Steelers Now
Ohio State star wide receiver Emeka Egbuka was tabbed to the Pittsburgh Steelers in another mock draft. Max Chadwick of Pro Football Focus thinks Pittsburgh at 21st overall would be the perfect landing spot for the former Buckeye.
“Outside of George Pickens, the Steelers don’t have much at wide receiver. The reliable Egbuka would fill in perfectly as their No. 2 option,” Chadwick wrote. “He was open on 87.6% of his career targets in college, which places him in the 98th percentile of FBS wideouts.”
PFF Max Chadwick has WR Emeka Egbuka landing in Pittsburgh. #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/sXeDZhfghd
— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) January 29, 2025
Mel Kiper of ESPN and Dan Brugler of The Athletic also have the Steelers picking Egbuka at 21st overall.
Egbuka recorded a career-high 81 grabs for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior on Ohio State’s national championship-winning team. He’s drawn comparisons to Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, a two-time first-team Associated Press All-Pro, and displays some of the same talent.
Egbuka is the Buckeyes’ all-time leading receiver in the categories of receptions (205) and receiving yards (2,868). He accomplished those figures despite sharing the field with first-round picks Marvin Harrison Jr. (4th overall in 2024), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (20th in 2023), Chris Olave (11th in 2022), and Garrett Wilson (10th in 2022). This season, Egbuka played alongside freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith, who figures to be highly sought after when he’s eligible to be drafted.
The Steelers haven’t selected a wide receiver in the first round since 2006, and it was an Ohio State product in Santonio Holmes.
Wide receiver certainly is a pressing need for the Steelers, and Egbuka would fit the bill. George Pickens’ status with the team heading into a contract year is uncertain, but a Pickens-Egbuka pairing could be lethal.
To say the least, the Steelers lacked a 1-2 punch at the wide receiver position in 2024. Van Jefferson as the No. 2 wide receiver left a lot to be desired. Whatever happens with Pickens, the Steelers need a top-tier wide receiver in this year’s draft.
“The Steelers have had mixed results betting on talented-yet-undisciplined receivers in the early rounds. It’s time to invest in a pass catcher such as Egbuka, who might not have a sky-high ceiling but already plays with a pro-level skill set and would be a dependable target for the next decade,” Brugler wrote.
The Steelers have selected three Ohio State players in the first round over the last 20 years — Santonio Holmes, Cam Heyward and Ryan Shazier. Could Egbuka be next?
