Ohio State Football: NFL mock draft, where Buckeyes land
The 2020 NFL Draft will begin next Thursday, April 23, and will be an opportunity for the Ohio State football program to once again shine.
Although the draft will be very different this year, one thing that won’t change is plenty of Ohio State football players will hear their names called over the three days. The Buckeyes were represented by 11 players at the NFL Combine in late February, and that same number is likely to find new homes in the NFL.
Before diving into the Buckeyes taken in the second-seventh rounds, let’s first take a look at my first-round mock draft, which includes a couple of Buckeyes taken in the first five picks.
1. Cincinnati Bengals: QB Joe Burrow, LSU
The consensus No. 1 overall pick is the clear and obvious choice in the first spot, and forever-Buckeye Burrow will have a chance to turn around a franchise that resides just under three hours away from his hometown of Athens, Ohio.
2. Washington Redskins: DE Chase Young, Ohio State
In his time at Ohio State, Chase Young terrorized defenses and played so well in 2019 that he was the first defensive player at the Heisman Trophy presentation in New York since Manti Teo in 2012. Edge rusher may not be the priority for Washington, but Young is a once-in-a-generation talent and would be impossible to pass up.
3. * Miami Dolphins (from DET, also No. 109): QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
With the first trade in my mock draft, the Dolphins move up to take the lefty from Hawaii, not taking any chances that another team will trade up to grab him before their selection at No. 5. Injury concerns are still there, but like Burrow and Young, the ceiling is too high to pass on Tua.
4. New York Giants: LB Isaiah Simmons, Clemson
As seems to be the common theme for defensive players taken early in the draft, the Giants grab a Swiss Army knife in Simmons. From watching his ability to be create havoc wherever he is placed in a defense, the Giants jump on Simmons’ ability to be a difference maker on the defensive side of the ball (237 total tackles and 11 sacks in three full seasons for the Tigers).
5. * Detroit Lions (from MIA, also Nos. 18, 70): CB Jeffrey Okudah, Ohio State
For the first time since Joey Bosa and Ezekiel Elliott where taken Nos. 3 and 4 in 2016, the Buckeyes have two players drafted in the top five as the Lions fill a big need with the addition of Okudah, who was the best shutdown corner in college football in 2019 (and maybe 2018, too).
6. Los Angeles Chargers: QB Justin Herbert, Oregon
With the Chargers moving on from Phillip Rivers, the only question is whether they take Tagovailoa, Herbert, or Jordan Love from Utah State. With Tua off the board and Love a bit more of a risk, the Chargers pick up Herbert to go along with receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
7. Carolina Panthers: DT Derrick Brown, Auburn
Panthers fill a hole on the defensive line with the addition of Brown, who totaled 11.5 TFLs and 4 sacks in 2019 for the Tigers.
8. Arizona Cardinals: OT Tristan Wirfs, Iowa
Kyler Murray now has a generational talent at wide receiver (Deandre Hopkins), so the next step is giving protection to a quarterback who was sacked 48 times in 2019. Wirfs is here in Mel Kiper and Todd McShay’s latest mock drafts, and Wirfs seems to be the best tackle in this year’s draft.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars: WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
Like the Giants’ and Redskins’ selections earlier in the draft, the Jaguars may not be going after their biggest need, but Jeudy is the top receiver in a deep receiver class. Whether or not the Jaguars go with Minshew or a quarterback from this class (see pick No. 20), they will need weapons to throw to. Jeudy is just too talented to pass up.
10. Cleveland Browns: OT Andrew Thomas, Georgia
Baker Mayfield was sacked 40 times in 2019, so the offensive line is a big need in the draft. Mekhi Becton from Louisville seems to be a favorite here, but Thomas played well at Georgia, giving Jake Fromm time and protection and opening up running lanes for D’Andre Swift.