Tag: Jeremy Ruckert

Packers get wrecking ball DL in Dane Brugler’s latest mock draft

Reacting to the two players mocked to the Packers in Dane Brugler’s most recent two-round mock draft at The Athletic.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has released his second mock draft of this year’s draft cycle.

In his first mock draft, which was released in November, Brugler had the Green Bay Packers selecting Kentucky offensive lineman Darian Kinnard with the 30th pick overall.

Here are the results from his latest mock draft:

Pick 32: DeMarvin Leal, DL, Texas A&M

This would be a dream scenario for the Packers. Leal is a disruptive force that would immediately boost Green Bay’s interior pass rush, while also helping shore up the run defense.

Leal looks the part at 6-4, 290 pounds. He has a quick first step and has made a living making plays behind the line of scrimmage. The Texas A&M defensive lineman finished the season with 58 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks.

It’s not a stretch to say that Leal would be the most talented defensive lineman that Kenny Clark has played with during his career in Green Bay. Leal has the length and athleticism to be a disruptive force in the NFL.

From Brugler:

The Packers love toolsy front-seven defenders, and Leal is exactly that. He isn’t yet the sum of his parts, which is why he could still be available at this point in the first round. But at 6-4 and 290 pounds, Leal can line up anywhere on the defensive line and has the traits to develop into a productive starter.

Pick 64: Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State

The Packers will likely address the tight end position at some point in the 2022 NFL Draft. In Brugler’s mock, he has the Packers spending a premium pick on the position.

Ruckert’s numbers aren’t eye-popping, but he has reliable hands and is a smooth accelerator in his routes. He has the ideal frame at 6-5 and he does a great job of making contested catches.

While he may not have gaudy numbers, Ruckert did the dirty work for Ohio State. He’s a solid run blocker and could help boost any team’s run game when he’s on the field.

Rucker finished this past season with 26 receptions for 309 yards and three touchdowns. Over the past three seasons, Ruckert hauled in 12 touchdown passes.

Overall reaction

It’s worth noting that Brugler mocked Eric Stokes to Green Bay around this time last year. What Brugler says holds some weight.

If the Packers came away with Leal in the first round it would be a slam dunk pick. He has all the tools to be a force up front. Leal and Clark would cause a lot of mayhem for the Packers.

Ruckert could step in from day one and provide an impact both as a blocker and as a receiver. If the Ohio State tight end landed in Green Bay he could put up similar numbers (60 receptions, 497 yards, seven touchdowns) to what Pat Freiermuth posted in Pittsburgh this past season.

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Father of NFL draft prospect wants the Jets to draft his son

The Jets are in need of a tight end. Could Long Island native Jeremy Ruckert be the player to fill the void? His father hopes so.

Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert grew up watching the Jets as a native of Long Island. In just a few short months, there’s a chance that the tight end-needy team selects him in the 2022 NFL draft.

And his father is on board with that happening.

The Reese’s Senior Bowl Twitter account shared the list of tight ends who will be working with New York’s coaching staff as members of the National team. Ruckert was among them, which prompted a response from Ruckert’s father, Bill.

“J-E-T-S -JETS JETS JETS,” Ruckert tweeted, along with a picture that appears to be Jeremy with a Jets logo painted on his face.

Bill wasn’t done there. He found a tweet from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler stating that he liked Ruckert’s fit with the Jets. Bill responded with the same picture he posted under the Senior Bowl tweet.

Jeremy attended Lindenhurst Senior High School in Suffolk County and developed into one of the best tight ends in the nation. He decided to take his talents to Ohio State and caught 54 passes for 615 yards and 12 touchdowns in four seasons with the program.

Ruckert’s career numbers don’t jump off the page, but he didn’t get a ton of targets with Ohio State’s wide receiver room being one of the most talented and deepest in college football. Brugler’s assessment that Ruckert has a chance to be a better pro than a college player has credence, as his pass-catching ability and ball skills were on display whenever he could get a look from a Buckeyes quarterback.

The Jets desperately need to upgrade at tight end this offseason. Not having an impactful receiver at the position took a potentially valuable safety blanket away from Zach Wilson. That didn’t necessarily hinder his development, but it certainly didn’t help it, either.

Ruckert just might be the tight end the Jets are looking for. If that winds up being the case, his dad’s push to bring his son back to the Big Apple might lead to a big Ruckert family cheering section in MetLife Stadium one day.

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Ravens add promising TE in latest 2022 mock draft by CBS Sports

The Ravens add a promising tight end in the latest 2022 mock draft by CBS Sports

The Baltimore Ravens are currently on pace to have 10 picks in the 2022 NFL draft, with nine of those selections projected to be in the top-four rounds. That gives Baltimore plenty of ammunition to either draft quality prospects, move up and down the draft board, or trade picks for veteran pieces.

In his latest first-round 2022 mock draft, Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports selected a tight end for the Ravens at pick No. 26 in Ohio State University’s Jeremy Ruckert. When explaining his selection, Trapasso simply said that he would love to see the duo of Ruckert and Ravens tight end Mark Andrews play together.

“I would love to see the underrated Ruckert and Mark Andrews together in Baltimore.”

Ruckert is currently a senior at Ohio State, and has put up 47 receptions for 549 yards and 12 touchdowns over his three-plus years at the school. He has arguably been a bit underutilized considering his talent as a pass catcher, as he has great hands and has shown the ability to make spectacular catches with ease. He has a large catch radius and can work to get behind defenders to burn defenses deep.

He is also a willing blocker who gets after it in the run game, which is a quality that Baltimore values. Some of his weaknesses include a lack of explosiveness as well as not having an overly diverse route tree compared to other top prospects at his position over the years.

If the Ravens feel like Ruckert is the perfect compliment to Andrews and Nick Boyle at the tight end position, the team could invest a high draft pick in him. However, with Baltimore having so many other needs they could opt to pick a player at another position and save a selection at tight end for later in the draft.

WATCH: C.J. Stroud throws laser to tight end Jeremy Ruckert for touchdown vs. Rutgers

Look at how live C.J. Stroud’s arm looks on this TD strike to Jeremy Ruckert.

Ohio State has it rolling in Piscataway vs. the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. It seems the Buckeyes are improving greatly and taking out all the frustrations of weeks past on the road in New Jersey.

The latest comes by way of a laser from C.J. Stroud to tight end Jeremy Ruckert. The week off seems to have down Stroud well. He’s looking much more confident, accurate, and his arm seems to be more live than what we’ve seen through the first few games.

In this one, Stroud also does a nice job of standing in the pocket, letting Ruckert’s route develop, and then zipping a pass right on target for a 19-yard touchdown pass.

Ohio State is looking awfully good against a Rutgers team that has been pretty solid so far this year. Let’s hope it continues through the rest of the game.

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The Big Ten’s top five tight ends heading into 2021

Where does Jeremy Ruckert rank in the Big Ten’s top tight ends heading into 2021?

The college football season is less than a month away and we have been diving into the top players at each position in the Big Ten. Up to this point, we have highlighted the quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers.

People don’t really focus on the tight end position much, but the Big Ten has some impressive ones to showcase this season. The Ohio State football program is notorious for not utilizing their typically highly recruited tight ends, but 2021 may be different. Here is how we break down the top five tight ends in the Big Ten.

It’s early and there haven’t been any games yet, so don’t get too upset with these rankings. It’s all in good fun.

Jeremy Ruckert named to preseason Mackey Award watch list

Another Buckeye on a preseason award watch list. Do you expect Ruckert to have a major breakout campaign in 2021?

We’ve got another announcement of a preseason award watch list and that must mean we’ve got another Ohio State player appearing.

The John Mackey Award announced its 2021 preseason watch list on Friday and tight end Jeremy Ruckert is among the 56 names honored. The Mackey has been around since 2000 and recognizes college football’s best tight end annually. No Ohio State player has ever won the award.

Ruckert is entering his senior season, having put off his NFL dreams for one more year, and is expected to be the unquestioned No. 1 tight end in Ohio State’s offensive attack this season. He shared time with Luke Farrell over the last three seasons but has continually improved his big-play ability down the field.

In his career thus far, Ruckert has caught 28 passes for 36 yards and nine touchdowns. He was a key player in the win against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl, catching three passes for 55 yards and two scores.

We can’t wait to see what Ruckert can do this fall as the main target at tight end.

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Jeremy Ruckert to replace Chris Olave at Big Ten media days

Big Ten media days is at the end of this week and there is a change to the OSU player contingent.

Ohio State has made a change to the three players representing the program at Big Ten media days this week. Instead of Chris Olave making the trip, he has been replaced by tight end, Jeremy Ruckert. OSU’s presumed No. 1 tight end will now join Thayer Munford and Zach Harrison in Indianapolis on Friday.

There was no reason given for the move, but according to an athletic department spokesman that spoke with Eleven Warriors, there are “no issues and everything is good.” The spokesman also pointed to the fact that Olave was at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for team photos on Tuesday morning.

The trio of Buckeyes’ slot at the media days event is scheduled for Friday from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m. That will be after Ryan Day’s press conference set for 12:30-12:45 p.m. He will also have another media availability session from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert makes NFL decision - Buckeyes Wire
Jan 11, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Jeremy Ruckert (88) makes a catch against Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Christian Harris (8) during the first quarter in the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

With Big Ten media days taking place this week, it feels like we might be closer to normal and that the season will be a memorable one. We’ll have coverage of all the festivities on Friday so check back.

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Jeremy Ruckert makes his decision on the NFL draft

Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert announced his intentions for the upcoming NFL draft on his Twitter account Monday.

It’s that time of year. The college football season is officially over for Ohio State and everyone else, and squeezed in a short time frame is the need for many that are eligible to declare their intentions for the upcoming 2021 NFL draft. When it comes to the Buckeyes, we’ve already heard from the likes of Trey Sermon, Justin Fields, Shaun Wade, and more, and now we word from tight end Jeremy Ruckert.

Ruckert is already on the radar when it comes to tight ends that could be available in the draft. He has been a great blocker throughout his career, but Ohio State started to showcase his pass-catching abilities late in the 2020 campaign. He’s an athletic tight end that runs good routes and has unbelievable hands.

And while Ruckert could have gone to the NFL and easily gotten the call of his dreams, he has decided to come back for one more season according to an announcement he made on his Twitter account.

With what we’ve seen from Ruckert, he should be a weapon for the OSU offense in 2021 as it breaks in a new quarterback. Another year — this time as the main tight end option — should only improve his draft stock.

Ohio State football player 2021 NFL draft declaration tracker

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Twitter reacts after Alabama’s Jordan Battle ejected for targeting foul

A targeting foul has cost Alabama DB Jordan Battle

Alabama DB Jordan Battle has been ejected from Monday’s College Football Championship for a targeting penalty on Ohio State’s Jeremy Ruckert.

The play set the Buckeyes up with a first-and-goal but they only got a field goal out of it to close within 21-17.

There was reaction:

Watch: Jeremy Ruckert pulls in a one-handed catch to set up Ohio State touchdown

Ohio State TE Jeremy Ruckert hauled in a spectacular one-handed catch to set up an early tying touchdown in the national championship game.

After a three and out to open the game and giving up a long drive to the Crimson Tide, Justin Fields led Ohio State down the field to get on the scoreboard and tie Alabama at seen each.

Master Teague took a handoff around the left end and got in for an eight yard score. But it was the play before that would set Teague up when Tight End, Jeremy Ruckert pulled in a one-handed catch from Fields over the middle.

This is a matchup that Ohio State will look to exploit when it gets a linebacker in coverage on Ruckert.

Watch Ruckert’s spectacular catch below.

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