Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2025 Recap

Tampa Bay's 2025 season became two different stories.

The Buccaneers opened 6-2 and looked capable of extending their NFC South run. They ultimately finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs.

Injuries affected nearly every major offensive group. Bucky Irving missed significant time after foot and shoulder injuries. Chris Godwin again dealt with health problems. Mike Evans missed time. The intended starting offensive line never played a snap together as a complete five-man unit.

Baker Mayfield finished with 3,693 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns and 11 interceptions while adding 382 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. His FAZE profile produced a 59% Consistency rating with five HITs, five MIDs and seven BUSTs.

Bucky Irving's raw production fell to 588 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, but his season was interrupted by injury. He still produced a 70% Consistency rating in the games evaluated by FAZE.

Emeka Egbuka was the rookie breakthrough. He caught 63 passes for 938 yards and six touchdowns. His 35% Consistency rating exposed significant week-to-week volatility, particularly late in the year, but his early-season production demonstrated that the NFL talent and role were real.

The defense became the greater organizational problem. Tampa remained capable against the run, but the pass defense, pass rush and red-zone performance deteriorated badly enough to become defining offseason priorities.

2026 Offseason

Tampa lost two franchise-defining veterans.

Mike Evans left for San Francisco.

Lavonte David retired after 14 seasons.

Jamel Dean, Rachaad White, Logan Hall and Christian Izien also departed.

The Buccaneers responded by attacking defensive leadership, physicality and pressure.

Alex Anzalone was added to stabilize the linebacker room.

A'Shawn Robinson added veteran size to the defensive front.

Al-Quadin Muhammad added edge depth.

Kenneth Gainwell joined the backfield as an experienced complement to Bucky Irving.

Tampa then used its first-round pick on Rueben Bain Jr., followed by linebacker Josiah Trotter in Round 2 and receiver Ted Hurst III in Round 3.

The most important offensive development may simply be health.

Tristan Wirfs, Ben Bredeson, Graham Barton, Cody Mauch and Luke Goedeke finally have an opportunity to play together after Tampa's intended five-man offensive line never took a snap together in 2025.

Offseason: C+

The Buccaneers addressed real weaknesses and added useful young talent, but losing Evans and David in the same offseason creates transition costs that cannot be ignored.

2026 Outlook

Tampa Bay has enough offensive talent to win the NFC South.

Mayfield is an established quarterback.

Irving is healthy.

Egbuka is positioned to become the lead receiver.

Godwin remains useful when healthy.

McMillan provides another young receiving option.

Otton gives Mayfield continuity at tight end.

The offensive line could become one of the strongest units on the roster if the intended starting five stays together.

That gives Tampa a legitimate offensive floor.

The defense controls the ceiling.

If Bain improves the four-man pass rush, Anzalone stabilizes the middle of the defense, Vita Vea remains available and productive, and the secondary becomes more dependable, Tampa can return to the postseason.

If the pass defense remains vulnerable, Tampa will need its offense to carry too many games.

Projected Record: 9-8.

• Tampa has an established starting quarterback in Baker Mayfield.
• Bucky Irving is healthy after an injury-disrupted 2025.
• Emeka Egbuka enters Year 2 after producing 938 receiving yards as a rookie.
• The intended starting offensive line is healthy together.
• Tristan Wirfs remains an elite foundational tackle.
• Zac Robinson's system gives Bucky Irving a strong wide-zone and receiving fit.
• Rueben Bain Jr. gives Tampa the high-end edge talent its defense needed.
• Alex Anzalone adds experience and communication after Lavonte David's retirement.
• The NFC South remains open enough for a 9-8 Tampa team to contend for the division.

• Mike Evans' departure removes a franchise-defining receiver and proven red-zone weapon.
• Lavonte David's retirement removes elite leadership and instinct.
• Tampa's 2025 pass defense was one of the team's biggest weaknesses.
• The pass rush must improve without relying entirely on manufactured pressure.
• Tampa is installing another new offensive system.
• Baker Mayfield's career Fantasy DNA still shows meaningful volatility.
• Chris Godwin's health has become a recurring concern.
• Vita Vea's contract and availability situation requires monitoring.
• The schedule contains multiple stretches where below-average defensive football could become costly.

Tampa should be a balanced offense with a stronger commitment to creating favorable rushing conditions for Bucky Irving.

Irving is the centerpiece of the running game.

His 2025 numbers were disappointing, but the context matters. He was injured, and the offensive line never achieved the continuity Tampa expected.

The 2026 setup is different.

Wirfs, Bredeson, Barton, Mauch and Goedeke enter healthy.

Robinson can use wider-zone concepts to create movement and allow Irving's burst and vision to attack space rather than constantly forcing him through compressed interior gaps.

Gainwell gives Tampa a useful complementary receiving back without requiring the Buccaneers to take the lead role away from Irving.

The passing game should become more distributed without Mike Evans.

Egbuka can move around the formation.

Godwin can continue working underneath and through the middle.

McMillan can create vertical opportunities.

Otton remains available in the intermediate areas.

The goal should not be to identify one receiver who replaces Evans.

The goal should be to force defenses to cover the entire field.

Bowles wants Tampa to remain physical against the run, multiple in coverage and aggressive with pressure.

The run defense largely held up in 2025.

The passing defense did not.

That explains the offseason investment.

Rueben Bain Jr. gives Tampa a powerful young edge defender capable of eventually creating pressure without constant blitz assistance.

Yaya Diaby remains part of the edge rotation.

A'Shawn Robinson strengthens the interior.

Vita Vea remains the player who changes the geometry of the front when available.

Alex Anzalone gives the second level an experienced communicator.

The ideal version of Tampa's defense gets more pressure with four and allows Bowles to use disguise because he wants to, not because he has to manufacture every disruption.

Until that happens, the defense remains a prove-it unit.

The offensive line may be Tampa Bay's most important positive entering 2026.

The intended group is:

• Tristan Wirfs
• Ben Bredeson
• Graham Barton
• Cody Mauch
• Luke Goedeke

That group never played one snap together in 2025.

Entering 2026, they are healthy enough to finally establish continuity.

That matters directly to fantasy.

Bucky Irving's rushing efficiency should benefit from more stable blocking and communication.

Baker Mayfield should operate from cleaner pockets.

Robinson should be able to install his run structure without constantly compensating for injuries and changing combinations.

Offensive Line: A-

For Bucky Irving in particular, the restored line is one of the primary reasons FAZE views 2025 as an injury-and-environment season rather than evidence of declining talent.

Tampa's defensive front has upside but still needs proof.

Vita Vea remains the centerpiece when available.

Calijah Kancey provides interior penetration.

Yaya Diaby remains important off the edge.

A'Shawn Robinson adds veteran size.

Rueben Bain Jr. gives the front the young edge talent Tampa specifically needed.

Bain does not need to become an immediate superstar.

He needs to help Tampa create pressure without forcing Bowles to manufacture every negative play.

If that happens, the entire defense improves.

If it does not, the same structural problems from 2025 could return.

The secondary remains one of Tampa's biggest swing groups.

Jamel Dean's departure removes an established starting corner from a defense that already struggled against the pass.

Zyon McCollum therefore becomes even more important.

Antoine Winfield Jr. remains the centerpiece because his range, instincts and versatility allow Bowles to change the defensive picture without substituting personnel.

Jacob Parrish gives the staff flexibility at nickel and outside corner.

The secondary does not need to become elite for Tampa to reach nine wins.

It needs improved pass-rush help and fewer coverage breakdowns.

Tampa Bay is a useful fantasy environment because several players are being drafted at prices where context can create an edge.

Baker Mayfield is not priced like a premium quarterback.

Bucky Irving is being discounted after an injury-disrupted season.

Emeka Egbuka has already proven he can produce at the NFL level and now has a clearer path to lead-receiver opportunity.

Chris Godwin is available later because health and recent production have lowered his market value.

The offensive line is healthier than it was at any point in 2025.

There is enough offensive talent here to create multiple fantasy starters.

The key is paying the correct price rather than treating every Buccaneer as equally valuable.

High

The Tampa offense gives fantasy managers several different entry points.

Bucky Irving offers rebound upside at running back.

Emeka Egbuka offers Year 2 breakout potential at wide receiver.

Baker Mayfield offers inexpensive quarterback production.

Godwin, McMillan and Otton provide later-round or streaming possibilities.

FAZE should be aggressive only where the price creates an actual advantage.

The offense is draftable.

The defense must earn trust.

• Zac Robinson's impact on Tampa's offensive identity.
• Baker Mayfield's health and response to another coordinator change.
• Whether Baker turns his contract frustration into productive motivation.
• Bucky Irving's rebound behind a healthy offensive line.
• Emeka Egbuka's transition from promising rookie to potential lead receiver.
• Chris Godwin's ability to remain healthy.
• Jalen McMillan's role in a crowded receiver hierarchy.
• Rueben Bain Jr.'s immediate effect on the four-man pass rush.
• Alex Anzalone and Josiah Trotter helping replace Lavonte David.
• Vita Vea's availability and contract situation.
• Whether Bowles can repair the pass defense.
• Tampa's ability to remain in the NFC South race through a difficult schedule.

• **Baker Mayfield:** Proven NFL starter who gives Tampa stability at quarterback even though his fantasy profile remains volatile.
• **Bucky Irving:** Explosive lead back with a favorable 2026 health, scheme and offensive-line setup.
• **Emeka Egbuka:** Ascending second-year receiver with a legitimate path to becoming Tampa's top target.
• Tristan Wirfs: Elite tackle and foundational protection piece.
• Graham Barton: Young interior anchor.
• Antoine Winfield Jr.: Defensive chess piece and secondary centerpiece.
• Vita Vea: Interior force whose presence changes the front.
• Rueben Bain Jr.: First-round edge defender with the talent to materially raise the defense's ceiling.

• **Mike Evans:** Tampa loses a franchise-defining receiver, proven red-zone weapon and long-established quarterback connection.
• Lavonte David: Tampa loses 14 seasons of production, leadership and defensive communication.
• Jamel Dean: His departure creates another question in a secondary that must improve.
• **Rachaad White:** His departure removes an experienced receiving back while clarifying Bucky Irving's path to the lead role.
• Logan Hall: His departure removes defensive-line rotation experience.

Rueben Bain Jr.

• Player: Rueben Bain Jr.
• Position: OLB
• Why they matter for fantasy: Bain matters through Tampa Bay DST. The Buccaneers badly needed an edge player capable of generating pressure without constant blitz assistance. If Bain translates quickly, Tampa's sack and turnover ceiling rises.

Josiah Trotter

• Player: Josiah Trotter
• Position: LB
• Why they matter for fantasy: Trotter enters a linebacker room being rebuilt after Lavonte David's retirement. An early role would help stabilize the middle of the defense and improve Tampa's overall DST environment.

Ted Hurst III

• Player: Ted Hurst III
• Position: WR
• Why they matter for fantasy: Hurst is a rookie watch-list player with enough organizational investment to matter if Tampa's receiver hierarchy changes. The current room is too deep to manufacture an immediate redraft role, but his development deserves monitoring.

Chris Godwin Jr.

Godwin remains capable of useful fantasy production, but health has become impossible to ignore.

His 2025 season produced 33 receptions, 360 receiving yards, two touchdowns and 69 fantasy points. His FAZE outcome profile included one HIT, one MID and seven BUSTs.

He should not be treated as a core Tampa draft target.

At a sufficiently cheap late-round price, Godwin can still provide veteran route volume and occasional spike games.

The correct approach is value only.

Jalen McMillan

McMillan may become one of Tampa's more interesting secondary receivers.

He has vertical and scoring ability, but Egbuka is entering Year 2 as the potential lead target and Godwin remains involved.

Until Robinson establishes the weekly route and target hierarchy, McMillan should remain a monitor rather than an aggressively projected standard draft target.

Kenneth Gainwell

Gainwell gives Tampa an experienced receiving and change-of-pace option behind Bucky Irving.

His role can help Tampa manage Irving's workload without destroying Irving's fantasy value.

Treat Gainwell as contingency depth, waiver value and a possible bench filler rather than a player to prioritize in standard drafts.

Ted Hurst III

Hurst is the developmental receiver to track.

Tampa invested a third-round pick in him, and his opportunity could expand quickly if injuries or performance change the receiver hierarchy.

For now, he is a sleeper-alert/watch-list player rather than a standard draft target.

Quarterbacks

Baker Mayfield is a value play, not a savior.

His 2025 line was productive in aggregate:

• 3,693 passing yards
• 26 passing touchdowns
• 11 interceptions
• 382 rushing yards
• one rushing touchdown
• 288 fantasy points

But FAZE's weekly data shows the volatility:

• 59% Consistency
• five HITs
• five MIDs
• seven BUSTs
• no BOOMs
• no NUKEs

His larger career sample reinforces that caution.

Across 93 games since 2020, Baker has produced 25 HITs, six BOOMs, no NUKEs and 41 BUSTs. That is roughly a 26% hit rate with a 44% bust rate.

That Fantasy DNA matters.

It prevents FAZE from treating him like a reliable elite quarterback simply because the surrounding offense looks good.

The positive case is price.

The current market has Baker at 127 overall while FAZE has him at 126 and QB18.

At that price, the volatility is manageable.

His supporting environment is healthier, the offensive line is restored, Irving is back, Egbuka is entering Year 2, and Robinson has enough weapons to create productive matchups.

Baker also enters the season with an obvious motivational storyline after his extension negotiations became contentious.

FAZE Target: Rounds 10-12.

Draft him as a QB2, bye-week solution or matchup streamer who has enough ceiling to give you QB1 stretches without forcing you to pay a QB1 price.

Running Backs

Bucky Irving is one of Tampa's strongest rebound candidates.

His 2025 season produced:

• 588 rushing yards
• one rushing touchdown
• 30 receptions
• 277 receiving yards
• three receiving touchdowns
• 126 fantasy points

His FAZE profile remained encouraging:

• 70% Consistency
• one BOOM
• three HITs
• three MIDs
• three BUSTs

Across 27 career games, Irving has 13 HITs, two BOOMs, no NUKEs and nine BUSTs.

That is approximately a 48% hit rate and a 33.3% bust rate.

The sample remains small, but the early Fantasy DNA is good.

The 2025 decline occurred while Irving was hurt and Tampa's offensive line was constantly changing.

Entering 2026, Irving is healthy and the intended offensive line is healthy together.

Rachaad White is gone.

Gainwell is a complement, not the lead.

Robinson's system should create opportunities both on the ground and through the passing game.

The current market has Irving at 50 overall while FAZE has him at 43 and RB20.

FAZE Target: Rounds 4-6.

That price gives fantasy managers access to a player with legitimate RB1 upside without requiring an RB1 draft investment.

If a manager already secured an elite running back in the opening rounds, Irving becomes an especially strong RB2 target.

Wide Receivers

Emeka Egbuka is the Tampa receiver FAZE wants to bet on.

His rookie production was strong:

• 63 receptions
• 938 receiving yards
• six receiving touchdowns
• 173 fantasy points

The weekly profile was volatile:

• 35% Consistency
• one BOOM
• three HITs
• two MIDs
• 11 BUSTs

That 35% number cannot be ignored.

But it also requires context.

Egbuka was immediately forced into a major role because Tampa entered the season with injuries throughout the receiver room.

His early sequence showed real production:

HIT.

MID.

MID.

HIT.

BOOM.

Then the environment changed.

Veterans returned.

The target hierarchy changed.

Baker Mayfield's health and offensive efficiency deteriorated.

Egbuka's second half became a long series of BUST outcomes.

FAZE is not erasing those games.

The forward-looking question is whether the same environment exists in 2026.

It does not.

Mike Evans is gone.

Egbuka now has a much clearer path to become Tampa's lead receiver.

The offensive line is healthier.

The quarterback environment should be healthier.

Robinson can move Egbuka around the formation.

The market already understands the upside. Egbuka is around Market ADP 36 and FAZE ADP 37, with FAZE placing him at WR16.

That means he is not a hidden sleeper.

He is a decision point.

FAZE Target: Rounds 3-5.

In the crowded middle rounds where several receivers carry comparable prices, FAZE prefers Egbuka's combination of demonstrated rookie ability, increased opportunity and second-year growth potential.

Chris Godwin should be approached differently.

His recent health record and 2025 production make him a late-round value rather than a core target.

Jalen McMillan remains an upside monitor.

Ted Hurst III remains a rookie watch-list player.

Tight Ends

Cade Otton remains a dependable real-football tight end and a useful fallback fantasy option.

He does not project to command enough concentrated volume to make FAZE chase him early.

The Bucs need touches for Egbuka, Irving, Godwin and McMillan.

Otton should be treated as a Rounds 10-12 option when a manager has waited at tight end, or as a matchup streamer.

Bauer Sharp and Payne Durham remain depth unless their roles materially change.

Defense / Special Teams

Tampa Bay DST has more upside than its 2025 results suggest, but FAZE is not drafting the projected fix.

Rueben Bain Jr., Alex Anzalone, A'Shawn Robinson and the broader front-seven additions address real needs.

Winfield remains a difference-maker.

Vea can still control the interior.

But Tampa's pass defense and pressure production were poor enough in 2025 that the unit needs to prove the changes worked.

Treat Tampa DST as a streaming candidate with upside rather than a priority draft defense.

Verified Schedule Status: Official 2026 schedule confirmed.

Schedule Difficulty: Difficult.

Critical Stretch: Weeks 11-14 after the Week 10 bye.

Tampa gets very little time to settle into Robinson's system.

Cincinnati, Cleveland, Minnesota, Green Bay, Dallas and Pittsburgh make the first six weeks a real test.

The schedule becomes more division-heavy before the Week 10 bye.

The most important stretch comes immediately afterward:

• at Detroit;
• Carolina;
• Los Angeles Chargers;
• at Baltimore.

That four-game run should reveal whether Tampa is a genuine NFC contender or merely surviving an open division.

The finish keeps the NFC South race relevant because Tampa plays New Orleans twice and Atlanta once over the final four weeks.

The approved season projection is 9-8.

• Week 15: vs New Orleans
• Week 16: at Atlanta
• Week 17: vs Los Angeles Rams

The fantasy playoff schedule is not a reason to avoid Tampa's offensive core.

Weeks 15 and 16 are divisional games where Irving's workload and Egbuka's lead-receiver role should remain highly relevant if Tampa is fighting for the NFC South.

Week 17 against the Rams can create more game-script-driven passing volume but also presents the greatest protection and efficiency test of the three.

Draft Tampa's core based on talent, role and price rather than downgrading them because of the fantasy playoff schedule.

NFC South Label: Competitive

The NFC South is open.

Carolina ended Tampa's four-year division-title run in 2025.

Tampa and Atlanta also finished 8-9.

No team enters 2026 with enough separation to treat the division as controlled.

Tampa's advantage is the combination of an established quarterback, a healthy offensive line and multiple legitimate offensive weapons.

Its disadvantage is a defense that still needs proof.

Atlanta remains capable of challenging.

Carolina enters as the defending champion.

New Orleans has enough uncertainty to remain difficult to project but can directly influence Tampa's finish because the teams meet twice during the final four weeks.

A 9-8 Tampa team can remain in the NFC South race deep into December.

Roster: B+

Tampa has a deep offensive skill group, a potentially high-end offensive line and enough defensive talent to improve.

Quarterback: B+

Baker Mayfield is a proven NFL starter and a team strength, even though his weekly fantasy profile is more volatile than the aggregate season totals suggest.

Coaching: B

Bowles provides continuity and defensive experience. Robinson gives the offense a credible new direction. The defense's 2025 regression prevents a higher grade.

Offseason: C+

Bain, Trotter, Anzalone, A'Shawn Robinson, Gainwell and restored offensive-line health provide meaningful positives.

Losing Evans and David prevents the offseason from becoming a clear win.

Division: Competitive

The NFC South remains open.

Schedule: C- — Difficult

The schedule contains enough high-quality opponents to punish defensive inconsistency.

Projected Record: 9-8

That is the approved FAZE football projection.

Tampa has enough offense to finish above .500 and compete for the NFC South.

The defense determines whether that becomes a playoff season.

Final Locked Playoff Odds™: 51%

Tier: Fringe Playoff Team

Ceiling: 11-6

Floor: 6-11

Tampa's ceiling begins with offense.

If Irving rebounds, Egbuka takes the expected Year 2 step, Baker remains healthy and the offensive line stays intact, Tampa can field one of the deeper offenses in the NFC South.

The defense determines whether that offense becomes part of a complete playoff team.

Bain must improve pressure.

Anzalone and Trotter must help stabilize the second level.

Winfield and McCollum need a more dependable secondary around them.

Vea must remain an active centerpiece.

The schedule gives Tampa little room for another poor defensive season.

The approved football expectation is 9-8 and in the NFC South race.

• Target Emeka Egbuka in Rounds 3-5 as an ascending second-year receiver with a clearer path to lead-target volume.
• Target Bucky Irving in Rounds 4-6 as a high-value RB2 with legitimate RB1 upside behind a restored offensive line.
• Target Baker Mayfield in Rounds 10-12 as a low-cost QB2, bye-week option or matchup streamer with QB1-week upside.
• Take Chris Godwin only when the late-round price properly accounts for his health and recent volatility.
• Monitor Jalen McMillan rather than manufacturing a dependable weekly target share.
• Treat Kenneth Gainwell as contingency and backfield depth.
• Treat Cade Otton as a late tight-end target or streamer when a manager waits at the position.
• Track Ted Hurst III as a rookie sleeper/watch-list receiver.
• Stream Tampa Bay DST until the pass rush and coverage unit prove they have improved.
• Draft the Tampa offense selectively.
• Make the defense earn trust.