Buccaneers’ Egbuka furthers Offensive Rookie of the Year case with NFL first in Week 5 thriller
Emeka Egbuka was the star again for the Buccaneers in Week 5.
Emeka Egbuka has quickly emerged as a serious contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver furthered his case with a piece of NFL history on Sunday.
Egbuka has been a revelation for the Buccaneers, with the first-round pick quickly building a superb rapport with Baker Mayfield, serving as the focal point of the Tampa Bay passing game.
Having won Offensive Rookie of the Month for September, Egbuka started October in style, catching all seven of his targets from Mayfield for 163 yards and a touchdown as the Buccaneers claimed a thrilling 38-35 road win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Following that performance, Egbuka now has 25 catches, 445 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions through five games, becoming the first player in NFL history with at least 25 receptions, 400 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions in his first five career games.
“He’s kind of 1-of-1,” Mayfield said of Egbuka. “He continues to amaze and compete and do the things that everybody has seen him do like he did in college.
“He’s well-rounded and not just in football, in life. I think he’s grounded, and I think he’s just genuine in everything he does. He’s intentional. You just don’t see that often, and especially as a rookie with the talent that he has, you really don’t see it often.”
In addition to Mayfield lavishing praise on him, Egbuka also received substantial plaudits from head coach Todd Bowles.
“It’s his mentality. It’s his physical makeup. It’s his willingness to work. It’s his intelligence. It’s his athleticism. He’s just one of those guys,” Bowles said.
“He has the entire makeup and the entire package, and that’s hard to get, and that’s hard to see in a rookie.”
While the Buccaneers believe Egbuka has the complete package, they will hope he still has room to grow. The idea that he might is a frightening one for defenses, with that of the San Francisco 49ers up next in a meeting of 4-1 teams in Tampa.