Ohio State football: How each Buckeye fits with new team

No one had more players taken in the 2021 NFL Draft than the Ohio State football program. Here is how each player fits in with the team that took them.

For the second consecutive year, the Ohio State football program had ten players selected in the NFL Draft. As of this writing, five more have signed a free agent contract. That’s a total of fifteen Buckeyes who have their chance to make an NFL roster. Whether it is competing for playing time or just making a team, let’s take a look at which of these Buckeyes stepped into a good situation.

On Friday, I detailed how the Bears are a good fit for Justin Fields (read that here), so I won’t say much other than Chicago added a much-needed offensive tackle who should be able to step in and play right away. They also drafted a wide receiver to help with depth. The outlook for Fields and the Bears improved over the second and third days of the Draft.

In looking at the linebacker situation for the New Orleans Saints, I’ll be surprised if Pete Werner isn’t a starter almost from day one at outside linebacker. The Saints really need help at this position and Werner will have every opportunity to make an impact.

Things are a little more complicated for Baron Browning and Jonathan Cooper with Denver. They join a loaded linebacker group who is one of the better ones in the NFL when healthy. Browning won’t have any trouble making the roster, but he’ll probably have to make his mark as a backup. Cooper is going to have to show what he can do on special teams to make the final cut.

Wyatt Davis is another who appears to be in a very good position to be an opening day starter for Minnesota. It looks like he’ll battle Ezra Cleveland at right guard. Cleveland did not overwhelm last year, so Davis is not facing stiff competition.

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Many draft experts feel the Packers reached when taking Josh Myers, but he’s going to have a chance to play immediately. The departure of former Buckeye Corey Linsley has left the center position for Green Bay wide open.

San Francisco used a myriad of running backs last season, but two of them are now gone, and their leading rusher gained only 600 yards. Trey Sermon may not become a starter, but it is obvious he will be able to earn significant playing time.

The Jaguars already have two tight ends and signed another this off-season who specializes as a blocker. So, Luke Farrell’s path to playing time may be a difficult one. But, Jacksonville was not expected to draft a tight end unless they saw one they really liked. Obviously, they like Farrell.

Shaun Wade finds himself in a crowded veteran secondary in Baltimore. The feeling is if he finds the same form he showed in 2019, he’ll eventually become a starter. Tommy Togiai will in all likelihood be a backup this season, but is considered a good value pick by Cleveland and could also become a starter someday.

Although he was not drafted, Blake Haubiel may be the Buckeye who finds himself in the best situation. He’ll compete for Tennessee’s placekicking job with Tyler McCann, who spent last season on the Titans’ practice squad and has never kicked in an NFL game.

It’s just the opposite for Drue Chrisman. To make the Bengals roster, he’s going to have to wrestle the punting job away from veteran Kevin Huber, who averaged over 47 yards per kick last season. If he doesn’t stick with Cincinnati, Chrisman will eventually catch on somewhere.

San Francisco seems to be fairly set at linebacker, so Justin Hilliard will probably have to make their roster as a special teams player. Considering what Hilliard has overcome just to reach this point, I wouldn’t count him out eventually working his way into situational playing time at some point.

Another Buckeye free agent who I think has a chance to make a roster is Jake Hausmann. Detroit is very thin at tight end and did not draft one. After the two veterans who will hold down the first two spots on the depth chart, there are a few free agents they’ve signed during this off-season. Hausmann is going to have a real chance to compete for the Lions’ third tight end spot.

Tuf Borland is going to have to show what he can do on special teams to make it with the Vikings. They are well-stocked at linebacker and don’t appear to need much help. Unfortunately, I think Borland is a long shot to stay with them and I’m not convinced he won’t be cut before the start of training camp in July.

There are so many former Ohio State football players in the NFL it has become a bit of a chore to keep track of them all. That’s ok, because the more the merrier. You can never have enough Ohio State products playing on Sunday.