Emeka Egbuka didn't sleep much before his introductory press conference with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
There was too much excitement from his loved ones and too quick a plane to catch.
“It's been a little bit of a whirlwind,” Egbuka said. “Got the call, I was on the Pacific Standard (time), so I got the call around 7:15 p.m. Was able to celebrate with my friends and family and all nine million people who were celebrating with me at my draft party. And the night didn't really stop. We were all really excited and then got up early this morning to catch a flight and now I'm here.”
The Buccaneers selected Egbuka with the No. 19 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft on Thursday, making him the second wide receiver and first Buckeye picked. And their excitement to have the Washington native in Florida equals that of his family.
“Total package,” Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles said. “He's a playmaker. He can play all three positions. He plays in the slot. He plays the Z. He plays the X. He can run with the ball. He can throw the ball. He can catch the ball. He's a very good router runner. He's a very precise route runner. He's a winner. He makes contested catches. He's a very precise route runner as well, a lot of speed at the same time. He blocks at the same time. He checks all the boxes as a player and as a person, and that made it an easy choice.”
The moment @EgbukaEmeka gets the call from Tampa Bay pic.twitter.com/u3YCuP77gu
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) April 25, 2025
The appeal of any wide receiver who goes through the Brian Hartline factory at Ohio State hardly needs to be stated. The Buckeyes have produced five first-round NFL draft picks at the position in the last four years, not counting Ohio State turned Alabama turned Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams. Three of the five have already posted a 1,100-yard receiving season in the NFL, Marvin Harrison Jr. put up 885 in his rookie year with the Cardinals last year and the fifth is Egbuka.
Thus far, Hartline’s first-rounders have been bustproof. And Egbuka’s combination of excellent production and great character gives him a floor higher than many prospects’ ceiling.
“It's always a good day when you pick your first round pick and the next day you're introducing them and you feel – Todd and myself, our staff – just feel so rock solid about the person and the player,” Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said. “And there were a lot of teams that wanted him. So I'm glad we didn't try to get cute and move back and get other picks because we wouldn't have ended up here today with you (Egbuka).”
For all the great receivers in Ohio State lore, none caught more passes in their college careers than Egbuka, the Buckeyes’ career receptions record-holder at 205. He is one of just two players in school history to post two 1,000-yard receiving seasons, joining Harrison.
Egbuka reeled in a career-high 81 passes and collected 1,011 receiving yards with 10 receiving touchdowns during the Buckeyes’ 2024 national championship season. In addition to his career receptions record, he is No. 2 in career receiving yards (2,868) and No. 7 in career receiving touchdowns (24) in Ohio State history.
“We have a certain standard at Ohio State, especially in the wide receiver room, that we're going to continue to uphold year in and year out,” Egbuka said. “So it just felt kind of like my duty and my obligation to be able to do what I did throughout my career. And the standard is the same for all the younger guys and they know what it is.”
The Buccaneers did their due diligence on Egbuka, and Bowles was impressed with the way he “goes about his business.” The more Tampa Bay brass looked into him off the field, the more confidence they found in him as a first-rounder.
“The character of the man, especially, tells you a lot about the player,” Bowles said. “It's very rare that you have the character and the player match up. There's a lot of good ones in the league right now, but when you meet the rare ones that have both and equally great at both, that tells you all you need to know.”
Of course, Egbuka will bring plenty of on-field skill and athleticism to the Buccaneers, too. He posted a 40-yard dash time of 4.45 seconds with a vertical leap of 38 inches at Ohio State’s pro day. He’s a dynamic athlete in the slot receiver position. His baseball background makes him phenomenal at following footballs in-flight – even when they’re tipped at the last moment.
HOWARD EGBUKA
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 1, 2025
BUCKEYES UP 14-0 OVER THE DUCKS pic.twitter.com/nx3yuMHX4K
“One strength that I've always had that I took a lot of pride in was just ball tracking and catching the ball,” Egbuka said. “I think that there's never been a ball in the air that I felt like was a difficult catch or that I couldn't track. I have an extensive baseball background, so I think that's helped me out a lot, playing center field.”
Egbuka will have two established weapons to his flanks if he plays the slot in Tampa Bay, though he could play on the outside while pro-bowler Chris Godwin mans the slot, as it’s also his primary position. Godwin has four 1,000-yard campaigns to his credit, but only played seven games last season due to injury, posting 50 receptions for 576 yards and five touchdowns.
Mike Evans, who will definitely play on the outside, is coming off his NFL-record-tying 11th consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season.
“I think when you think about those players, they're kind of the type of guys who are always open,” Egbuka said. “Great route running, high football IQ, very accountable. So I welcome those comparisons. I feel like all three of the people you just named are very, very good football players. And especially just being able to learn from Chris, I know a lot of people have made comparisons with me and him and now me being here in Tampa. Just the kind of character he has, from what I hear, high IQ, high work ethic, that's something I strive to be in the NFL.”
Egbuka will set out to show why he's Bowles' total package this year, starting with rookie minicamp in May.
