Ohio State Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka has a High NFL Floor

NFL Draft Analyst Rajvir Bal has studied Ohio State wide receiver (WR) Emeka Egbuka and has given him an interesting comp.

Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka has been one of the bigger names in college football.

…And as a result, he has gotten the attention of the NFL Draft Community.

Pro Football Network, NFL.com., NBC Sports Boston, Fox Sports, CBS, SI, Barstool Sports, SB Nation, USA Today, 33rd Team, The Athletic Pro Football Focus, Draftwire, Draft Kings, Yahoo, Newsweek, and Bleacher Report have all put first-round projections on Egbuka since the clock struck 2025.

That’s quite the hype train.

But is it warranted?

Egbuka played on a winning Buckeye’s team and he’s been instrumental in their success.

Is that enough?

Background

Egbuka attended high school in Washington and was a 5-star recruit (247Sports). He committed to Ohio State in the Winter of 2020. This prospect was a two-sport athlete in baseball and football.

Egbuka’s stats:

2023:

• 10 games, 41 receptions, 515 yards (12.6 avg.), 4 Touchdowns

2024: 

• 16 games, 81 receptions, 1,011 yards 12.5 avg.), 10 Touchdowns

#1 Emeka Egbuka 6-foot-1, 205 pounds 
Rajvir Bal’s 2025 NFL Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)
Projected by 76.7% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of February 15, 2025 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2024 game film reviewed: Iowa, Oregon, Indiana, and Tennessee (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Strengths

Egbuka’s best trait is his route running. He looks like a technician out there cutting around defenders and getting open. His route tree is unlimited ⎯excelling at out and in routes or routes where quick cuts were needed. This top-shelf route running ability was able to overcome even the best cornerbacks he faced on his schedule. Egbuka made his quarterback’s job easier because he was a safety blanket for him. He was reliable and consistent. Sure, his hands are another big plus. His effort was another thing that made an impression. He never gave up on plays.

Weaknesses

He has a lack of game-changing ability that shows up on his game film. His stats back this. Egbuka’s body position is poor on catches and he often catches the ball with his body and not with his hands. Additionally, his style of play is kind of “wild,” and not under control after the catch. He struggled to gain yards in the open field after the catch. Top-end home-run speed is something else he does not have, which causes him to struggle on vertical routes.

Ten Adjectives

Reliable. Consistent. Technical. Effortful. Smart. Safe. Limited. Uncontrolled. Useful. Satisfactory.

NFL Crystal Ball

Denver Broncos

Buffalo Bills

Pittsburgh Steelers

NFL Comp: Robert Woods

Woods has played in over 170 NFL games after being selected in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Bills.

Woods has since played for the Rams, Titans, and Texans. He has logged over 650 receptions for more than 8,000 career yards.

Final Thoughts

Egbuka has a high NFL floor, meaning I don’t think he will end up as a bust.

I’ve thought about it for a while, and I’ve decided to put a late first-round grade on Egbuka instead of a second-round grade.

Egbuka has the potential to be a great WR2 and a valuable contributor on a team looking to contend

Rajvir Bal is a high school student from the Virginia area. He grew up a rabid Washington Redskins fan, attending more than 30 games, and has enjoyed the team’s high points and low points throughout his life. He plays varsity football and basketball. Rajvir has taken an interest in the NFL Draft since middle school when his team picked Montez Sweat and Dwayne Haskins in the first round. His favorite NFL player ever flips between Rob Gronkowski and Brett Favre, and his favorite athlete is LeBron James. He has been writing his own scouting reports since 2020, and is excited for the opportunities FirstRoundMock provides.