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Emeka Egbuka

WR·Tampa Bay Buccaneers·#2·6'1"·205 lb·Rookie·Ohio State
UNDERPAIDTier 2Round 1, pick 19 in 2025
Updated November 5, 2026
76.9
Model Score
Down from 79.0 last year
Trade value ·an early 2nd

Emeka Egbuka has 28 catches, 240 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in 6 games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season through Week 8, 11.8 PPR points a game (updated November 5, 2026).

Model Score by season

Down 2.1 from last season.

708076.920252026

How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →

STM Take

A first-round receiver waiting for the depth chart to clear.

The case for

  • Ohio State's all-time career receptions leader; the college tape is one of the deepest in the 2025 class.
  • 63 catches on a Buccaneers offense with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin ahead of him; the volume floor is real even in a WR3 role.

The worry

  • 938 rookie yards behind a 30-plus PPR Mike Evans means his WR1 transition needs the depth chart to clear.
  • Recent game log shows multiple sub-7 PPR weeks; the boom-bust pattern lives on a slot route tree.

What to watch: Whether the Mike Evans contract situation opens a clear WR1 path for Egbuka in 2026 or 2027.

Full take and bio

Egbuka at STTM #37 tier 5 as a rookie behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in TB is the role-share story typical for a first-round WR behind two veteran starters. The Ohio State all-time receptions record is the long-term pedigree. The 6 rookie TDs on 63 catches suggest the route-running profile clicked even in a part-time role.

Egbuka was born in Tacoma, Washington, attended Steilacoom High, and finished his Ohio State career as the school's all-time receptions leader. He won the 2024 CFP national title. Tampa Bay took him 19th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Rookie line: 63 catches for 938 yards and 6 TDs.

Comps

The players whose size, testing and production looked most like his at the same point in their careers. The percent is how close.

Plays like: Al Toon, Eric Metcalf, Jeremy Kerley. Built like: James Jones, Ryan Flournoy, Javon Baker. Coming out: Jalen McMillan, Jerry Jeudy, Rashee Rice.

Of his 20 closest coming out: 1 star, 6 starters, 8 backups, 5 didn't stick.

Emeka Egbuka Props This Weekat CHI Sun Nov 8

MarketLineOverUnder
Receptions3.5-158 DraftKings+128 FanDuel
Receiving yards50.5-111 DraftKings-113 DraftKings
Longest reception22.5-105 DraftKings-123 DraftKings
Anytime TD+220 BetMGM

Best price across 8 books as of Thu Nov 5. Lines move; check the book before you bet. This week's board · Line Room

Play Emeka's numbers on Underdog · partner link

Emeka Egbuka Injury StatusQuestionable

Emeka Egbuka is listed Questionable (Foot), reported Nov 4. Source: the official NFL injury report, refreshed daily.

This season · 6 games

Rec2832nd
Rec Yds24054th
Rec TD225th
Targets4925th
Yds/Gm40.045th
Fantasy PPG11.829th
EPA / target0.67649th
Avg separation3.0 yd16th
Avg cushion7.4 yd
YAC over exp0.140th
Catch %61.9%

11.8 fantasy points a game, 71 PPR on the season. Every game on the Game Log, every season on Career. Advanced numbers are EPA and Next Gen Stats.

Contract2026 cap

2026 Cap Hit
$4.1M
APY
$4.5M/yr
Guaranteed at Signing
$18.2M
Years on Deal
4
Signed
2025
Est. Value
$23.8M/yr
underpaid by $19.2M/yr

Every year of the deal, the dead money and what a cut or trade saves on the Contract tab.

Fantasy outlookWeek 9

Our rest-of-season board has Emeka Egbuka at WR28 (the public consensus says WR31); the model has 98 PPR points left for him this season; this week he visits CHI.

Price a trade for him on the fantasy trade calculator, or see the whole board on the Fantasy hub.

Draft & College

Round 1, pick 19 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025, out of Ohio State (Big Ten). He went earlier than consensus.

Taken#19
Consensus board28th
Our college model#30 WR

In college, 2021-2024, 43 games: 205 rec, 2,897 yds, 24 TD, 14.1 yds/rec. Coming out: RAS 9.72, 4.3s 40 yd.

Recruited

Class of 2021 · Receiver · High school: Steilacoom, WA

Recruiting sites
★★★★★
No. 10 in the nation. Composite 0.9945, the recruiting sites' average
Committed to
Ohio State

His full list of offers is not on our record yet; offers for the 2021 class are still being added.

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