The Green Bay Packers have decided to use yet another pre-draft visit on a potential first round receiver. Adam Schefter reported that Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is now set to spend some time in Green Bay before the draft.
The Packers hosted Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden a few weeks ago. Now with Egbuka adding to the list of pre-draft visits, will this be the year Green Bay selects a wide receiver round one?
The last time the Packers selected a wide receiver in round one was in 2002 when they selected Javon Walker. While these pre-draft visits are no guarantee of selection, it has been made clear that Brian Gutekunst values these visits. He has selected several players over the last few draft that were held for pre-draft visits.
Emeka Egbuka played with quite the receiver rooms at Ohio State. Egbuka has played next to Chris Olave, Garret Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Marvin Harrison. All of these former Buckeyes have already solidified themselves as standouts in the league. It’s hard to imagine that Egbuka won’t have the same impact.
“It’s hard not to learn from those guys just being in the room all the time with them,” Egbuka said. Despite playing next to such elite receivers in college, Egbuka set a record at Ohio State for most receptions in program history with 205.
Egbuka measures in at 6-foot-1, 202 pounds. He posted a 4.49 for his 40-yard dash at the Ohio State pro day. While Egbuka is not a speed threat or an overly physical player, he is an extremely reliable wide receiver who could benefit the Packers greatly.
In his four seasons at Ohio State his sophomore and senior year were most impactful. Egbuka grabbed 74 receptions for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022. He was named second-team All-Big Ten.
In his senior season he led the team with 81 receptions. Those 81 receptions produced 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was also selected for third-team All-Big Ten. The former Buckeye is fully capable of making an immediate impact in the NFL.
Egbuka earned a 9.27 Relative Athletic Score, another component of the draft process that Brian Gutekunst seems to value greatly. Not only is Egbuka a star football player, but he is also a solid baseball player as well, making his athleticism even more impressive. Egbuka would also make for a positive influence on the Packer’s wide receiver room, which struggled mightily last year with drops and staying consistent.
Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline on Emeka Egubka following the national championship victory, “After the outcome, the ability for us to win that big one, to see him crying, I just kept thinking of the things he said to our unit with the belief of the guys around him. That was pretty special, man. That was pretty special.”
It seems the Ohio State product is both impactful on and off the field. With the success stories from previous Buckeye wide receivers, it’s hard not to buy in on the Emeka Egbuka hype.
So, will this be the year the Packers finally break the streak and grab a wide receiver in round 1? If Egbuka is the best player available at 23, you don’t pass on him.
