The 2021 NFL draft is over and that means there are even more Ohio State football players on rosters. Here they are broken down by team.
The 2021 NFL draft is over, undrafted free agents have been signed, and the preseason camps and workouts have been scheduled. And in the case of rookies, most NFL teams have mixed things up with them over the last weekend.
So, while some of this will all change once roster cuts are made, there is a slew of former Ohio State football players littered on almost every team. There are exceptions of course with four teams without a scarlet and gray hue, but there just aren’t too many programs that have as many players doing their thing at the highest level of the game and we are here to share them all with you.
Here is a complete listing of all former Buckeyes currently on NFL rosters prior to all the offseason shenanigans heating up. In total, there are a whopping 71.
Who are the top ten highest-drafted outside linebackers in Ohio State football history? We run through the list for you.
The 2021 NFL draft is over and we witnessed Justin Fields be selected in the first round, but the next highest former Buckeye drafted was outside linebacker Pete Werner in the second round. It got me thinking how many more outside linebackers in Ohio State history were drafted that high or higher.
To determine the highest-drafted outside linebackers was not as easy as quarterback, because a few of the players listed played defensive end at Ohio State, but were drafted with the intention of playing outside linebacker. Same with some of the players that primarily played on the inside during their NFL career as they were draft with the intent of playing on the outside.
Most of the NFL rookie minicamps have started and we now know the jersey numbers Ohio State football NFL player rookies are wearing.
It’s been a couple of weeks since the 2021 NFL draft, and all told, ten former Ohio State players were selected. It tied Alabama for the most draft picks, with the Buckeyes being the only program with ten or more picks in two-straight drafts.
Things move quickly at the next level, and in fact, most rookie camps started Friday. We’ve started to see some photos and video hit the interweb from all the action, and we’re sure to see more that we’ll be on top of.
However, in order to hold a rookie minicamp, rookies have to have numbers assigned to them. And in the case of Ohio State, that means ten players that were drafted, and others that signed UDFA contracts all have their jersey numbers for the start of a new chapter to their football career. Some were able to carry on with the same numbers they had in Columbus — others had to come to grips with new numbers, sometimes for the first time since pee-wee football.
Here’s a look at every Ohio State NFL rookie (or new tryout) and their jersey numbers with their new teams.
What would a 53-man NFL roster composed of only former Ohio State football players look like after the 2021 NFL draft? Pretty good actually.
The 2021 NFL draft has come and gone, and that means we have some more former Ohio State players entering the League. That also means that if we theoretically wanted to build a team of only former Buckeyes, there’s a new crop of players to choose from.
So what would it look like if we took a former Buckeye for every roster slot on an NFL team?
It must be noted, in a chest-thumping kind of way, that there are really only a couple of programs you can do this with. Alabama, and Ohio State for sure. You would have to get really creative and bend the rules quite a bit to do it with other programs. You would run embarrassingly short with most efforts.
Also worth noting, we used the 53-man NFL roster construct that teams need to be down to for the start of the season as to how our rosters are built and slotted. There were actually some decisions that had to be made, but you’ll see that this would be a very good roster that would give the league a run. Sometimes we moved defensive backs between safety and corner, and swapped defensive ends and tackles for flexibility and depth.
All of it though, to be as versatile and talented as possible.
Keep track of where all of the former Ohio State football players have landed during the 2021 NFL free agency bonanza.
[listicle id=47862]The first week of NFL free agency is in the books and in between bouts of crying over the idea that a 25-year-old athlete just had millions direct deposited into their account, I couldn’t help but notice the movement that former Ohio State football players were making.
Looking at the list of former Ohio State stars changing teams is pretty eye-opening to how impactful the football program in Columbus truly is to the entire football landscape. I am a fairly old-school style of fan, so I love to see guys stay in one place, but it is nice seeing former beloved Buckeyes make more cash and get better opportunities. Below is a list of the Ohio State alum in order of richest contract.
We’re running through some of the best performances by former Ohio State football players in the Super Bowl. Here are the ten best all-time.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll keep saying it. Ohio State is an NFL factory and sends more players to the league than almost any other program in college football. It’s the bluest of blue bloods, so you can bet almost anytime a football game breaks out at the highest of levels, there’s a good chance you’ll have a former Buckeye to cheer on.
And while this year is the rare exception instead of the rule with no former OSU players participating in the Super Bowl, there have been some pretty good performances from those that have scarlet and gray in their background.
From the very early years of grainy black and white pictures, to the high-definition color and streaming we’re used to in modern times, there are some significant moments to commemorate in the sports’ biggest annual spectacle.
Here are the top ten historical Super Bowl performances by former Ohio State players.
Ohio State has sent a ton of players to the NFL in recent years and they racked up the second most NFL snaps of any program this season.
The Ohio State football program sends more players to the NFL than just about any out there. No matter how you measure these sorts of things, the Buckeyes are one of the historical leaders in almost any category when it comes to developing players that end up playing at the highest level. It’s been ratcheted up in recent years as well.
And so it was in the 2020-2021 season as well. We can’t take the credit for counting all the snaps players took in the NFL and what schools they were from, but we can give the tip of the cap to Pro Football Focus who did all the legwork for everyone.
We can’t report that former Ohio State players had the most snap counts in the NFL, but we can safely inform you that it was second behind — ahem, Alabama. Now, we have to remember that guys like Nick Bosa, Parris Campbell, Michael Thomas, and Malik Hooker all lost significant snaps because of injury or it could have been much more. Yet still, former Buckeyes were all over your television screen and streaming devices.
Most snaps played in the NFL this season: 1. Alabama – 24.9k 2. Ohio State – 18.6k 3. Florida – 16.1k 4. LSU – 15.5k 5. Clemson – 13.9k 6. Georgia – 13.1k 7. UCLA – 12.2k pic.twitter.com/FSq3WYYAkg
Now, clearly the Crimson Tide were run-away leaders, but even with injuries to a lot of players, OSU still finished in second by a pretty significant margin over Florida, LSU, and Clemson.
It’s just another selling point for coach Ryan Day and staff when they hit the recruiting trail.
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Now that the Ohio State football season is over, we’re tracking which players declare for the NFL draft, and which ones stay in Columbus.
Now that the college football season is over for Ohio State, it’s time to turn our attention towards those players that could declare for the 2021 NFL draft. This year is a unique one in the fact that any player that would have normally exhausted their college eligibility has the option of coming back for one more year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
It’ll definitely make things interesting when it comes to conversations, depth charts, and the management of scholarships. It also means we’ve got more players included in this decision-making process because we just don’t know who might pull the trigger on that decision.
And for the Buckeyes, there’s not a lot of time to figure it all out since they were one of two teams that made it all the way to the end with an appearance in the College Football Playoff national championship game.
We thought we’d keep track of all of those players that are draft eligible and where they stand with their official decisions in one place. Guys like quarterback Justin Fields are likely gone, but there are some on the fence. As they announce, we will update it accordingly and continue to revisit it until we know what every OSU player is doing that has the option to go to the next level, or stay on the banks of the Olentangy.
Some familiar names appear Pro Football Focus’ top 25 players under the age of 25. Three of them are former Ohio State players.
It’s no secret that Ohio State football has been churning out NFL talent at a remarkable rate. Last year alone, the Buckeyes had three first-round draft picks. That talent hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Coming in at No. 9 was Nick Bosa. A nice honor for a guy who unfortunately had year two cut short by injury. However, a rookie season gave reason to believe Bosa has a chance to be a generational talent. The 2019 defensive rookie of the year broke records for total pressures with 80 and added 22 more as he led the 49ers to the Super Bowl.
(AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
No. 11 – Terry McLaurin
Next on the list at No. 11 was wide receiver, Terry McLaurin. McLaurin was a surprise third-round pick of the Washington Football Team in 2019. He has steadily made his case as Washinton’s No. 1 receiver and was recently honored by his teammates by being voted captain unanimously.
McLaurin has turned himself into a goto guy for Washington catching 87% of catchable passes thrown his way.
Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
No. 18 – Chase Young
The final Buckeye on the list also spends his time in Washington, but on the other side of the ball. Finding his way onto the list at No. 18 despite only playing seven games in his career, is Chase Young.
Young looks the part of imposing edge rusher and he backs it up at the same time. According to Pro Football Focus, Young is the highest-rated rookie defender in the league with an 82.0 rating.
Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
And there you have it… three former Buckeyes who seem to have a bright future in the league. And with even more talent set to come out of Columbus in this year’s draft, the list is sure to grow.
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Former Ohio State and current Carolina Panthers wide receiver Curtis Samuel scored his first touchdown of the season against the Saints.
We haven’t heard a ton from former Ohio State and current Carolina Panthers’ wide receiver Curtis Samuel, but he’s a talent that flashes from time to time when given the ball in space, or during special situations.
He had one such moment Sunday against the New Orleans Saints and was able to find the end zone for his first touchdown of 2020 season. It was one a little unconventional for Samuel as he took a handoff in the backfield and found a seam between the tackles for a 5-yard scramble to pay-dirt.
Watch below thanks to what the Ohio State Football Twitter account shared from the NFL on Sunday.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.
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