Ohio State Football: Impressive NFL debuts for former Buckeyes
Ohio State continues to produce NFL-ready talent, and debuts from three former Buckeyes showed off the continued excellence of Ohio State players.
Drafted No. 2 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, Chase Young was expected to settle in quickly to the NFL, but his influence on Washington’s 27-17 win over Philadelphia was impressive.
Young’s stat-line stands out on its own – 4 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble – but the impact he had along with the rest of Washington’s defensive line caused problems for Philadelphia quarterback Carson Wentz.
Young’s official forced fumble, which he made in the red-zone on his first career sack in the first quarter, was supplemented by a half-sack that also caused a fumble late in the fourth quarter. Although Young was not credited with a forced fumble, he was part of a big play that helped put the game away for Washington.
Staying on defense, sixth-round draft pick (No. 199 overall) Jordan Fuller rode an impressive training camp to a start for a defense that has been among the best in the NFL in recent seasons.
Fuller stepped right into the spotlight of brand-new Sofi Stadium and led the Los Angeles Rams in tackles on the way to a season-boosting 20-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
With 8 combined tackles, Fuller was a brick wall for the Rams. His biggest tackle came in the fourth quarter when he kept Cowboys rookie receiver CeeDee Lamb from getting the first down yardage on a 4th-and-3 play from the Rams 11-yard-line.
Underrated during his time at Ohio State and continuing the trend before his NFL debut, Fuller could be an important piece in the Los Angeles secondary and will likely provide leadership like he did at Ohio State.
The final former Buckeye to make a major difference in his debut was J.K. Dobbins, No. 55 overall draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens. Dobbins didn’t get many carries (7) but made the most of them by rushing for two touchdowns in the Ravens’ 38-6 win over the Cleveland Browns.
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Dobbins is yet another weapon for the Ravens in a backfield that includes Mark Ingram II and Gus Edwards, who combined for over 1,900 rushing yards in 2019.