=Emeka Egbuka may be the second Ohio State Buckeye drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft. Projections have him going as high as No. 5 to the Jacksonville Jaguars or as low as No. 20 to the Denver Broncos. Egbuka probably will not go fifth overall but expect him to go in the middle of the first round. Egbuka is a six-foot-one 201-pound wide receiver from the state of Washington. Where do you think Egbuka will be drafted?
Emeka Egbuka’s Statistics
Emeka Egbuka has emerged as one of college football’s premier wide receivers, though he was not even the number one target on his own team. He made an impact on Ohio State and was one of their most feared offensive weapons. He has caught passes in 41 consecutive games. Egbuka displayed the type of consistency that NFL teams crave.
Egbuka was the 2019 Gatorade Player of the Year after recording 83 catches, 1,607 yards, and 25 touchdowns as a senior in high school. At Ohio State, Egbuka showed exceptional consistency, capped off by a senior campaign with 81 receptions, 1,011 yards, and 10 touchdowns through 16 games in 2024. His career totals are 205 receptions, 2,868 yards, and 24 touchdowns. That said, he was never the primary target at Ohio State.
In his sophomore season, his playmaking ability was highlighted with a strong 74 catches for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns. He battled injuries in 2023, and his statistics suffered (41 receptions, 515 yards, 4 TDs). He rebounded in 2024 by showing his obvious skill, averaging 12.5 yards per catch and leading the team with 10 receiving touchdowns, including a season-long 68-yard score.
Egbuka is smart. He was an Academic All-American in 2024 and has earned many football honors. He was Third-Team All-Big Ten in 2023, Second-Team All-Big Ten in 2022, and All-Big Ten and All-America this past season.
NFL Strengths
Egbuka has several strengths that will play well as a professional. In particular, NFL teams will love his consistency and play-making ability. Here are his strengths according to NFL Draft Buzz.
- Technician in his stems who sets up breaks with crafty head fakes and tempo changes in the route tree,
- Plus, short-area quickness allows clean breaks at the top of routes with minimal wasted movement,
- Natural hands catcher who plucks away from frame and adjusts body positioning to shield defenders,
- Displays savvy understanding of spatial awareness when working against zone coverage,
- Slippery runner after the catch who sets up blocks and finds cutback lanes in space,
- Shows juice as a return specialist with vision to hit creases and accelerate through traffic,
- Plus, competitive toughness as a blocker who sustains and drives through contact,
- Proven production against press coverage with refined release package from slot alignments.
All Ohio State wide receivers block well. It is not surprising that Egbuka also blocks well.
NFL Weaknesses
That said Egbuka does have some weaknesses that could hinder his progress as a professional. Again, according to NFL Draft Buzz.
- Medical red flags after missing three games in 2023 with lower body injuries affecting explosion,
- Limited exposure to boundary alignments with majority of snaps coming from slot,
- Below average catch radius restricts ability to expand strike zone outside frame,
- Lacks ideal build-up speed to consistently stack corners on vertical routes,
- Can get muscled off stems by physical corners in press coverage situations.
It is also reasonable to wonder if Egbuka was never the top wide receiver on his own Ohio State team, will that trouble NFL teams?
Conclusion
Ohio State has turned into wide receiver university, and it is possible the strength of the Ohio State reputation helps Emeka Egbuka. Ohio State wide receivers have done very well in the NFL and are well prepared for that experience by new Ohio State Offensive Coordinator Brian Hartline. Egbuka will be joining a great fraternity in the National Football League.
