Post-Mike Evans uncertainty and injury concerns leave analysts skeptical as Emeka Egbuka and a transitioning receiving corps fight to prove Tampa Bay’s revamped offense belongs among the elite.
While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers certainly still have offensive firepower following the departure of longtime lead receiver Mike Evans, it may be a slow burn for players to get comfortable in their full-time larger roles.
Players like Emeka Egbuka, Bucky Irving, and Chris Godwin Jr. will all need to have big years to supplement Evans' lost production, and help Tampa reclaim the NFC South.
However, some media outlets are not confident in the Bucs' new-look offense, with ESPN ranking Tampa Bay as the No. 22 skill position group in the NFL.
"What can we count on from the Bucs' new "Big Three" in 2026? Emeka Egbuka was awesome to start the season, averaging 2.3 yards per route run through Week 10. He was down to 1.3 afterward, below guys such as Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Hutchinson," ESPN's Bill Barnwell wrote. "Chris Godwin Jr. came back from his gruesome ankle injury, dealt with fiibula issues after initially returning and wasn't back for good until Week 12. He had solid games against the Cardinals and Dolphins, but at 30 and with multiple serious injuries in his past, I'm not sure it's realistic to project a peak-caliber season from Godwin, even after Evans' departure."
Egbuka is the key cog in the Bucs' offensive production, as he showed real flashes of WR1 potential during Evans' missed time last season.
In Week 5, against the Seattle Seahawks, Egbuka hauled in all seven of his targets, accumulating a career-high 163 yards and adding a touchdown in one of the Bucs' most impressive wins of the season.
At this point, Evans was sidelined and Godwin was still getting back into playing shape, leaving Egbuka with a clear lead-receiver role.
His performance marked his second-consecutive 100-plus yard, one-TD outing, which earned the 6-foot-1 route technician Offensive Rookie of the Month honors for September.
Egbuka, alongside a healthier Godwin, should still be a formidable duo in the receiving game, while young talents like Tez Johnson and rookie wideout Ted Hurst III have major upside.
Earlier this week, ESPN's Jenna Laine named Johnson the Bucs' biggest surprise of training camp thus far.
"Maybe this won't shock a lot of people considering Johnson was pressed into action extensively last year in his rookie season and had five touchdowns, but in arguably the most competitive room on the team, Johnson stood out," Laine wrote. "He had two touchdown catches from Jake Browning in their final practice and caught several others."
Hurst, on the other hand, has been touted as a physically-imposing prospect, with Steve Smith Sr., the eighth-leading receiver in NFL History, comparing the Georgia State product to an all-time great after he was drafted.
"He has the ability and shows flashes of a faster Larry Fitzgerald," Smith said. "He catches the ball like him, gets in space, and adjusts to the ball so well."
While losing Evans certainly dampens Tampa's vertical attack, Hurst's size and frame makes him a viable replacement for goalline fades and other 1-on-1 opportunities.
No. 22 on the list is a 15-spot drop from two seasons ago, and a 9-spot drop from last year. Losing Evans is certainly a difficult hurdle, but ESPN may be undervaluing the Bucs' offensive pieces.
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