Heading into this season, the biggest reason to have hope about the 2026 Bucs is the team’s collection of offensive talent.
ESPN ranked Tampa Bay’s collection of offensive playmakers 13th in 2024 and seventh in 2025, so they should at least be in the top half of the league entering 2026, right?
Not so fast.
While insightful in his analysis, it is hard to agree with what senior NFL writer Bill Barnwell had to say about Tampa Bay’s skill position players in a recent story.
Bucs’ Offensive Playmakers Rank In Bottom Half Of The NFL
What a difference Mike Evans makes. After the Bucs lost the future Hall of Famer to San Francisco in free agency, the team plummeted in Bill Barnwell’s ranking of wide receiver, tight end, and running back rooms going into this season. Noting that Barnwell emphasized what an elite wide receiver does for an offense, it is no surprise that the top five teams are the Lions, Rams, Bengals, Falcons, and 49ers.
Legendary Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Sam Navarro
That is reasonable enough, until you look further down the list. The first real eye-opener is seeing the Saints ranked 13th. Tampa Bay’s NFC South rival has a lot going for them on the offensive side of the football with quarterback Tyler Shough entering his second season, but that is where it gets debatable how much better their supporting cast for him is.
When it comes to where the Bucs place, they rank 22nd, which is a significant step back to where they were last season. Outside of the Dolphins, who came in dead-last after gutting their roster, losing 15 spots was the second-biggest dropoff.
Getting back to the New Orleans comparison, would you rather have:
Chris Olave, Jordyn Tyson, Devaughn Vele, Juwan Johnson, Travis Etienne Jr., and Alvin Kamara
OR
Chris Godwin Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, Ted Hurst, Tez Johnson, Cade Otton, Bucky Irving, Kenny Gainwell, and Sean Tucker?
Tampa Bay simply has more proven depth and more upside than New Orleans, even acknowledging that Tyson and Etienne are intriguing additions. How then does Barnwell explain his ranking?
Bucs WRs Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin Jr. – IMAGN Images
“The Bucs are one of the tougher teams around the league to evaluate heading into 2026. Obviously, losing Mike Evans without making a significant addition in response is going to drop Tampa Bay a bit, even if Evans was compromised for most of last season by injuries…
“What can we count on from the Bucs’ new “Big Three” in 2026? Emeka Egbuka was awesome to start the season, averaging 2.3 yards per route run through Week 10. He was down to 1.3 afterward, below guys such as Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Hutchinson. Chris Godwin Jr. came back from his gruesome ankle injury, dealt with fibula issues after initially returning and wasn’t back for good until Week 12. He had solid games against the Cardinals and Dolphins, but at 30 and with multiple serious injuries in his past, I’m not sure it’s realistic to project a peak-caliber season from Godwin, even after Evans’ departure.
Bucky Irving was also sidelined for two months by foot and shoulder injuries, and across his two stretches of active play, he averaged just 3.4 yards per carry… The Bucs swapped out Rachaad White for Kenny Gainwell, who was wildly productive for the Steelers in a situational role, and there’s a chance that he is Tampa’s best back.”
How Good Are The Bucs Offensive Playmakers Heading Into 2026?
So, where should the Bucs rank when it comes to how good the team’s offensive playmakers are?
Well, based on my argument above, they should at least place ahead of the Saints, who are a tad too high at 13th. The hype around Jets’ first-round picks Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr. is real, but I would still place Tampa Bay ahead of them at 12th. That seems like a fair ranking and would be a five-spot dropoff from where they were last year.
Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Despite the fair concerns Bill Barnwell mentions, there is plenty of talent that has a chance to step up and fire the cannons in 2026.
It was not that long ago that they boasted the fourth-best scoring offense in 2024, with Baker Mayfield having a career year airing out the football (4,500 yards and 41 passing touchdowns) and relying on a strong running game. Many of those pieces remain, with some new ones hoping to get them back on track and not underachieve this coming year.
Chris Godwin Jr., even at 30 years old, projects to be a high-volume target within Zac Robinson’s offense. With Godwin in the slot and more polished versions of Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan on the outside, somebody is going to eat on a week-to-week basis. Add Ted Hurst and Tez Johnson to the mix, and that is an impressive blend of wide receivers who each can do a little bit of everything.
Bucs OC Zac Robinson – Photo by: Matt Matera/PR
Robinson will have fun game planning the best way for Baker Mayfield to have success and distribute the football, which will be key in making the most of everyone.
When it comes to running backs, Bucky Irving is entering a pivotal third season. His injuries have been concerning and lingering, but if he can get past them, he is a human joystick. The team will have to be cautious about Irving’s usage, and that is where Kenneth Gainwell comes in. He is a valuable back who has the ability to play on any down given his rushing, blocking, and receiving capabilities. Sean Tucker has been waiting to be fully unlocked, and as the third running back, he will get his time to flash his dynamic speed and find the end zone.
The Bucs no longer have a future Hall of Fame receiver carrying the room. What they do have is one of the league’s deepest collections of complementary weapons. That may not make them a top 5 group, but it certainly makes ranking them 22nd feel like an overreaction.