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Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka is “not expected to play” in Monday night’s matchup against the Detroit Lions due to a hamstring injury, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
It’s possible that the Bucs will be without their top three wideouts for the contest, with Chris Godwin (fibula) already ruled out and Mike Evans’ status for the game up in the air due to a hamstring of his own.
Egbuka, 23, was the No. 19 overall pick in the first round of April’s NFL draft and already looks like a steal, nabbing 27 catches (42 targets) for 469 yards and five touchdowns in his first six games. That’s a pace of 76 catches, 1,328 yards and 14 touchdowns across a 17-game season, elite production.
With both Godwin and Evans already missing significant time this season, the Bucs needed both Baker Mayfield and Egbuka to step out and both have obliged. The result has been a passing offense that ranks seventh in the NFL (244.2 YPG), and by proxy, a 5-1 start to the season.
At this point, Mayfield is a legitimate MVP candidate (1,539 yards, 12 touchdowns, one interception), while Egbuka is a strong candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year if his hamstring injury isn’t a long-term concern.
“(The Buccaneers) are playing hot football; it’s a very good team,” Detroit head coach Dan Campbell told reporters on Tuesday. “Baker is—you guys know, I’ve got a lot of respect for Baker Mayfield. The way he plays, his leadership, his ability to push the ball down the field, make plays with his legs. I think he’s playing at a high level. He’s a guy that gives them a chance anytime they’re in a game. They play really good defense, they’ve got a good O-line. Those guys, man, they play hard, they’re physical, they’re tough. They have a run game, and they’ve got a good (special) teams unit. So this is a good team. This is a really good team.”
The Lions may be catching a rather shorthanded version of the Bucs, however, specifically at least at wide receiver.