When examining a full NFL career, six weeks is not a terribly long span of time. But nearly all the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ rookies sure have made an impression in these first six games.

Back in April, the Bucs’ front office put together an NFL Draft class of six players that it felt best addressed the roster’s needs. The group included a pair of receivers, a pair of cornerbacks and two defensive linemen—one an interior player and the other an edge rusher.

Though it’s typically ideal to give rookies an extended period of time to adjust to the league’s game speed, five of these six players have already seen bulk snaps, and with how injured the team has become, they will likely continue to see their playing time increase. That might sound like a downtrodden statement, but there is an easy way to be optimistic about the situation: These rookies have been awesome.

A third of the way through the season, all five rookies that have played have shown glimpses that they can be perennial NFL starters if developed correctly. In fact, you can go back to the two draft classes before this one — the hit rate has been astonishing. In those three classes, 17 different players still act as either consistent starters or rotational players for Tampa when they are healthy.

This year, the rookie class has been integral on both sides of the ball to the Bucs’ 5-1 start. They found a Rookie of the Year candidate in the mix, and if the others continue to evolve, the front office will have done it again. Here is an early-season progress report:

Emeka Egbuka, WR

If you follow the NFL, the chances you haven’t heard Emeka Egbuka’s name are wildly slim. Without Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan to start the season, and with Mike Evans pulling a hamstring shortly after, the rookie Egbuka has been the cornerstone of the Tampa Bay offense at 23 years old.

Despite suffering an injury Sunday against San Francisco, Egbuka’s versatility and playmaking ability have brought him well on his way to 1,000 yards in his first year. He is averaging over 17 yards per catch and has only played two games in which he did not find the end zone. He currently sits at No. 2 in the Offensive Rookie of the Year odds behind Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, but before his injury, he was the favorite in some sportsbooks.

Benjamin Morrison, CB

One of the reasons Notre Dame’s talented corner, Benjamin Morrison, fell in the draft was because of durability concerns. So far as a rookie, those concerns have been valid.

After having arguably his best outing of the season against Philadelphia in Week 4, Morrison has not seen the field due to hamstring issues. However, before getting banged up, Morrison was improving steadily. Entering the San Francisco matchup, Morrison ranked fifth of all rookies in lowest passer rating allowed while being targeted. He played a big role in holding Philadelphia’s stud receiver, AJ Brown, to two receptions for only seven yards on nine targets.

When he returns, Morrison will be a great depth piece on the outside for the Bucs’ defense.

Jacob Parrish, CB

Though Jacob Parrish was selected after Morrison, he has arguably been the more impressive of the two defensive backs so far.

For one, availability is the best ability, and Parrish has certainly had fewer injury concerns thus far. Furthermore, when he has been on the field, he has freed up 2024 draft pick Tykee Smith to either lurk in the box or sink back into a pure free safety position. With Parrish working largely in the nickel, close to the line of scrimmage, it has given Tampa a trustworthy five-DB set for obvious passing situations. He has also been unafraid to stick his hat in on run plays, notching 15 total tackles in his last two games.

David Walker, EDGE

David Walker has been the lone player of the 2025 draft class who has not seen the field. It’s unfortunate, but it’s not an indictment of his skill level—he tore his ACL back in July. He had surgery to repair his knee and should be an asset after this season, but he will not play a snap in 2025.

Elijah Roberts, DL

When Calijah Kancey saw his season cut short, there were a lot of question marks about who was going to step up and be that three-tech ox that Todd Bowles’ defenses often call for. The answer so far has been Elijah Roberts.

The fifth-round pick from SMU has not exactly lit up the stat sheet, but many interior defensive linemen are most effective when they aren’t the one making the plays. Working alongside Vita Vea, Roberts has been a great force in a top-5 run defense in the NFL so far. He currently ranks first among rookie interior defensive linemen for pass rush win rate (11%), and his ability to rush the passer will likely only improve as well.

Tez Johnson, WR

Tez Johnson is the guy at work who just got really important in the blink of an eye. After Egbuka went down with his Week 6 hamstring tweak, the Bucs are now without their top four receivers and their starting running back. If none of them return, Tampa will enter this Monday night’s matchup against the Detroit Lions (4-2) with a receiving corps of Tez Johnson, Kam Johnson, Sterling Shepard and Ryan Miller.

Johnson made his first huge play of his rookie season on Sunday, when he caught a 45-yard bomb from Baker Mayfield to give Tampa a 30-19 lead. Against the Lions, Tampa will likely look for him again for his big play ability.