New York Giants Draft Prospect Profile: WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

Emeka Egbuka is a sneaky type of receiver who excels in deceiving defenders thanks to a wide array of small movements.

Emeka Egbuka, WR

Height: 6’1”
Weight: 202 lbs
Class: Senior
School: Ohio State
Hand size: 9 ⅝”
Arm length: 31 ½”
STATS

A former five-star recruit out of Steilacoom High School in Steilacoom, Washington, where he was the second recruit from his state and the number one wide receiver during the 2021 cycle; fellow Buckeye J.T. Tuimoloau was the only player ranked higher than Egbuka from Washington that year, according to 247 Sports. He was the ninth overall player coming out of high school in 2021.

Egbuka decided to return to school after many believed he might be selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. That decision led to a National Championship for Egbuka, where he was Third-Team All-Big Ten (also earned that in 2023) and Second-Team All-Big-10 in 2022.

Egbuka went over 1,000 yards twice with double-digit touchdowns (2022 & 2024). His 2023 was plagued with ankle and knee injuries; he only played in ten games.

Egbuka aligned out wide just 25.2% of the time through four college seasons. He averaged 2.61 yards per route run, over three during his first two seasons on campus.

His contested catch rate was 54.3% through his four seasons, and he secured 59.1% of his contested catches in 2024. Egbuka’s aDOT was 9.1 yards, and his yards per reception was 14. His drop percentage was 5.5% throughout his career.

Strengths

Solid overall size with good thickness throughout
Very good overall athlete with light feet and smooth change of direction skills
Excellent footwork and release package
Excellent route technician – the Brian Hartline effect!
SALESMAN: one of the best WRs in the class at selling vertical stem
Can run the route tree
Knows how to attack defender’s leverage
Savvy routes allow him to easily create separation
Elite at finding space against zone coverage
Will become a quarterback’s best friend
Tracks the football with elite concentration
Excellent hands in traffic
Elite timing to delay defensive reactions – late hand flasher
Good acceleration and nimble feet allow him to create YAC
Quickly gets upfield and finds blockers to earn yards after the catch
High processing player – incredibly smart
Nasty stiff arm
Very reliable and high effort blocker (reminds me of Cooper Kupp)
High competitive player

With the 39th pick in the 2025 #XMockDraft (via trade with the Chicago Bears), the Detroit Lions (#OnePride) select:

Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State (#Buckeyes)

The Kansas City Chiefs (@bignizo) are OTC pic.twitter.com/ArZFsZe1vJ
— Blueridge Bronco (@BlueridgeBronc1) March 24, 2025

Weaknesses

Isn’t a twitchy type of athlete
Good, but not spectacular explosiveness
Lacks elite top-end speed
Body catches a lot – does not maximize his solid arm length
Mostly a slot player (73.2%) in college
Nagging knee and ankle injuries plagued his 2023 season

Nov 16, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Boston College Eagles defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku (6) in action during the game between the SMU Mustangs and the Boston College Eagles at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Summary

Emeka Egbuka is a skilled route runner who understands the nuances of uncovering against man and zone coverage. He excels with elite micromovements to keep defenders unaware of his intentions until the break. Egbuka sports good—but not spectacular—explosiveness out of his breaks and is a very good overall athlete with excellent YAC ability—he ranked 16th in FBS with 476 yards after the catch.

Egbuka’s savvy nature as a football player, along with his competitive toughness to uproot safeties in the run game, will appeal to every NFL team even though he’s more of a slot-oriented receiver who thrives from condensed sets. I do not love comparisons – especially when they’re from the same college – but I understand why he reminds people of Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Egbuka also has some Cooper Kupp to his game.

The team that selects Egbuka will receive a tone-setting receiver who will enhance the rushing ability of their 11-personnel package while providing the team’s quarterback with a reliable chain-moving asset. Egbuka doesn’t possess elite size or elite athletic ability, but what he does possess in those departments is more than enough, and he excels with the intricacies of the position.

Egbuka is a high-floor player who still possesses a ceiling. He will quickly become a fan favorite and may find his way into the first round.

GRADE: 6.67

Nick Falato's Draft Grade Chart | Nick Falato

Emeka Egbuka, WR

Strengths

Weaknesses

Summary

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