The most underrated Ohio State Football player in the NFL right now

The Ohio State football program has put numerous players into the NFL over the past couple of decades. Of course, you have the most-talked-about ones like Ezekiel Elliott, Michael Thomas, Nick Bosa, Joey Bosa, Chase Young, and Denzel Ward. All of those guys are truly great.

Yet there is one player who isn’t among the Buckeyes that everyone talks about. He is one of the older Buckeyes left in the league and he quite honestly might be the best one. That player is current Pittsburgh Steeler Cameron Heyward, who left Ohio State after the 2010 season.

Heyward was a consensus All-American for the Ohio State football team back in 2007 and was an All-Big Ten selection in 2010. After being a first-round pick in 2011, Heyward has been really good for the Steelers and is still playing well at the age of 32.

Since coming into the NFL Heyward has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times, named Second-Team All-Pro once, and First-Team All-Pro three times including last year. Heyward continues to show that he is one of the best defensive linemen in the entire league.

Heyward doesn’t get the talk that the other Buckeyes do because he plays a non-glamorous position as a defensive end in a 3-4 defense. He doesn’t get to make the flashy stip-sacks that defensive ends in another scheme get to. He does a lot of dirty work that goes unnoticed.

Heyward should be able to keep playing like this for a while. He had 10 sacks last year on a defense that wasn’t really all that good. Pittsburgh got themselves a good one when they drafted him with the second to last pick in the first round back in 2011.

Even though I’m no Steeler fan, I’ve enjoyed watching his career unfold. I’ll be interested to see how he plays at the end of his career.