The Kansas City Chiefs could go several different ways in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. For years under general manager Brett Veach, they have opted to rely on the top of their own player rankings, based on who is still available. This could make a number of options intriguing to Kansas City on draft night.
Wide receiver is perhaps an offensive spot that the Chiefs could look to further infuse with more talent. There are still long-term depth questions at the position. And also, current injuries and past injury histories will be something to monitor for the current K.C. wide receiver room.
Plenty of wide receivers who recently starred at Ohio State have gone on to early success in the NFL. A name that could quickly join that list is Emeka Egbuka.
Could his skill set be a perfect complement to the older options in the Chiefs' pass-catching room? What kind of positives stand out from Egbuka's game? Plus, how may he potentially fit within the Chiefs offense? Let's look at his scouting report.
2025 NFL Draft Profile- Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
Age: 22 (when drafted)
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 202 pounds
Emeka Egbuka's strengths
Emeka Egbuka's game is smooth. This starts with his route-running ability. Overall, he will look to vary his tempo based on game situation or down and distance. The varied tempo allows Egbuka to dictate time and space, forcing defenders to sit back on their heels or bite before he can extend his stem to get extra cushion. Egbuka is also extremely smooth with his route breaks, route stems, cuts, and releases off the line of scrimmage. This is all due to his sound footwork and body positioning.
All of those aspects as a route runner allow him to gain additional separation. Egbuka is also able to gain separation in other ways as a technically refined wide receiver. For one, his spatial awareness jumps out immediately. Egbuka has the football IQ to recognize and find soft spots in zones. He will sit and work back to the football, helping out his quarterback in those situations in between defenders. Furthermore, Egbuka's understanding and anticipation of leverage and landmarks make him a versatile piece inside the offensive formation.
Egbuka can win on low-percentage passes with his ball tracking ability and body control. He can aid the quarterback on high passes with his adjustments to the football. Body contortion is something wide receivers must have in their bag to win in different ways. Once again, the body contortion is done in a smooth, under control way by Egbuka to make the catch.
Finally, Egbuka offers excitement after the catch. He can gain extra yards by reading blocks on quick passes. Elsewhere, Egbuka can use intermediate routes to add extra cushion and set up defensive backs by shaking them and forcing them to lose their footing after the catch. Egbuka simply moves like a running back with the ball in his hands.
Emeka Egbuka's weaknesses
Emeka Egbuka displayed some inconsistency against physicality and press coverage at the college level. He was not pressed often. But when he was pressured with it, Egbuka can become late and delayed in his timing on the route. The physical defenders that caught him in space usually forced Egbuka to freeze. This sometimes led to him running too far backwards or laterally, rather than up the field.
The speed of Egbuka is average overall. Can he get away from defenders for a short burst after the catch? Yes. However, Egbuka is not someone who will consistently run away from people in the open field or in foot races with game-breaking quickness.
There is a limited ceiling to Egbuka as a vertical threat. A lot of his best work is done in the quick-to-intermediate passing game. His ability to stack defenders does not materialize as often when working vertically. And the lack of elite speed can lead to more contested catches on vertical shots down the field.
Blocking is an element that will need more work. Egbuka has adequate size and density for the wide receiver position. But at times, Ohio State did not offer true run-blocking opportunities for its wide receivers. More technique and refinement are necessary in that area for Egbuka.
How Emeka Egbuka may fit in Chiefs offense
The Chiefs have utilized a ton of speedsters at wide receiver under head coach Andy Reid. While that may not be Emeka Egbuka's calling card, there are other elements of his game that Kansas City would love. K.C. has traditionally looked for their wide receivers to be smart in space, versatile, and consistent at the catch point. Egbuka can certainly check those boxes.
Kansas City moves its wide receivers around to different spots in the formation from snap to snap. Egbuka is used to this from his time at Ohio State and excelled both in the slot and on the perimeter. Egbuka would also give the Chiefs a well-rounded, young trio of him, Rashee Rice, and Xavier Worthy moving into future years.
After years of struggles at wide receiver in the draft, the Chiefs have seen both Rice and Worthy finish their rookie campaigns strong in consecutive seasons. If drafted by Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes could find the smoothness of Egbuka to work wonders underneath and over the middle of the field. That can lead to moving the chains, scoring in the red zone, or getting out of daunting, longer downs and distances.