Ohio State had three players taken in the second round of the NFL draft, but none in the third round.
Running backs Quinshon Judkins was taken by Cleveland and TreVeyon Henderson by New England. They went within two picks of each other before J.T. Tuimoloau was picked by Indianapolis.
That leaves plenty of Buckeyes expected to go in the final four rounds of the draft on April 26.
Here are the players who are most likely to be taken earliest:
Jack Sawyer, defensive end
Sawyer was an inspirational captain for the Buckeyes and was dominant during the College Football Playoff.
He had 4.5 sacks in four postseason games, most notably one in the semifinals against Texas when he stripped quarterback Quinn Ewers and returned it for a game-sealing touchdown.
The scoop-and-score established Sawyer as an Ohio State legend.
Will Howard, quarterback
Howard started 44 games between his time at Kansas State and Ohio State.
His experience made a significant impact for the Buckeyes during their national championship run and should translate to the NFL.
In his lone season as the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback, he threw for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, completing 73% of his passes. Only Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders had a higher completion percentage.
Ty Hamilton, defensive tackle
Hamilton was often overshadowed on the defensive line by ends Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau and even by fellow tackle Tyleik Williams, but the Pickerington native was the anchor of the defensive line. Hamilton often took on double teams as the OSU nose tackle, which allowed others to make the tackle. But having over 50 tackles at that position is impressive as well.
Lathan Ransom, safety
Ransom overcame two serious injuries in his Buckeye career to become an important member of OSU’s top-ranked defense. He teamed with sophomore Caleb Downs to form an elite safety duo.
Ransom started 37 games for the Buckeyes and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors last season. He had 76 tackles last year, including nine for losses.
Denzel Burke, cornerback
The player who coined the “Natty or bust” mantra last spring had a solid senior year, with the notable exception of the first Oregon game. Burke was a four-year starter and only the third Buckeye ever to start 50 or more games. He had four interceptions and 28 pass breakups.
Ohio State’s remaining draft-eligible players
- QB Will Howard
- TE Gee Scott Jr.
- OT Josh Fryar
- C Seth McLaughlin
- DE Jack Sawyer
- DT Ty Hamilton
- LB Cody Simon
- CB Denzel Burke
- CB Jordan Hancock
- S Lathan Ransom
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Ohio State football beat writer Bill Rabinowitz can be reached at brabinowitz@dispatch.com or on bluesky at billrabinowitz@bsky.social.
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