The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Roman Wilson and traded for Mike Williams last year at the NFL trade deadline to bolster their wide receiver group. Neither move, though, made much of an impact, which has left pundits speculating whether the Steelers could target a top receiver prospect such as Emeka Egbuka in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker argued on Feb. 27 that in a perfect world, that’s exactly what the Steelers will do. Locker named Egbuka Pittsburgh’s first-round pick in his “ideal draft haul” for Pittsburgh.
“Whether through free agency or the draft, the Steelers are almost certain to bolster their receiver corps next to George Pickens this offseason,” Locker wrote. “Few candidates would be more ideal than Egbuka (82.4 PFF receiving grade), who brings elite route running and hands to the slot.”
Bleacher Report’s Dam Parson compared Egbuka to two-time first-team All-Pro Amon-Ra St. Brown.
“Emeka Egbuka is a savvy route runner who wins in the short and intermediate range of the field,” wrote Parson.
Why the Steelers Could Target Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka
Through February, Egbuka has been one of the more popular choices to the Steelers in NFL mock drafts. According to the NFL Mock Draft Database, the consensus has Egbuka landing with the Steelers at No. 21 overall in the first round.
ESPN’s draft big board has Egbuka ranked as the No. 50 overall prospect. But NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah thinks more highly of the Ohio State product. Jeremiah rated Egbuka at No. 23 overall on his big board.
Egbuka has a good chance to be a first-round pick because of the demand at receiver, and his status as a top five prospect at the position. With the exception of Colorado’s Travis Hunter, who could play receiver or cornerback in the NFL, there isn’t a receiver expected to go in the top 10 this year.
The Detroit Lions selected St. Brown in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He primarily plays in the slot and is a possession receiver that gets 140-plus targets in Detroit’s stellar offense. St. Brown moves the chains but has also gained a knack for scoring touchdowns.
Over his last two All-Pro seasons, St. Brown has averaged 11.9 yards per catch and scored 22 touchdowns in 33 games.
Egbuka posted 81 catches for 1,011 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns at Ohio State last season. He finished his Buckeyes career with 205 catches, 2,868 receiving yards and 24 receiving touchdowns.
How Egbuka Could Fit With Steelers Offense
It would be a little odd to see the Steelers target a slot receiver after selecting Wilson last year. Wilson suffered a lower-body injury during training camp and only dressed for one game during the regular season.
After he missed valuable preseason action, the Steelers essentially elected to redshirt Wilson. But that doesn’t mean the third-round pick won’t still be able to make a significant impact in the NFL.
So, in an ideal world, the Steelers might add a receiver to complement Wilson’s skills.
Pittsburgh, though, needs any kind of additional receiver production. Only George Pickens had more than 550 receiving yards last season.
The Steelers’ top two 2024 receivers, Pickens and Calvin Austin III, each averaged more than 15 yards per catch. While that’s terrific, Pittsburgh needs to add more intermediate passing options to its offense.
Egbuka, who comes into the NFL as a more highly-regarded prospect than Wilson a year ago, could be that.
“Fluid athlete with good size and quality ball skills who works primarily from the slot,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote. “Egbuka runs his routes with tempo and pace. He does a nice job of influencing coverage when needed.
“Egbuka projects as an early starter at slot for teams running heavy amounts of three-wideout sets.”
To complete his ideal Steelers draft haul, Locker predicted Pittsburgh to select running back Omarion Hampton in the second and then defensive lineman Jordan Phillips during the third round.
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