Who Should I Start? Alec Pierce or Emeka Egbuka

Tuesday, February 17, 7:06 AM

ESPN's Matt Bowen thinks that Indianapolis Colts impending free-agent wide receiver Alec Pierce would be a good fit with the Tennessee Titans under new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. "Pierce has the vertical stretch ability to produce downt he field and can play a volume role as a multi-level target for quarterback Cameron Ward," Bowen writes. In a breakout 2025 campaign with the Colts in which he led the team in receiving, Pierce averaged a league-best 21.3 yards per catch and caught 47 of his 84 targets for a career-high 1,003 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games. The 25-year-old also led the league in 2024 by averaging 22.3 yards per reception, so he's established himself as one of the best downfield threats in the NFL. He'll be a popular receiver target in free agency for wideout-needy teams like the Titans, but they will surely have competition on the open market. In Tennessee, Pierce would immediately become the team's WR1.

Thursday, February 19, 9:00 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round wide receiver Emeka Egbuka came out of the gates as a clear favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, racking up 445 receiving yards and five touchdowns in the first five games of his career. Unfortunately, a Week 6 hamstring tweak and an inexplicable lack of chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield limited him to only 493 yards and one touchdown over his next 12 games. While neither Egbuka nor Mayfield missed a start, they were both clearly affected by injury at points throughout the year. With Chris Godwin Jr., Mike Evans, and Jalen McMillan in and out of the lineup with injuries of their own, Egbuka was never able to find a late-season rhythm as he worked to break through the rookie wall. Mike Evans has recently suggested he would be open to continuing his career outside of Tampa Bay, which could open a massive opportunity for Egbuka in year two. However, if the Buccaneers run it back in 2026 with the same foursome atop the depth chart, he may still struggle to find a consistent role and be viewed as a better-in-best-ball wideout.