season. From Week 11 through the end of the year, he had just nine touchdowns to eight interceptions and averaged 6.5 yards per attempt. It was not just Egbuka being impacted by this; the entire Bucs passing game struggled down the stretch.

Buccaneers Need a Big Year From Emeka Egbuka

The Bucs are going to need Egbuka to be that same player fans saw in the first half of his rookie season. Mike Evans left for the San Francisco 49ers, which opens 62 targets from last years offense. Sterling Shepherd had 53 targets last year, which should not happen, either.

Still, Chris Godwin has 16 games played and 936 yards over the past two seasons combined. He is now 30 years old, and injuries are catching up to him. Jalen McMillan is entering his third year, but he was mostly recovering from injuries in year two, and he only produced 178 yards. The Bucs drafted Ted Hurst, but this is a mid-round rookie from a smaller school. There are 115 open targets from last year, and Egbuka might see a chunk of them.

Mayfield is healthy once again, and Egbuka is officially adjusted to the NFL. He was preparing for the NFL combine during his offseason last year, where he will work to perfect his craft this offseason.

All of this is to say that if Egbuka does not lead the passing attack in 2026, the Bucs are going to be in trouble. All signs point to a breakout, though.