This year’s draft class is considered one of the weaker ones in recent years so it’ll be difficult for a team like the Las Vegas Raiders to trade down if they want to. However, trading up could be easier than in years past.
The Raiders need to add wide receiver talent but there likely isn’t a good enough one to justify using the No. 6 pick. That said, there are certainly ones worth looking at late in the first round or early in the second.
The Philadelphia Eagles hold the last pick in the first round and could be an interesting trade partner. Bruck Feldman of The Atheltic pitched a trade in his latest mock draft that would send the No. 32 pick to the Raiders in exchange for the No. 37 pick and the No. 108 pick in the fourth round. Las Vegas would then draft Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.
“The 6-1, 202-pound Egbuka had a breakthrough season in 2022, when he caught 74 passes for 1,151 yards and 10 TDs,” Feldman wrote in an April 2 mock draft. “After dealing with injuries in 2023, he put up similar numbers in 2024 in helping the Buckeyes win the national title. Ohio State coach Ryan Day told people during Egbuka’s freshman season that he was so football savvy that Day thought the young wideout was the player on the roster whom he could most see as a coach down the road. The former baseball player is excellent at tracking the ball and is extremely competitive.
“He ran a little faster than people thought, going 4.45 in the 40 at OSU’s pro day, where he jumped 38 inches. New Raiders OC Chip Kelly spent the 2024 season running the Buckeyes offense and knows just how good this guy is. Egbuka had more catches (14) in third-and-medium situations than anyone in the country last season. Expect him to have multiple seasons in the NFL with 100-plus receptions. Buckeyes wideouts don’t bust, and I’d be shocked if this guy did.”
Egbuka Holds Multiple Ohio State Records
Egbuka isn’t the most hyped Ohio State wide receiver to come into the draft in recent years but he is the most prolific. He holds the record for most receptions (205) and receiving yards (2,868) in program history.
Considering how many great wide receivers have come out of Ohio State, that’s no small feat. As Feldman noted, Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly knows him well after coaching him last season. This would be a very logical move for the team to make.
Coaches Praise Egbuka
Egbuka isn’t the same level of prospect as Marvin Harrison Jr. or Garrett Wilson but he’s got the chance to be an impact player immediately.
“He’s as polished as they come,” a Big Ten defensive backs coach told Feldman. “Terrific route runner who sets guys up really well. I think he’s better in the slot than outside, but he can do both. He has a great feel for space. He’s also bigger and stronger than you think.”
The fact that Ohio State always has so many high-end wide receiver prospects may have led to Egbuka being a bit underrated.
“He’s good at everything,” a Big Ten secondary coach told Feldman. “Our players were really high on him. He’s big enough to play big. I could see why the Ohio State coaches would say that Egbuka’s so football smart. Jeremiah (Smith) was so special, the other guys got overshadowed, but he’s good. Look how long he has done it there — that matters.”
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