Ohio State football: Best place for Shaun Wade to be drafted
By Ryan Stano
Despite not playing up to immensely high expectations in 2020 with the Ohio State football team, Shaun Wade was still a consensus All-American. Where is the best place for him to be drafted?
The Ohio State football program has done a fantastic time developing defensive backs over the last decade or so. Shaun Wade is someone who has all of the credentials of those past DB’s as well. Now he is getting ready to fulfill his dream of playing in the NFL.
Even though he was a consensus All-American, his draft stock definitely slipped after an up-and-down 2020 season. Instead of being a sure-fire first-round pick, he probably has slipped into the late second-round or early third-round range.
That slippage might actually help him get drafted to the proper team for him to succeed immediately and for years to come in the NFL. He also won’t have the pressures and expectations that come with being a first-round pick. Wade won’t even be expected to start right away.
The team that would love to have someone like Wade would be the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams currently have a stud corner in Jalen Ramsey that shuts down one side of the field. They also are in cap hell right now and have -$25 million in cap space for 2021.
That cap crunch means that they aren’t going to be able to sign anyone in free agency to help LA in the secondary. After Ramsey, they don’t have any solid corner. Wade would be a great value in the late second round or early in the third round because they might get a potential starter out of the gate.
But Wade wouldn’t have to start right away there either. David Long could start opposite of Ramsey right away if needed. He already has NFL experience and him starting would allow Wade to slide into the nickel-back spot, which is the spot that he excels in.
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Wade has the skills to start immediately if needed. But it would probably be beneficial for him to start in that nickel spot and then progress to an outside corner spot. LA would be able to give him that opportunity and contend right away as well.