We got our first look at Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round pick Emeka Egbuka in Week 1, and the former Ohio State stud didn't disappoint as Todd Bowles' team escaped with a 23-20 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Given the Buccaneers' embarrassment of riches at the receiver position, Baker Mayfield was expected to light the Falcons' defense up, but it didn't pan out that way, with Baker only throwing for 167 yards (three passing touchdowns).
While the win was good, it was Egbuka who stole the show as the rookie looked at home, making play after play, which included hauling in what would be the game-winning touchdown pass from Mayfield.
Egbuka would finish his NFL debut with 67 yards and two touchdowns from his four receptions, and veteran receiver Sterling Shepard shared his thoughts on the rookie's performance.
"I haven't had that many games in my 10-year career where I've had two touchdowns," Shepard said. "So, it's something special and it speaks volumes of him."
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Emeka Egbuka shines in Buccaneers' debut
With Chris Godwin still not 100 percent, Emeka got the chance to get his feet wet in Josh Grizzard's offense, and he didn't disappoint.
In fact, Egbuka would end up leading the Buccaneers' offense in yards and touchdowns, with Mike Evans (51 receiving yards) the next best.
With Godwin still to come back into the line-up, Mayfield is going to put up points for fun, and if Egbuka can continue on this trajectory, then Tampa Bay, like many predicted in the offseason, is going to be a serious problem.
Yes, it was only Week 1, so we aren't anointing Tampa Bay just yet, but as far as Egbuka? Yeah, he's going to be a serious player.
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