Perhaps the best way to view Ohio State’s players in this year’s NFL draft is to consider it a marathon instead of a sprint.
If you’re looking for Buckeyes to be taken early in the first round April 24, you’re likely to be disappointed. In the consensus of mock drafts, no OSU player is considered likely to be taken in the first half of the round.
But patience will be rewarded. The run of Ohio State players will likely begin late in the first round, and the second and third rounds on April 25 should feature a flood of Buckeyes. By the time the seventh round concludes April 26, 15 Ohio State players are expected to be taken.
That would be a record for Ohio State and the second-most ever for an NFL draft behind Georgia’s 16 players selected in 2022. The Buckeyes had 14 players taken in 2004 and 12 in 2016.
Who’s likely to be the first Ohio State player taken?
The order in which the Buckeyes will be taken is far from certain. The OSU player deemed likely to be selected first wasn’t even with the team when it made its march to the national title. Left tackle Josh Simmons’s season ended when he tore the patellar tendon in his left knee against Oregon on Oct. 12. He left OSU after the injury to begin his rehab.
Simmons played so well early in 2024 and his potential at a premium position has apparently outweighed concerns about his knee. If he hadn’t been injured, Simmons would have been considered a candidate to be a top-10 pick. Now he’s projected to be a mid- to late-first-rounder, though he’s not a lock to go in that round.
Who else are first-round possibilities?
Several Buckeyes could go late in the first round, though none are sure things. Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is regarded as one of the safer picks in the draft. OSU’s all-time receptions leader doesn’t have one dazzling attribute but is a well-rounded player with no significant weaknesses.
Donovan Jackson’s move from left guard to left tackle following Simmons’ injury allowed him to show his versatility, and that has pushed him into the first round in some mock drafts.
Defensive tackle Tyleik Williams also has a chance to go in the first round thanks to his remarkably quick feet for a player who weighs 334 pounds. A few mock drafts also have running back TreVeyon Henderson as a first-rounder. Running backs have been devalued in recent years, but the success of Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley and Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs among others has caused that pendulum to begin shifting back.
No first-round picks would not be unprecedented
It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that no Buckeyes will be taken in the first round. If that happens, it will continue an odd trend. No Ohio State player was taken in the first round of the 2003 or 2015 drafts following OSU national championships.
Those title teams were dominated by underclassmen ineligible for the next year’s draft. In 2016, Ohio State had five players taken among the top 20 selections. It’s also worth pointing out that if sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Smith were eligible for this year’s draft, he would almost certainly be a top-five pick. Junior safety Caleb Downs also would likely go ahead of where any Buckeye is projected.
Another quirk to this year’s draft is that four Michigan players – defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, cornerback Will Johnson and tight end Colston Loveland – could all be taken before any Buckeyes. The Wolverines wobbled into Columbus with a 6-5 record before upsetting Ohio State in the regular-season finale. Johnson and Loveland were injured for that game.
Who’s likely go to next among Ohio State players?
Defensive ends Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau are considered second- or third-rounders, with Tuimoloau favored to go slightly ahead of Sawyer. Running back Quinshon Judkins also should hear his name called in those rounds.
Safety Lathan Ransom is considered a mid-round pick, as is defensive tackle Ty Hamilton.
The range for quarterback Will Howard seems wider than for most of his teammates. Howard raised his stock with a strong performance in the playoff. There’s a slim chance he could go as early as the second round, but most draft analysts expect him to be taken between the third and fifth rounds.
Cornerback Denzel Burke had a solid season except for a disastrous first Oregon game, which surely hurt his draft stock. He’s likely to go in the middle rounds.
Center Seth McLaughlin, defensive back Jordan Hancock and linebacker Cody Simon probably will be the final three OSU draft picks. McLaughlin won the Rimington Trophy despite tearing an Achilles tendon before the Indiana game. He said he is on track to be fully healed by the start of training camp.
Tight end Gee Scott Jr. and right tackle Josh Fryar are not expected to be drafted. Both will get a chance to make a roster as free agents.
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