Steilacoom’s Emeka Egbuka taken in 1st round of NFL Draft

There was some local flavor in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night in the form of former Steilacoom High School star Emeka Egbuka.

The wide receiver out of Ohio State went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 19 overall, right after the Seattle Seahawks took offensive lineman Grey Zabel at No. 18.

Seahawks draft North Dakota State OL Grey Zabel at No. 18

Egbuka, who was born in Tacoma, helped Ohio State win the 2024 national championship, making 81 receptions for 1,011 yards and 10 TDs. It was his second 1,000-yard season, and Egbuka leaves Ohio State as the program’s No. 2 all-time receiver with 2,868 yards.

The 6-foot-1, 202-pound Egbuka was projected as a first-round pick by NFL.com, and ESPN ranked him as its No. 40 overall prospect.

Egbuka had a pair of teammates with the Buckeyes who are also local products and prospects in this NFL Draft class: defensive end JT Tuimoloau, and tight end Gee Scott Jr., the son of KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM host and regular Seattle Sports guest Gee Scott Sr.

Both Tuimoloau and Gee Scott Jr. are Eastside Catholic alums.

A look at the local prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft

The 22-year-old Egbuka was either the second or third wide receiver taken in the 2025 NFL Draft, depending on what you consider two-way star Travis Hunter, a cornerback/receiver from Colorado who went No. 2 to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan was the lone exclusive receiver to be drafted before Egbuka, going eighth overall to the Carolina Panthers.

Egbuka leapt ahead of Texas receiver Matthew Golden, who was commonly ranked behind McMillan but ahead of Egbuka in pre-draft WR rankings. Golden was taken 23rd overall by the Green Bay Packers.

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