The Ohio State football program had one of the most talented teams in the country in 2025. They were favored to win back-to-back national championships, especially with how strong the defense was. Unfortunately, they fell short of their goal after losing in the Cotton Bowl to Miami.
With the season over, a lot of Buckeyes are focused on increasing their draft stock heading into the Combine. Several Ohio State Buckeyes on the defensive side of the ball are expected to be picked early in the draft. In fact, Ohio State could have as many as five players drafted in the first round.
One prominent draft analyst has several Ohio State football players very high on his board. In fact, he has seven players in the top 54 of the best prospects available for the 2026 NFL Draft, showing just how good Ohio State is at developing players.
Dane Brugler has several Ohio State football players at the top of his draft board
Dane Brugler of The Athletic has several Buckeyes near the top of his board. He has Arvell Reese as the top overall player available, as he has for several months. He also has Caleb Downs at fourth and Sonny Styles at fifth, meaning he has three Buckeyes in his top five overall prospects.
Brugler has Carnell Tate listed at tenth, meaning almost half of the top ten available players are Bucekyes, according to him. Kayden McDonald comes in at 26th on his list, and he is listed as the second-best defensive tackle. Davison Igbinosun is listed 50th overall, with Max Klare coming in at 54.
Ohio State having seven players in the top 54 overall is an incredible feat. Only two of those players are on the offensive side of the ball, as well. Next season, Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin will likely be two of the top draft prospects available, too.
Expect the Buckeyes to have at least four first-round draft picks in a couple of months.