2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka

From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.

No. 2 EMEKA EGBUKA, WR, OHIO STATE (R-SENIOR) — 6010, 205 POUNDS

MEASUREMENTS

THE GOOD

-Great route runner who understands pace, leverage, and spacing. Very crafty player overall who uses full body to help him win in routes
-Quick into and out of his cuts, allowing himself to create easy separation; has high-end short area quickness
-Despite playing primarily in the slot, he has shown a nuanced release package to win off the line of scrimmage
-Consistent, soft hands. Plucks the ball out of the air with ease in all situations. Shows ability to flash late hands in contested-catch situations to make combat catches
-High-motor player who pairs energy with an impressive football IQ. Knows when to extend routes, how to work into quarterback’s vision, when to slow down or speed up in routes, and when to sit.
-Dynamic runner with the football in his hands. Uses compact frame to dish out punishment, has good contact balance, and forces quite a few missed tackles
-Willing blocker that plays with good leverage and technique. Finishes through the whistle and embraces the physical aspect of the position
-True team-first player who has shown the ability to adapt to any role without seeing production dip

THE BAD

-Smaller frame overall and doesn’t have much of a catch radius with smaller arms
-Limited opportunities on the boundary at the WR position. Primarily a slot in college
-Doesn’t have the long speed to stack vertically and threaten down the field consistently
-Has some medical concerns throughout collegiate career due to frame and playing style. Missed three games in 2023 with a knee injury
-Does not possess a true, dominant trait that many teams seem to look for in today’s NFL at the WR position
-Questions about his ability to produce in a universe without the likes of Marvin Harrison Jr. or Jeremiah Smith drawing so much attention in the passing game from defenses

BIO

-Former 5-star recruit in the 2021 recruit class, was the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Washington
-Named third-team All-Big 10 in 2024 after hauling in 81 passes for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns
-Was a second-team All-Big 10 in 2023 despite missing three games for the Buckeyes
-Became the all-time leading receiver in Ohio State history in the national championship game, passing K.J. Hill for most career receptions for the Buckeyes, and finished second all-time in receiving yards
-Just one of two Ohio State receivers to ever have two 1,000-yard seasons in career
-Finished Ohio State career with 205 receptions for 2,868 yards and 24 touchdowns, averaging 4.1 receptions per game for 57.4 yards per game
-Graduated from Ohio State in December 2023 with a degree in marketing

TAPE BREAKDOWN

A tough-as-nails, do-it-all receiver, Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka finds himself in the discussion among the best wide receivers in the 2025 NFL Draft class, especially coming off of a historic season for the Buckeyes that saw them win the national championship.

While Egbuka wasn’t the biggest name on those teams, he was arguably one of the most important due to his dependability, toughness, and willingness to handle whatever role was asked of him. He might not be the most dynamic athlete, or the biggest or strongest, but Egbuka has the want-to and the work ethic.

That shows up on the field.

Ohio State used Egbuka all over the formation in 2024 under offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, and all Egbuka did was reward the Buckeyes with another 1,000-yard season while also becoming the all-time leading receiver in program history. He’s not a huge vertical threat, but he wins in short areas, creates a great deal of separation with his footwork and his explosiveness in short areas, and he’s always open.

He’s made a name for himself as a receiver due to his production and consistency, but his toughness and willingness to mix it up as a blocker will help him make a lot of money at the next level and carve out a long career.

That’s what stands out the most from him on tape.

Look at the finish here in the run game against Michigan State.

That is nasty from a receiver, especially one of a smaller stature like Egbuka. Sometimes, blocking at the receiver position is just about getting in the way.

But Egbuka takes that a step further time and time again. He’s always sticking his face into the fan, mixing it up, and sometimes you get finishes like that against a Michigan State defender.

Throughout the 2024 season, Egbuka served as a lead blocker for the Buckeyes in split-zone work. He did so in the national championship game, too, springing running back Quinshon Judkins for a huge gain, breaking open the game to start the second half.

It’s not a thunder, highlight-reel block, but it’s an effective one and shows what Egbuka can do in the box against bigger defenders. He wants the dirty work.

It’s a ton of fun to watch.

As a route runner, Egbuka creates separation and finds soft spots in the defense, showing the quarterback his numbers. He plays with a high football IQ and has a good rapport with his quarterback.

Egbuka never slowed down in his route and never stopped sprinting to the sideline, trying to put himself back in QB Will Howard’s line of sight. That’s a heady play from Egbuka.

While he’s not the biggest or fastest, he’s so savvy for the position. One way in which he wins at the catch point is by flashing late hands. He has the utmost confidence in his hands, and he should, based on the way he’s able to pluck the ball out of the air in traffic.

Look at the late hands here against Iowa at home on the wheel route. There’s not much separation there, but that’s a terrific ball from Howard and an even better catch over his shoulder from Egbuka, not flashing his hands until the ball is just about there, allowing the throw to get through the tight window.

He did the same thing later in the year at the Rose Bowl against Oregon on a seam route.

Watch how late he flashes his hands as the ball is coming down over the defender’s head. That’s advanced stuff from Egbuka, and it explains why he was so highly regarded coming out of high school.

Again, you can see he doesn’t have elite vertical speed, but he’s got enough speed to be usable there at times and can win above the neck in those situations.

Still, if you play split-safety against Egbuka out of the slot, you’re asking to get burned.

He can get up to speed quickly, wastes very little movement, and can really stride it out. He’s not going to run away from defenders, but he runs good routes, takes the proper angles, is meticulous in his positioning on the field, and has shown the ability to win down the field.

Emeka Egbuka’s abilities as a blocker and his comfort playing in tight allow him to be on the field in different packages, too, which allowed OSU to scheme things up for him, like this play-action throwback pass for a score against Penn State on the road.

Wide open.

CONCLUSION

Emeka Egbuka might not be there in the discussion with the likes of Arizona’s Teitaroa McMillan and Missouri’s Luther Burden III at the wide receiver position. Still, the Ohio State product will have a long, productive career in the NFL. He’s a tough, physical receiver willing to do whatever is asked of him within the offense.

He’s not a guy who will demand the football, isn’t going to pout when asked to block, and brings a great team-first attitude to the field every time out. He’s shown he can be a terrific No. 2 option behind stars and will do the dirty work. That will have teams salivating over him.

Though he doesn’t have any elite traits, he does everything really well and that matters. He’s a dependable piece who can play in all situations, will produce time and time again, and will be highly regarded within the locker room and his position group.

He reminds me a lot of Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown with his hard-nosed style of play and the attitude that it doesn’t matter what his numbers are as long as the team wins and he’s playing his role well.

Projection: Early Day 2
Depot Draft Grade:  8.5 – Future Quality Starter (2nd Round)
Games Watched: Michigan State (2024), Iowa (2024), Penn State (2024), Tennessee (2024), Oregon (2024), Texas (2024), Notre Dame (2024)