2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Emeka Egbuka

Last Updated: 03/01/2025

Career Stats 

Summary  

Following in the footsteps of many Ohio State receivers, Emeka Egbuka is primed to become the next great one after exploding in his sophomore season for the third-most receiving yards (1,151) and touchdowns (10) in the Big Ten. That was followed up by a down year that included Tightrope surgery. However, as a senior, Egbuka re-asserted himself, amassing 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns. Over his career, he set an Ohio State record for receptions with 205 and ranks 25th since 1956 in the Big Ten with 24 touchdowns.  

Egbuka stands six-feet tall and operates on a stout frame. He is a versatile receiver who has lined up all over the field, including in the backfield. At the line of scrimmage, Egbuka just attacks with little wasted movements. This includes a ton of manipulation, and whether that is with tempo or leverage, he puts defenders in poor situations. This is enhanced by his quickness and a variety of refined routes that allow him to dominate the short-to-intermediate areas of the field. He also has nice flexibility to bend and twist, limiting the ability for defenders to get their hands on him while navigating the middle of the field. His understanding of zone coverages is clear, finding the open areas easily and not running through them. Although he is best in the intermediate area, he has displayed the speed and ball-tracking ability to find and run down the ball on deeper routes occasionally. 

At the catch point, his body control and natural ability to find the ball in the air allows him to snag it over defenders. I wouldn’t say becoming a 50/50 ball savant is in the cards, but he certainly can expose defenders who don’t get turned around in time. His hands are strong and he often leads with them. We also see him catch outside his frame well, and he doesn’t break stride when catching on the move even if the throws are slightly off-target. That allows him to generate more yards after the catch. His speed and quickness allow him to generate a decent amount of yards after the catch, but he is not winning a plethora of one-on-one situations. 

Strengths 

• Route-running 
• Football IQ 
• Hands
• Physicality 

Weakness 

• Contested catches 
• Perimeter frame and prowess
• Deep Speed 

Honors and Awards 

• Freshman All-American (2021)
• Second-team All-Big Ten (2022)
• Third-team All-Big Ten (2023, 2024)

 Athletic Testing 

• 40-yard dash: TBD
• Vertical: TBD
• Broad Jump: TBD
• Three-cone: TBD
• Shuttle: TBD
• Bench: TBD

NFL Role Prediction

• Z wide receiver  

Fantasy Outlook 

Egbuka is a chain mover at heart and will likely be cast into this role at the NFL level. Every team could use his versatility and plug him in as a rookie starter. His role will lead to a plethora of fantasy points, especially in any PPR format. In addition, his red-zone prowess will sweeten the deal. In the right situation, Egbuka could produce weekly WR2 numbers as a rookie and only improve over time. 

Player Comparisons 

• Stefon Diggs
• Amon-Ra St. Brown 
• Jaxon Smith-Njigba