COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Ohio State football’s Emeka Egbuka in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The standout defensive end was taken with the 19th overall selection. Egbuka spent four seasons with the Buckeyes, highlighted by his role in leading Ohio State to a national title during the 2024 campaign. He caught a team-record 205 passes for 2,868 yards and 24 touchdowns along with 145 yards and two scores on 24 carries in his collegiate career. Egbuka is a native of Steilacoom, Washington. As a prospect out of Steilacoom High School in the 2021 recruiting class, he was a five-star player. What Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka brings to the NFL Egbuka was the epitome of consistency during his career as a slot receiver. His job description was simple: get open, catch the ball then do something with after you get it. That was his career on his way to setting the school’s all-time catches record. He was reliable while playing for a different quarterback all three years he was a starter. Then he was a playmaker with the ball, as 1,361 of his yards came after the catch. Emeka Egbuka’s best moment with Ohio State Being ‘Ole reliable’ doesn’t always lend itself to standout performances mainly because your floor is already so high. PLus, it doesn’t help that he was constantly viewed as the sidekick because OSU’s had a generational run of X-receivers. He spent two years playing with Marvin Harrison Jr., then played with Jeremiah Smith. But that can also mean serving as a reminder for why teams can’t sell out on those two. That’s what a 17-10 win over Notre Dame in 2023 was when he caught seven passes for 96 yards.