COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football’s reputation as “Wide Receiver U” continues to be reinforced year after year, and according to the Buckeye Talk podcast, Emeka Egbuka is next in line to carry that torch into the 2025 NFL Draft’s first round.
“First Buckeye off the board (will be) a wide receiver,” co-host Stefan Krajisnik predicted. “Shocking, I know. Actually, maybe kind of shocking in this draft, but in generality, it’s not too shocking.”
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This prediction would continue an impressive trend.
In 2022, Garrett Wilson went 10th overall to the Jets. Chris Olave went to the Saints with the very next pick.
In 2023, Jaxon Smith-Njigba went to the Seahawks with the 20th overall pick.
Last year, Marvin Harrison Jr. went fourth overall to the Cardinals.
Now, Egbuka seems poised to extend this first-round legacy despite not receiving as much national attention as his predecessors.
What makes Egbuka worthy of a first-round selection?
The podcast highlighted his technical precision, reliability and advanced route-running — qualities that translate immediately to NFL success. These attributes make him an ideal fit for teams with young quarterbacks who need dependable targets.
That’s why co-hosts Stephen Means and Andrew Gillis predicted Egbuka to go to the Packers (23rd overall) while Krajisnik had him going to the Steelers (21st).
“I think Jordan Love just needs an, ‘I need a completion’ guy,” Means said.
“He needs a safety blanket,” Gillis responded.
While he may not possess the overwhelming physical traits of some receivers, his technical polish and consistent hands make him the type of receiver who helps quarterbacks establish rhythm and confidence.
The conversation around Egbuka extends beyond just his individual talents to the broader success of Ohio State’s receiver development program.
The school has established a strong pipeline of NFL-ready receivers in recent years, with Brian Hartline’s coaching receiving particular praise.
Here’s the podcast for this week:
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Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from the Buckeye Talk Podcast by cleveland.com. Visitors to cleveland.com have asked for more text stories based on website podcast discussions.