Tag: Josh Proctor

Josh Proctor signs with Jaguars as undrafted free agent

Josh Proctor will have to try and make an NFL team as an undrafted free agent. #GoBucks

Former Ohio State safety, Josh Proctor, is the latest Buckeye to sign with an NFL team as an undrafted free agent. There were some mock drafts that had him going in the late rounds of the 2024 NFL draft, but it ultimately didn’t happen.

As a result, Proctor will have to try and make an NFL team the hard way, through all the muck and hard work at a rookie mini camp. But hey, at least he gets a chance, and he’ll do it with the Jacksonville Jaguars according to sources.

Proctor struggled with injury through much of his career but put had plenty of highlight tape to show NFL scouts and executives last season. He’s rangy, physical, and has the athletic skill to shine if given the chance, and that’s exactly what he’ll get down in the sunshine state.

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Unpacking Future Packers: No. 61, Ohio State S Josh Proctor

Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is Ohio State safety Josh Proctor.

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers have a new defensive coordinator in town. While this may be Jeff Hafley’s first stint as a defensive coordinator in the NFL, he’s had plenty of stops along the way to lead one to believe he could be a successful coordinator. One of those stops was at Ohio State in 2019, where he served as a co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach.

A player that Hafley coached at Ohio State is Josh Proctor. Given his familiarity with Hafley, the Ohio State safety could be a Day 3 target in the 2024 NFL Draft for the Packers as they look for safety help this offseason.

A four-star recruit, Proctor picked off one pass and broke up three more passes during the 2019 season. The following season, the Ohio State safety picked off one pass and recorded one tackle for loss.

Proctor suffered a compound fracture during the 2021 season and started to look like his former self this past season. Proctor recorded 47 tackles, four tackles for loss, one interception and broke up eight passes.

“Josh Proctor was the guy who tied everything together for the Ohio State defense,” Tony Gerdeman, the lead writer for Buckeye Huddle, said. “The Buckeyes generally play a two-high defense and Proctor was the free safety playing the wide side of the field. He was often the last line of defense for a unit that allowed just two plays of 40 yards on the season. He was a sixth-year guy last year so he’s seen everything and played in multiple defensive systems. Last year was the first time in his OSU career that he played in the same defensive system with the same defensive coordinator two years in a row, which has also hampered his growth and production.”

Proctor brings a certain level of versatility to the secondary. He can line up in the slot and matchup with wide receivers and has the size to cover tight ends. The former four-star recruit also can play deep. 

“Proctor had a compound fracture of his right leg in 2021 so he’s probably not the athlete he once was, but he never looked held back last year,” Gerdeman said. “Some people will tell you that his greatest strength is his physicality, but that implies he’s an in-the-box safety, which doesn’t truly describe his overall skill set. He can cover ground as a deep safety or be a strong safety to help out closer to the line of scrimmage. His greatest strength is probably that he can be any kind of safety you need.”

Whoa, impressive wingspan. The Ohio State safety is well-put together and has long arms and a wide tackle radius to lasso ball carriers to the ground. He’s a reliable tackler and is fearless coming downhill. He runs the alley with purpose and closes with burst. 

“Proctor is best known by Ohio State fans for this big hit from his sophomore season back in 2019, so he doesn’t shy away from the contact and has the size to hold up,” Gerdeman said. “You don’t see him miss many tackles. It’s never been an issue with him.”

In coverage, Proctor has good range playing centerfield and gets proper depth. The former four-star recruit has good field vision and trusts his eyes. He’s a smart player and keeps everything in front of him. The Buckeye safety understands angles and gets from point A to point B quickly. He uses his length to choke passing lanes. 

“Early in his career Proctor was known as a guy who had a way of finding the football,” Gerdeman said. “In fall camp as a sophomore, he was coming up with multiple interceptions each week. He even started earning some comparisons to 2016 OSU First-Team All-American Malik Hooker, who was a first-round pick in 2017. Former defensive coordinator Greg Schiano would also talk about his range back then. He was the backup to Jordan Fuller during his first two years on campus. Consistency has been an issue throughout his career, however. Last year was his first consistent season in coverage. He opened the 2022 season as the starting strong safety but lost the job after a few games.”

Proctor has the makings of a core special teams player at the next level. During his time at Ohio State, Proctor logged 412 snaps on special teams. 

“Special teams will likely be in his future in order to make the 53-man roster until he proves himself as a viable two-deep guy on defense,” Gerdeman said. “He has had various roles there in his career, including kickoff coverage and punt gunner. The importance of special teams is preached constantly at Ohio State so I don’t think he would have a problem embracing that kind of role.”

Fit with the Packers

Brian Gutekunst wants his safeties to be versatile. Proctor is an interchangeable piece that could play in the slot, free safety, or strong safety. 

“It really helps your defense to be multiple and flexible so teams can’t get a bead on what you’re doing,” Gutekunst said via Packers.com, at the NFL Scouting Combine.  “So, in a perfect world, quite frankly, between the two safeties and the nickel, those three guys almost need to be interchangeable completely.”

Proctor is a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none type prospect. He’s a reliable open-field tackler and is a willing participant in run support. He’s rock-solid in coverage and is rarely out of position. The former Buckeye safety is just a well-rounded prospect who doesn’t necessarily have any flash to his game and that’s okay, every team needs those glue guys that quietly go about their business. 

“One of the reasons Josh Proctor came back for his sixth season was to improve his stock and show the NFL what he was truly capable of doing,” Gerdeman said. “He was on a mission. He didn’t have a guaranteed job on the defense when he decided to come back but he won the free safety job and then made it his. An NFL team is going to get somebody who has seen it all and done most of it as well. If I were a general manager, I know the Ohio State coaches would have nothing but good things to say about him physically, mentally, or culturally. He’s working to live out his dream. It’s taken him a long time to get here so don’t expect him to give up on it without a fight. The doctors will also have their say.”

The Packers need help at safety. It was their weakest position on the roster last season and it’s a room that’s in desperate need of a makeover. 

While Proctor is not regarded as one of the top safeties in the 2024 NFL Draft, he could step in and provide depth at multiple spots in the secondary, while being an ace on special teams.

The Packers own six picks on Day 3 of the draft. The Ohio State safety could be a potential target with one of those selections. 

Full 7-round 2024 NFL mock draft: Patriots land Senior Bowl standout QB to pair with elite weapon

The Patriots get arguably the best player on the board at No. 3 in this full seven-round 2024 NFL mock draft

The New England Patriots are less than three months away from one of the most important decisions in the past 30 years.

A brand new head coach is in the building in Jerod Mayo, and Eliot Wolf is working through the personnel decisions. This is an opportunity for both men to stamp their names on the Patriots.

For better or worse, the team will have a different philosophy heading into the offseason. It’s a breath of fresh air for Patriots fans who grew impatient with the lack of offensive success since Tom Brady’s departure in 2020.

In this mock draft, we’re taking a look at one scenario that could shake up on draft night, netting the Patriots a generational cornerstone receiver and some developmental tackles.

Three Ohio State players appear on Mel Kiper Jr.’s NFL draft big board

What Ohio State players does Mel Kiper Jr. have on his big board of top ten players at each position for the NFL draft? #GoBucks

Now that we’re steaming ahead with just the Super Bowl to go for the NFL season, many interested observers are going to turn their attention to the upcoming NFL draft.

Normally, if we are discussing the draft, it means we’re talking about the prospects of seeing plenty of former Ohio State players parade across the stage and screen during all of the hoopla. And while this year might be lighter than normal because of all of the players that decided to shun the draft for one more year in the Scarlet and Gray, there’s still a few to keep an eye on.

One of the foremost, longtime experts in all things related to the NFL draft is none other than ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. He has been updating his big board as we’ve stepped through the draft offseason, and now that things are a little more solidified as to who will be eligible, he’s got the latest update (subscription required) that we can take a look at.

Kiper ranks the top ten players at each position, and this year, there are three OSU players that made the cut, but only one expected to be drafted in the first round. Here’s where Kiper has things today.

Ohio State players projected in the first round

Marvin Harrison Jr., No. 1 Wide Receiver – No. 2 on the top 25 big board

USA TODAY SMG

The Other two Ohio State players among the top ten at their position

Tommy Eichenberg, No. 6 overall off the ball linebacker

Josh Proctor, No. 9 overall safety

That, of course, isn’t all encompassing and we’ll see other OSU players go off the board during the draft in April. In the meantime though, these are your biggest three names to look for as we head that way.

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Three Buckeyes to play in 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl on Saturday

Some Ohio State players will be taking part in the Reese’s Senior Bowl. #GoBucks

With the college football season in the rearview mirror and just the Super Bowl left to play in the NFL, draft season is quickly approaching for many football fans.

For many of the top players in college football, this last season is was the last opportunity to put game film out there to get drafted this April. There’s one more opportunity to make a splash with the arrival of the Senior Bowl this week.

Senior Bowl practices will take place Tuesday through Thursday with the game being played on Saturday at noon EST.  It is an excellent opportunity for players to show NFL executives, coaches, and scouts what they can do and build up their draft stock.

This year three Ohio State players will among those playing in the Senior Bowl with safety Josh Proctor, linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, and defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. all accepting invites.

We wish the best of luck to all three players as a good week of practices, the game, and interviews with teams, could go a long way toward boosting their NFL Draft profile.

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Ohio State football issues availability report for Michigan State game, key players out or questionable

Here’s a look at who is available for Ohio State as it hosts Michigan State Saturday night.

The fine folks with the Ohio State Football team have issued the availability report for the game against the Michigan State Spartans, and once again the defense will be short-handed and without three starters.

With the Buckeyes listed as almost five-touchdown favorites, it is no surprise that some of the bumps and bruises are listed as out. Defenders Tommy Eichenberg, Josh Proctor and Lathan Ransom will all sit out against Michigan State tonight.

Eichenberg and Proctor and new names on the list, but Ransom should be shocking to no one as he suffered a rough injury against the Wisconsin Badgers and has missed time ever since.

Ohio State will have both Denzel Burke and Cade Stover tonight after they both missed last week, but don’t be surprised to see little of them as well as the main focus is to get the win, but a secondary focus is to get healthy for the Michigan Wolverines. The rest of the list is as follows:

QUESTIONABLE

  • SAF Cam Martinez
OUT
  • LB Tommy Eichenberg
  • WR Kyion Grayes
  • DL Jason Moore
  • SAF Josh Proctor
  • SAF Lathan Ransom
  • TE Joe Royer
  • DL Will Smith Jr.
Out for the season:
  • TE Zak Herbstreit
  • WR Reis Stocksdale
  • SAF Kourt Williams II
  • RB Miyan Williams

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Ohio State sweeps Big Ten Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week

Two Buckeyes swept the Big Ten’s Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week awards. #GoBucks

In the most recent years’ past, we seemed to be sharing this type of news on almost a weekly basis, but with a team still trying to figure things out a little bit, Ohio State hasn’t been a regular in the Big Ten football weekly awards.

That changed big time on Monday because the Buckeyes had a player named as the Big Ten Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week after the win over Maryland. Both wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and safety Josh Proctor were recognized by the Big Ten after Week 6.

Harrison Jr. literally seemed to put the Ohio State offense on his back when there were issues moving the ball consistently. He finished with eight receptions for 163 yards and a touchdown (twice on one if you follow me and watched the game). It was Harrison’s third 100-yard receiving game of the season. The effort tied him with Garrett Wilson and Michael Jenkins with 10 total career games with 100 yards or more. Believe it or not, it is Harrison’s first ever Big Ten Player of the Week award (thanks C.J. Stroud).

Proctor had a huge day on defense. Not only did he register Ohio State’s first score of the game with a crucial, momentum halting “pick six” with OSU down by a touchdown, but he also recorded a career high seven tackles, six of them being solo and 1.5 as a tackle for loss. It too, is Proctor’s first Defensive Player of the Week award.

Congrats to both. The Buckeyes last recognition in both of these areas came from C.J. Stroud (Offensive POW) on Nov. 14, 2022, and J.T. Tuimoloau (Defensive POW) on Oct. 31, 2022.

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Ten Ohio State football players who earned their Buckeye leaves against Maryland

Which Buckeyes stood out to you today? #GoBucks

[autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] shook off their first half bland play to surge ahead of [autotag]Maryland[/autotag] in the second half, to earn a 37-17 win in front of a home crowd.

While the score looks good, there were still aspects of the game that have left much more to be desired. With that said, there was still plenty of good to come out of this win. That does happen when you still come out victorious, while not playing your best.

We will see more Buckeye decals on Ohio State players helmet’s next week against [autotag]Purdue[/autotag] and here are ten players that earned their’s for their play against Maryland.

5 stars: The best and worst of Ohio State’s win at home to Maryland

What did you like, what didn’t you Buckeye fans? #GoBucks

It wasn’t easy, but [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] shook off a sluggish start and wore down visiting Maryland, 37-17.

Not much worked for the Buckeyes in the first half, but they made some good adjustments and outscored the Terrapins 27-7 in the second half.

Another gritty win for Ohio State, which has been its M.O. so far this season. There were plenty of Buckeyes that made big impacts on this game along with some aspects that didn’t.

Find out below which performed the best, five stars, and the worst, one stars, in Ohio State’s win at home against Maryland. It could have gone the other way if not for some of these performances, especially after how things were looking in the first half.

This stat shows how far Ohio State football’s pass defense has progressed

BIA is back in a big way #GoBucks

One of the biggest issues with last year’s [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] defense, was the inability to defend deep passes, it often would result in big plays that would be demoralizing to the unit.

Fast forward to the 2023 season and the Buckeyes seemingly have taken a massive step forward in that regard. Actually, it’s been the whole defense, but this was one area that many saw as a glaring weakness.

With a year under his belt, defensive coordinator [autotag]Jim Knowles[/autotag] feels much more comfortable with his safety driven defense and as CFB Film Room points out, the Ohio State secondary has not allowed a single completion on a ball thrown over 20-yards this fall.

There are multiple factors as to why this is, beginning with improved safety play from [autotag]Lathan Ransom[/autotag] and [autotag]Josh Proctor[/autotag]. The back end has been great, while the corners have seen a resurgence as well. [autotag]Denzel Burke[/autotag] is playing like an All-American, and [autotag]Jordan Hancock[/autotag] and [autotag]Davison Igbinosun[/autotag] has been extremely solid in their play as well.

Don’t forget about crediting the defense line, as it has produced the most pressure in the Big Ten through the Notre Dame game (this stat could have changed during the Buckeyes bye). It’s been a team effort to limit big plays through the air and it’s safe to say that Ohio State has been very successful in doing so.

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