• Emeka Egbuka could possibly be the following nice slot receiver: Some of the most effective slot receivers in latest seasons are on the bottom of their profession, opening the door for somebody like Egbuka to face out.
• Can Egbuka be greater than a No. 2 choice? Egbuka has performed second fiddle to Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jeremiah Smith at Ohio State.
• 2025 NFL Draft season is right here: Try PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and find out about 2025’s high prospects whereas buying and selling and drafting in your favourite NFL workforce.
Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
PFF’s fantasy soccer participant profile sequence delivers essentially the most in-depth fantasy soccer evaluation out there for the 2025 season.
Using PFF’s unique information, we consider participant efficiency, competitors for touches and the way teammates and training staffs will influence every participant’s fantasy soccer outlook.
Last up to date: 7:15 a.m. Wednesday, April 2
Player Performance
Emeka Egbuka has spent the final three seasons because the second choice in Ohio State’s passing recreation, first behind Marvin Harrison Jr. and second behind Jeremiah Smith. The Buckeyes are sometimes forward in video games, permitting them to run the ball with future NFL operating backs. This has harm his cumulative statistics, however his per-route numbers are very sturdy relative to different huge receivers. His goal charges remained extraordinarily excessive for a No. 2 receiver.
Egbuka checks many packing containers, together with excessive separation scores and catch charges. While his pace isn’t elite, it’s what you’d anticipate from a mid-to-late first-round decide for his measurement. On the draw back, our draft information notes his “route breaks could possibly be sharper” and “his breaks aren’t as sharp or twitchy as some.” In common, you’d hope gamers in faculty see their numbers enhance every season, which wasn’t the case for Egbuka. Part of that’s he performed so nicely in his second 12 months that there wasn’t as a lot room to enhance as most receivers, however he additionally by no means exceeded an 85.0 receiving grade in a season like most different potential first-round huge receivers.
Projected Role
Egbuka spent most of his faculty profession lined up within the slot, however he was additionally ok to play in two-receiver units more often than not at Ohio State. Like most slot targets, his common depth of goal and deep goal fee had been comparatively low. As his faculty profession progressed, his fee of taking part in within the slot elevated.
Egbuka is more likely to proceed seeing vital time within the slot within the NFL, however there’s a risk he additionally performs out huge. His yards-per-route run had been increased when lined up out huge than within the slot. Last season, he ran 67 routes out huge and caught 16 of 21 passes for 196 yards. While his goal charges remained excessive when lined up out huge, he nonetheless graded significantly better when lined up within the slot throughout every of the previous three seasons.
Ideally, Egbuka performs as a Z receiver in base and within the slot in three-receiver units. Egbuka could be a top-15 huge receiver if he lives as much as the hype and performs in a superb offense in that position. However, his upside could possibly be restricted if he solely performs within the slot and doesn’t play a lot in two-receiver units.
Most Mocked Teams
Denver Broncos
The Broncos decide twentieth and have just a few receivers past Courtland Sutton, who could possibly be the second choice within the offense. Egbuka could possibly be anyplace from the highest goal earner to a rotational participant in Denver.
Houston Texans
The Texans decide twenty fifth and lack depth at huge receiver after not re-signing Stefon Diggs and shedding Tank Dell for many, if not all, of the season attributable to harm. They traded for Christian Kirk. Egbuka and Kirk might rotate at Z receiver and within the slot. The solely concern is that Egbuka won’t earn snaps in two-receiver units with Kirk and Nico Collins on the roster.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers traded for D.Okay. Metcalf this offseason to pair with George Pickens. Egbuka can be the slot receiver in three-receiver units if the Steelers choose him on the twenty first decide. This can be a catastrophe for his fantasy worth as a rookie, contemplating how a lot the Steelers use a number of tight finish units, until Pickens is traded.
Bottom Line
Egbuka has been a quantity two receiver all through faculty and can doubtless stay a No. 2 receiver within the NFL. If the offense is sweet sufficient, this could work high-quality for his fantasy worth, however there are some touchdown spots the place Egbuka’s fantasy worth could possibly be minimal.
Footnotes
- Statistics in tables and charts had been usually chosen based mostly on their means to foretell future fantasy efficiency on a per-game or per-opportunity foundation or for his or her means to explain the participant relative to others on the similar place.
- “Opportunities” are outlined as passing dropbacks, dashing makes an attempt and receiving routes run.
- Numbers are both by season or based mostly on the previous three years. For rookies, solely faculty numbers are included. Only NFL numbers are included for non-rookies, even when they performed in faculty throughout the earlier three years.
- Because faculty competitors is less complicated than NFL competitors, most rookies will doubtless see a decline from their historic numbers.
- Only FBS information is taken into account for school gamers and comparisons.
- Kneel-downs are faraway from dashing information to supply cleaner quarterback dashing fee statistics.
- The colours for all tables on this article vary from blue (good or excessive) to crimson (dangerous or low).
- All percentiles or colours examine the given participant to different gamers with a excessive pattern of alternatives. Generally, the cut-off is one-third of the doable alternatives within the pattern. If the participant in query doesn’t have sufficient alternatives, they’re nonetheless in contrast, although they might look good or dangerous based mostly on the small pattern measurement, which could not be as predictive.
- Information on utilization classifications and their significance may be discovered right here for operating backs, huge receivers and tight ends.