The Bucs’ rookie class in 2025 had some bright spots for the team in a season full of downs that overwhelmed the team and fans. We write this coming off the first day of free agency where the Bucs lost Mike Evans despite their best efforts to retain him. Now, this rookie class quickly gets thrust into the spotlight and will be asked to play a bigger role.
Looking back on their 2025 season, PFF presented it through a fantasy football lens. Obviously, Emeka Egbuka was the star of the class after being drafted 19th overall. PFF’s Rob Conway discussed his season, writing, “Egbuka (68.5 PFF receiving grade) finished the 2025 regular season with the most targets (126) out of the rookie receiver class, the second-most yards (938) and tied for the second-most touchdowns (six). . .Though he recorded only a single 100-yard receiving game after Week 5’s seven-catch, 163-yard and one-touchdown outing against Seattle, he did enough across the season to finish as the WR24 (193.7 points) — right at the tail end of WR2 territory.”
Conway also highlighted Tez Johnson, who also had his moments, is worth keeping an eye on now. He was a seventh-round pick for the Bucs in 2025 due to his size but his talent was never a question. PFF discussed he will be a flash in the pan choice week to week, but he did finish higher in production than some notable names.
“But his WR66 (92.4 points) finish was ahead of some surprising names, such as Xavier Legette and Ricky Pearsall. While they battled various injuries throughout the campaign, they are both former first-round picks whose teams were trying to feature them much heavier than the Buccaneers were with Johnson until he forced their hand.”
Between the picks of Egbuka and Johnson, and the previous years selection of Jalen McMillan, the wide receiver position remains a bright spot for the team.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: What did PFF Fantasy think of the Bucs rookie class in 2025?
Reporting by Andrew Harbaugh, Buccaneers Wire / Bucs Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
