Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield named Day 1 winner from the NFL Draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went against the grain in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft with their 19th overall pick. Instead of immediately addressing defensive needs, Jason Licht and company decided to swing for an uber-efficient and reliable wide receiver by drafting Ohio State Buckeye Emeka Egbuka.

Egbuka will enter the Bucs' organization as a poised player who is already pro-ready after spending four years with the Buckeyes and staying his senior year to continue the lineage of Ohio State wide receivers as he mentored rising star Jeremiah Smith in 2024.

Now in Tampa Bay, Egbuka will once again enter another elite wide receiver room, joining Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan. The Buccaneers' offense only continues to strengthen, and while many have had trouble finding how it fits in the grand scheme of things, there is one person who is extremely happy with the pick: Baker Mayfield.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan celebrates with quarterback Baker Mayfield after scoring a touchdown. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

While the pick can be middling when grading the Bucs' first-round pick, Pro Football Focus labeled Baker Mayfield as a Day 1 winner from the NFL Draft thanks to the front office deciding to take Egbuka at No. 19.

Who is the biggest Day 1 winner from the NFL Draft? pic.twitter.com/68ny1ei0v7
— PFF (@PFF) April 25, 2025

There is no doubt that Mayfield is a winner in all of this. With the selection of Egbuka, Mayfield gets another solidified weapon at his disposal for now and for the future. Egbuka allows the Bucs some wiggle room in case Evans or Godwin gets injured or if the former decides to hang his cleats up here in the near future.

Pairing Egbuka with Jalen McMillan, who came on strong at the end last season during his rookie campaign, also provides Mayfield and the Buccaneers a duo set to flourish in the future, similar to how the Bucs built up their current combo of Evans and Godwin.

With their offensive player now locked in, the Bucs' front office can focus on the defensive side of the ball as we head into the final two days of the 2025 NFL Draft.

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