‘Complicated’ Bucs WR Room Presents Interesting Outlook for Chris Godwin

Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin was on pace for one of the best seasons of his NFL career in 2024 before suffering a season-ending injury that clouds his Week 1 status entering this season.

After the Bucs spent the No. 19 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on a wide receiver, what are the expectations for Godwin this year?

Just How Good was Chris Godwin in 2024?

Chris Godwin catching 50 passes for 576 yards and five touchdowns through the first five games of the 2024 NFL season put him on a pace for a career year. In some ways, Godwin had a strong case for having the best season of receiver in the league through the first seven games of the year.

Yet, PFF NFL Analyst Nathan Jahnke delved into Godwin’s lengthy injury history when trying to analyze his road to a fast start in 2024.

Jahnke wrote, “Godwin dealt with his fair share of injuries in 2020 and 2021, which also impacted his play, including a concussion, hamstring injury, finger fracture, foot injury and then an ACL tear and MCL sprain at the end of 2021. He tried to play in Week 1 but then took the next two weeks off. He returned in Week 4 and generally wasn’t far off from his usual self. The Buccaneers were still concerned about his injuries in 2023, leading Tampa Bay to play him more out wide and less in the slot to avoid as many hits. This led to fewer yards per game, fewer avoided tackles and a lower target rate, even though he was still relatively successful when given the ball.”

Godwin never had a game in 2024 where he caught fewer than five passes or generated fewer than 53 yards. Those seven games included a pair of 7+ receptions for 100-yard outings before his season abruptly ended due to injury.

How Could Godwin’s Role Change in a Crowded WR Room Entering the 2025 NFL Season?

The Bucs selecting Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka in round one certainly felt like a surprise for a multitude of reasons.

First, the Bucs just re-signed Godwin to multi-year deal. Second, Egbuka has a fairly similar skillset to Godwin.

This pick makes more sense if the Bucs want an insure policy for a veteran receiver coming off of injury, but it certainly makes this room slightly more mysterious when trying to pinpoint exactly if Godwin will retain his exact same role in 2025.

Jahnke commented on the Bucs WR room by writing, “The receiving room became much more complicated when the Buccaneers drafted Emeka Egbuka with the 19th overall pick in the draft. Egbuka was very experienced in the slot in college. While it’s believed that he’s capable of also playing out wide, he is a third player on the Buccaneers roster who could be best suited for the slot role.”

Mike Evans role as the X-receiver in this offense feels secure given his historic success in that role throughout his 11-year career in the NFL, which makes the rotation between Godwin, Egbuka, and second-year wideout Jalen McMillan worth keeping an eye when all four receivers are active for a game once Godwin returns from injury.

The Bucs depth in the WR room is great for Baker Mayfield, but it could be tough to envision Godwin picking up where he left off last year with Egbuka around.