One could make an argument that we are in the midst of an AI revolution regarding how men and women across the world get answers quickly through artificial intelligence tools.
Well, one popular publication decided to test the skills of AI to predict all 32 picks of the first round in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. The answer that AI generated for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers certainly felt pretty shocking considering some of their recent moves in free agency.
AI Has Bucs Taking Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka at No. 19 Overall
A fun exercise at USA Today took place when the publication used an AI tool to predict the entire first round of the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.
USA Today’s Jacob Camenker crafted the article and explained some of the process for this mock draft scenario.
Camenker explained, “That’s why USA TODAY Sports used the Microsoft Copilot AI chatbot to predict the first round of the 2025 NFL draft a month ahead of the festivities in Green Bay. It’s a worthwhile exercise to see whether relatively new AI tools can mock the draft with any sort of accuracy.”
Many NFL Draft analysts who regularly post mock drafts have the Bucs taking impact prospects on the defensive side of the football with the organization managing to ink WR Chris Godwin to a new deal earlier this offseason.
Yet, AI still thought Tampa Bay should address the wide receiver position by selecting Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka with the No. 19 overall pick.
Camenker wrote, “Copilot wanted to give the Buccaneers “a polished receiver to boost their offense.” In its estimation, Egbuka was the best wide-out available, so he was tapped to be insurance as Chris Godwin returns from an ankle injury and the eventual successor to Mike Evans.”
Does Emeka Egbuka Make Sense for Bucs at No. 19 Overall?
I won’t pretend to know more than AI on any subject, but it is hard to rationalize this selection in this mock draft.
The Bucs managed to keep Godwin under contract for the next three seasons and still features Mike Evans as one of the premier receivers in the league.
Additionally, Jalen McMillan exploded over the final five games of his rookie year with 24 receptions for 316 yards and seven touchdowns to finish out his first season in the league.
Egbuka is a great prospect with multiple years of quality production at a top college football program, but it is hard to envision him making much of an impact in a very crowded receiver room in Tampa.
Perhaps, AI wants to find a future replacement for the two veteran receivers on the roster, which would play into Egbuka’s outstanding formation versatility and route running nuance, but for a team that has a quality win-now roster — it is difficult to envision the Bucs sinking high draft capital into a player who is unlikely to see much playing time in 2025.
Evans is still playing at a high level, which is evident by his 11th straight year with 1,000+ yards receiving. Additionally, Godwin looked like one of the best receivers in the league through the first seven games of the 2024 campaign.
We’ll see how it plays out, but many would be shocked if AI gets this pick right.
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