The Bucs were only on the clock once in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka 19th overall. While general manager Jason Licht, the rest of the organization, and outsiders are high on Egbuka’s potential, he was not the only highly regarded player joining Tampa Bay.
Speaking on The Pat & Aaron Show on 95.3 WDAE on Tuesday, Licht dived deeper into the thought process behind each of the team’s top draft picks.
Jason Licht: Emeka Egbuka Was A Top 10 Player On Bucs’ Draft Board
After the Bucs’ defense went through its share of ups and downs last season, nearly everyone inside and outside the city of Tampa Bay predicted the team would address that side of the football in the first round.
Except for Jason Licht and those inside the team’s war room. Selecting wide receiver Emeka Egbuka at No. 19 sent initial shockwaves that reverberated at Raymond James Stadium where a draft party was being held.
Bucs HC Todd Bowles, WR Emeka Egbuka, and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Adam Slivon/PR
Although shock and disappointment may have been rational reactions by fans in the moment, the following days have allowed for a different thought process to take shape. Based on Emeka Egbuka’s first press conference and the huge upside he brings to the wide receiver room in the present and future, one can better understand the vision behind taking him, especially after hearing Licht explain it.
The Bucs’ general manager has made it clear that drafting Egbuka was not because of any concern surrounding veteran wide receiver Chris Godwin’s recovery from the dislocated ankle injury he suffered last season.
“No, not at all,” Licht said about whether Godwin’s injury affected the team’s first-round pick. “Emeka [Egbuka] was the top player on our board. I know there’s a lot of talk back and forth of – some people agree with the philosophy, some don’t. When you have a player that just glaringly is staring at you that you have so high on your board, you’re going to be happy you took it at some point. It does give us some long-term stability at the position, but this has nothing to do with where Chris is currently in his rehab.”
Bucs WR Chris Godwin and GM Jason Licht, photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Licht also alluded to the possibility that Godwin is not ready for Week 1 – although that would be fine with him if that means giving “CG” the time to properly bounce back.
“It does allow us to make sure that Chris does do his rehab correctly, we don’t rush him, and all those things,” Licht added. “That does give us a little comfort with the pick, that we can do that to make sure he’s not rushed back… We’re still crossing our fingers that he’s ready to go for Week 1. If it takes a little bit longer, that’s fine too. We signed Chris to a three-year deal. Three years in the NFL is long-term so we’re looking long-term with Chris as well.”
While he mentioned on the Pat & Aaron Show that many draft scenarios did involve taking a defensive player, they just could not pass up someone who they thought was elite.
“He was a top 10 player on our board,” Licht said about Egbuka. “To get him at 19 is something we were excited about, the prospect of it happening, and it did. We’re elated.”
Jason Licht Thinks Drafting CB Benjamin Morrison Was Worth The Risk
Drafting Emeka Egbuka was only the beginning of the heist that Jason Licht and the Bucs pulled off throughout the 2025 NFL Draft. In the second round, Tampa Bay made Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison the 53rd overall pick.
Bucs CB Benjamin Morrison – Photo by: USA Today
While Morrison was limited by a hip injury last season, Licht believes that allowed the team to add another first-round talent.
“We do,” Licht said about viewing Morrison that highly. “I think in a perfect world where if he wouldn’t have been injured last year and missed time, I think he would have gone in the first. There’s a very good chance he would have. There’s a risk you take with that – we felt very good about it. He’s a great kid as well, we know that he’s been busting his ass to get back on the field. He did his workout a couple of weeks ago and he looked really good.
“With him, we’re also going to do the right thing. Make sure that he’s taking it day-by-day. He’s good enough to work out right now and he could practice but we’re just going to make sure that we don’t overdo it so he’s ready for training camp full-go.”
Some could be concerned about that injury and the risk it poses about Morrison’s long-term health and ability to be productive. Licht is quick to take players off the Bucs’ draft board, so it says a lot that he took him so highly and views him as a key piece in head coach Todd Bowles’ secondary.
Bucs GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
“I’m not going to take a player where we have a lot of significant concern,” Licht said. “In fact, I take a lot of players off the board. I’m a little bit more too cautious sometimes, but it’s worked out for us the last few years. If it comes to character or medical, I just won’t have them on the board, and I’ll resist the temptation. For us to take him, that kind of says it all where we feel about him. I feel good about where he is and where he’s going to be.”
While every NFL team and front office will certainly be gushing about the draft haul their respective team had, few organizations see the return on investment that the Bucs have in recent years. With Emeka Egbuka and Benjamin Morrison, Jason Licht believes they are high-end talents who will continue that trend.