Ohio State football has become the Kentucky Wildcats of the gridiron– a class of 5-star prospects enter the program every year while another class of blue chips leaves school early for the professional ranks.
In both Lexington and Columbus, it’s “succeed and proceed,” “plug n play,” “rinse and repeat” each season.
The NBA allows “one and done,” but in football you need to be out of high school for at least three years. As a junior you can “three and flee,” or as a redshirt sophomore you’re eligible for a “two and tutelo.” As Stephen Colbert told John Calipari when he had him on his show, it must rhyme in order for it to be valid.
For more enlightening discussion of the early entry debate, I suggest you listen to/read the transcript of our exclusive with Jonathan Hock, the director of the ESPN 30 for 30 “One and Not Done.” Also you should read our review of the film over at this link. While Kentucky is the SEC school dominating the NBA Draft this decade, Urban Meyer has brought the SEC feel to the B1G.
It’s not just Alabama and LSU making the biggest presence felt on draft night. The Buckeyes are getting it done too; and also with early entries.
Ohio State is third all time in total NFL Draft picks (430), behind only USC (497) and Notre Dame (493). Oklahoma (377) and Nebraska (357) are fourth and fifth while Michigan is sixth with 351. THE Ohio State football program also holds the record for most picks in a single draft by one school (14) set in 2004.
The previous record was 2002 Miami, who had 11.
Class of 2016
Ohio State football set an NFL Draft record for most picks through three rounds, and tied the NFL Draft mark for most picks in the first two rounds a year ago. Their five first-rounders in 2016 was essentially the football equivalent of Kentucky sending five to the NBA first round in 2010.
TEN players from @OhioStAthletics were selected in rounds 1-3.
Yep. That's a new record. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/1md8det7mC
— NFL (@NFL) April 30, 2016
Class of 2017
Let’s look at how many Buckeyes could hear their name called in Philadelphia Thursday-Saturday.
Round One Potential:
Malik Hooker, S
He’ll probably be the first of the two and very likely the three Ohio State defensive backs who might go in the first round Thursday night. Said NFL Network’s draftnik Daniel Jeremiah: “To me, he’s pretty special with his instincts, range and ball skills.”
Marshon Lattimore, CB
Jeremiah: “I had Lattimore as high as number two on my list. He’s always been my top corner since I pumped out my first top 50 for this year’s draft. I viewed him as a premier player from the first time I watched, and that didn’t change. I thought he was consistent throughout the tapes that you watch and study on him.
NFLN’s Bucky Brooks: “Marshon Lattimore is a guy at the top of the charts. He is probably the most athletic, the most polished in terms of being the natural shutdown corner that you look for. Hamstring issues and durability issues kind of prevent me from jumping on him as a guy that could be a star at the position.
Jeremiah “Conley is a really good player who has plenty of size as well. I think he’s a plug-and-play guy.”
Brooks: When you go below him (Lattimore), Conley, I think Conley falls right up under him, he is a solid, a guy that can do all of the things that you look for from a skill set, can press, can play off, is a willing tackler, has ball skills.
To see where we have these three players going check out our 2017 NFL mock draft.
Go here for the list of 70 of the most hilariously awful NFL Draft cliches, buzzwords, catch-phrases and other assorted word salad.
Round 2 Potential
The Walter Football NFL mock draft database lists 237 mocks on the internet. An overwhelming majority of them are only one round (as is ours). Thus, we’re going to spin through the Walter Football’s full seven round mock and look for OSU players.
Link to Walter Football round 2 mock (a full 7 round mock draft! That is intense! Wow!)
41. Cincinnati, Curtis Samuel, WR,
Brooks: “He’s a terrific player. He’s very, very talented. I think the comparison that a lot of people would like to make is Percy Harvin in terms of his ability to make an impact as an occasional running back, a slot receiver and an impact player in the return game.
“When you watch him, I think he has been one of the underrated explosive players because what he put on at the combine was barely talked about just because John Ross kind of stole the show with the 4.22. The fact he’s a 4.30, he’s slippery with the ball in his hands, gives him the opportunity to be a difference maker.”
Round 3- 85. Detroit, Raekwon McMillan, ILB, 86. Minnesota, Pat Elflein, OG
Round 4– 113. Chargers, Noah Brown, WR
In all likelihood, you should see seven young Bucks get drafted by the end of Saturday.
Class of 2018
We currently have three Ohio State football players projected as first round picks in our 2018 NFL mock draft. To see who, and where we have them going check out our 2018 NFL mock draft.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times and NBC Chicago.com, contributes to Chicago Tribune.com, Bold, WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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