Chip Kelly Connection Still An Option Beyond No. 6

The Las Vegas Raiders need weapons for Geno Smith and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, a former Ohio State Buckeye, could be the connection for several.

Kelly just won a national championship utilizing some of the top weapons in the 2025 NFL Draft -- running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka stand out the most.

Egbuka is widely regarded to be a late first-round pick, but there is a chance he could fall to the second round. The Raiders need help at cornerback, but if Egbuka is there and Kelly, a coach that knows what he offers the best, the silver and black could spend the pick on the Buckeyes standout.

Pro Football Focus' Nathan Jahnke measured Egbuka's college performance to determine potential rookie season outlook, and Egbuka jumps out as a complete package.

"Egbuka checks many boxes, including high separation scores and catch rates," he wrote. "While his speed isn’t elite, it’s what you would expect from a mid-to-late first-round pick for his size. On the downside, our draft guide notes his 'route  breaks could be sharper' and 'his breaks aren’t as sharp or twitchy as some.' In general, you would hope players in college see their numbers improve each season, which wasn’t the case for Egbuka. Part of that is he played so well in his second year that there wasn’t as much room to improve as most receivers, but he also never exceeded an 85.0 receiving grade in a season like most other potential first-round wide receivers."

Egbuka is said to be a No. 2 weapon potential-wise. While two No. 2s don't make a No. 1 wide receiver, pairing Egbuka with Jakobi Meyers would be an interesting combination alongside All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers.

The Buckeyes star has a high ceiling, too, and could very well be a competent No. 1 target.

"Egbuka is likely to continue seeing significant time in the slot in the NFL, but there is a possibility he also plays out wide," wrote Jahnke. "His yards-per-route run were higher when lined up out wide than in the slot. Last season, he ran 67 routes out wide and caught 16 of 21 passes for 196 yards. While his target rates remained high when lined up out wide, he still graded much better when lined up in the slot during each of the past three seasons.

"Ideally, Egbuka plays as a Z receiver in base and in the slot in three-receiver sets. Egbuka can be a top-15 wide receiver if he lives up to the hype and plays in a good offense in that role. However, his upside could be limited if he only plays in the slot and doesn’t play much in two-receiver sets."