With the NFL Draft just over two weeks away, there are a variety of mock drafts showing Ohio State players going to a variety of teams.
The only two Buckeyes that seem to be pretty safely in position are defensive end Chase Young and cornerback Jeff Okudah, both of which are projected top-five picks in every mock draft listed here.
But there are more Ohio State players that will see their names called between April 23-25. Here are five mock drafts, which range from one round to seven rounds, and where Ohio State players are expected to go in each of them.
Jason McIntyre, Fox Sports, First Round Only
Chase Young – Pick No. 2 (WAS)
Jeff Okudah – Pick No. 3 (DET)
Young and Okudah appear to be the only two Ohio State players that are likely to be taken in the first round, and both seem very likely to be within the top three.
Young is considered the best player in the draft overall, but is expected to fall to Washington as Cincinnati drafts a potential franchise-building quarterback in former Ohio State quarterback, LSU’s Joe Burrow.
Okudah seems like a strong fit in Detroit after the Lions traded away Darius Slay, even after signing cornerback Desmond Trufant as a replacement.
Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports, Two Rounds
Chase Young – First Round, Pick No. 2 (WAS)
Jeff Okudah – First Round, Pick No. 5 (DET via trade)
J.K. Dobbins – Second Round, Pick No. 61 (TEN)
DaVon Hamilton – Second Round, Pick No. 62 (GB)
Damon Arnette – Second Round, Pick No. 63 (KC)
Again Young and Okudah are predicted to go to the Redskins and Lions, but this time the Ohio State corner falls to fifth before Detroit snags him. Trapasso explains that Miami is looking to lock up Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and does so by trading up to No. 3.
After the New York Giants go with another Alabama player in offensive lineman Jedrick Wills, Detroit still ends up with the All-American corner. Further down, Ohio State’s all-time single-season rushing leader goes late in the second round to the Titans with head coach Mike Vrabel to back up Derrick Henry.
Dobbins’ selection also begins a spree of three straight Ohio State players going at the end of the second round, with defensive tackle Hamilton going north to Green Bay, and Arnette joining the secondary of the Super Bowl-winning Chiefs.
John Clayton, Washington Post, Three Rounds
Chase Young – First Round, Pick No. 2 (WAS)
Jeff Okudah – First Round, Pick No. 3 (DET)
Damon Arnette – Second Round, Pick No. 38 (CAR)
J.K. Dobbins – Second Round, Pick No. 54 (BUF)
Jonah Jackson – Third Round, Pick No. 95 (DEN)
Malik Harrison – Third Round, Pick No. 101 (SEA)
Nothing surprising from the first round, but Clayton has Arnette off the board higher than any other mock draft, having him as the sixth player gone in the second round to join new head coach Matt Rhule in Carolina.
Further down in the round, Dobbins again goes to an AFC playoff team, this time the Buffalo Bills, who did not have a running back break 800 yards in 2019. Jackson and Harrison are also each selected here toward the end of the round, with the former joining defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones, who was drafted by the Broncos a year prior.
Luke Easterling, USA Today, Seven Rounds
Chase Young – First Round, Pick No. 2 (WAS)
Jeff Okudah – First Round, Pick No. 3 (DET)
Malik Harrison – Second Round, Pick No. 50 (CHI)
Damon Arnette – Second Round, Pick No. 51 (DAL)
J.K. Dobbins – Second Round, Pick No. 55 (ATL)
Jonah Jackson – Third Round, Pick No. 79 (NYJ)
K.J. Hill – Fourth Round, Pick No. 125 (NE)
DaVon Hamilton – Fourth Round, Pick No. 143 (BAL)
Jordan Fuller – Seventh Round, Pick No. 215 (CIN)
Binjimen Victor – Seventh Round, Pick No. 225 (NYJ)
Austin Mack – Seventh Round, Pick No. 244 (CLE)
Again Young and Okudah go second and third without much controversy, and again it is the rounds after the first that begin to get interesting.
This time, it’s Harrison taken off the board third on his way to Chicago, with Arnette taken right after and Dobbins going four picks later to join Kendall Sheffield in Atalanta. The Falcons would be an interesting landing spot for Dobbins after they released starting back Devonta Freeman this offseason.
The veteran receiving core of Hill, Victor and Mack all find homes here within the draft, going to New England, New York and Cleveland, respectively.
Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports, Seven Rounds
Chase Young – First Round, Pick No. 2 (WAS)
Jeff Okudah – First Round, Pick No. 3 (DET)
J.K. Dobbins – Second Round, Pick No. 63 (KC)
Malik Harrison – Third Round, Pick No. 65 (CIN)
DaVon Hamilton – Third Round, Pick No. 72 (ARI)
Damon Arnette – Third Round, Pick No. 78 (ATL)
Jonah Jackson – Fourth Round, Pick No. 119 (ATL)
K.J. Hill – Fourth Round, Pick No. 141 (MIA)
Robert Landers – Sixth Round, Pick No. 187 (CLE)
Same old, same old for the first round, and the second and third rounds show more potential for a flurry of Ohio State players to be taken within a span of a few picks.
This time, four Buckeyes go between picks 63-78, starting with Dobbins bolstering the Kansas City backfield and ending with Arnette helping out Sheffield in Atlanta’s secondary.
Jackson is also set to go to the Falcons here, and only Hill out of the three eligible Buckeye wideouts finds a draft spot, making his way to Miami to help the rebuild. Landers, the third Ohio State defensive tackle here, also stays within his home state and gets drafted by Cleveland.
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