Ohio State wide receivers in NFL: Top 5 Buckeyes making a name for themselves in the league

With the 2025 NFL draft approaching, the Ohio State Buckeyes are a team that NFL teams always look at for top prospects. As one of the strongest programs in the nation and the reigning national champions, the Buckeyes have produced several excellent NFL players over the years.

Wide receiver is a position at Ohio State that has produced several great players over the years. The 2025 NFL draft is likely to be similar, as wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is projected to be a first-round pick. Here are five of the top former Ohio State wide receivers making a name for themselves in the NFL.

Top five Ohio State wide receivers in the NFL

#1 Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the best former Ohio State wide receiver in the NFL this past season. Drafted in the 2023 NFL draft with the 20th pick by Seattle, he had a strong rookie season, registering 628 receiving yards. This past year, he had a big breakout season, registering 100 receptions for 1130 yards and six TDs.

#2 Garrett Wilson

New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson has been a pillar of consistency since arriving in the NFL in 2022 after his college career at Ohio State. He was the 10th pick in the 2022 NFL draft by the Jets.

In his first three seasons in the NFL, he had between 1042 and 1104 receiving yards. This past year, he registered 101 receptions for 1104 yards and seven TDs. He is expected to continue to grow in the coming years.

#3 Terry McLaurin

Terry McLaurin was a member of the Buckeyes for three seasons before entering the NFL draft in 2019. It took a while for him to be drafted, as he was not selected until the third round by the Washington Commanders. However, he burst onto the scene as a rookie with 919 receiving yards. Since then, he's had six straight 1000+ yard seasons.

#4 Marvin Harrison Jr.

Marvin Harrison Jr. is only one season into his NFL career after being selected fourth in the 2024 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals. Yet, he is already one of the best former Buckeye wide receivers in the league. As a rookie, he tallied 885 yards and eight TDs on 62 receptions. By the end of his sophomore season, he could climb even higher on that list.

#5 Chris Olave

Chris Olave is a three-year NFL veteran, all with the New Orleans Saints after being selected 11th in the 2022 NFL draft. However, it is unclear how he will perform in year four. He took a step back in 2024 because of an injury that limited him to eight games and 400 receiving yards.

About the author

Alexander O'Reilly is a journalist at Sportskeeda from Kingston, Ontario with over seven years in the field at companies including SenShot, RVBlogger, Monarch Media, WordAgents, GSeC LLC, and IGC.

His favorite college team is Duke, and his favorite sporting memory was Duke winning March Madness in 2010. JJ Redick was Alex's favorite college player when he was young but more recently, Caleb Williams gets the nod. As the Chicago Bears are Alex's favorite NFL team, this was a perfect match.

Alex's proudest moment came when he was interviewed by a radio station in Ottawa on his opinion on recent moves by the Ottawa Senators, which gave him a confidence boost and the knowledge that he could succeed as a writer.

Aside from sports, Alex likes to spend his time playing games. He is also very passionate about running and strives to improve at the half and full marathon distances.

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Edited by Alvin Amansec