Was it a Reach?: Emeka Egbuka

Was it a Reach

Many years ago, I created Why the Slide and Why Undrafted in response to questions about why certain well-known prospects were selected lower or not drafted at all in the NFL Draft. This year, I thought to expand to see if a player was a reach. The answer to whether a player was a reach is as simple as the player was valued at that spot by the team that drafted him. However, other teams may not agree with that grade, so I thought I would check if certain players were actual reaches in the NFL Draft.

For these articles, I reach out to sources with NFL teams to find out where their teams valued this player. The positive response to “Why Undrafted” and questions from readers about why prospects were drafted lower than the media’s expectations led us to create the parallel series “Why the Slide?” and now, “Was it a Reach?”

Both series are back this year. Feel free to email me requests for Why the Slide? and Why Undrafted? at [email protected]. I can’t promise to get to all of them, but I will do my best and definitely will respond to the email.

During the lead-up to the 2025 NFL Draft, there were some projections of Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka being a late first-round pick, and there were some that had him going in the second round. Egbuka was a consistent and effective receiver of his time with the Buckeyes, but he did not reach superstar status like teammates Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jeremiah Smith. Thus, many were surprised when Egbuka was selected in the top-20 picks.

In speaking to multiple sources at other teams, the majority said taking Egbuka in the top-20 was a reach in their opinion. One NFC general manager of a team picking late in the first round said their team did not see Egbuka as a top-20 talent. Even one of Tampa Bay’s own evaluators thought Egbuka was a reach that high. However, an assistant general manager of an AFC team said that in a weak 2025 draft class, he didn’t think Egbuka was a reach. Thus, it was mixed reviews with a slight lean towards reach status.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took Egbuka with the 19th pick, and that was a surprise landing spot. The Bucs have a long-term need at the position, given the age of future Hall of Famer Mike Evans and team leader Chris Godwin. They also have a promising second-year wideout in Jalen McMillan, so initially, Egbuka will probably be the fourth receiver. In speaking with sources at other teams who were with Egbuka at Ohio State, they think he will end up being a rock-solid pro and Hines Ward-type receiver in the NFL. Given the depth chart in Tampa Bay, it may take some time for Egbuka to break through, but eventually, he looks likely to turn into a quality starter for Tampa Bay.