OHIO STATE’S CONFIRM NINE PROSPECTS FOR THE 2024 NFL DRAFT

A LOOK AT OHIO STATE’S NINE PROSPECTS FOR THE 2024 NFL DRAFT.

The class of Ohio State’s 2024 NFL draft picks may have been substantially larger.

Although they all made the decision to stay at Ohio State for another year, Denzel Burke, Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson, JT Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer, Tyleik Williams, Donovan Jackson, Jordan Hancock, and Lathan Ransom would have all been excellent contenders to be drafted this year.

If every one of them—or perhaps the majority of them—had turned pro, Ohio State would have had one of its biggest draft classes ever this year. Rather, the Buckeyes will be attempting to assist Ohio State in accomplishing its objectives of defeating Michigan and taking home the Big Ten and national titles in 2024.
All of them returning for another season makes Ohio State very happy, and it may lead to a very strong class of players selected in the NFL Draft in 2025. But as a result, this year’s crop of NFL draft prospects is less than normal.

Despite only having six players picked in each of the last two selections, Ohio State still has a potential to have as many as nine players selected. While just nine Buckeyes players got considerable playing time at OSU, the actual number may turn out to be lower. Nevertheless, all of them should be at least considered as late-round picks or free-agent signings.

This year, only one Buckeye should be selected in the first round. It is anticipated that Marvin Harrison Jr., a Buckeye, will be the highest-drafted wide receiver in Ohio State history. However, there are five more Buckeyes who have at least a chance to be picked on Day 3 and three more who should be well inside the Day 2 conversation.

We examine each of Ohio State’s nine projected NFL draft selections in 2024 in more detail to see how they would fare as professionals.

Victor Harrison Jr.
Harrison, the undisputed top pick in Ohio State’s 2024 draft class, is regarded as a wide receiver prospect of a generation. If the Chicago Bears decide to select Justin Fields at quarterback and not trade down, he may be the first overall pick. He is generally predicted to be in the top five overall, and the majority of mock drafts have him as the first non-quarterback taken.

The unanimous vote twice All-American is a wide receiver with almost all the attributes an NFL team could ask for. In his 26 games as an Ohio State starter, he consistently showed off his talent, averaging over 100 yards per start and hauling in 31 touchdown passes. At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, he possesses remarkable physical attributes and should perform well in pre-draft workouts. His father, Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison, has given him a lot of advice on how to be successful in the NFL, and he combines his skill with an unmatched work ethic at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

Harrison appears to be a virtual lock to become the first wide receiver from Ohio State to be chosen in the first six rounds of an NFL draft after all of that. As the seventh overall pick in the 1996 NFL draft, Terry Glenn now holds the record for the highest selection ever made by an Ohio State wide receiver.

TE CADE STOVER
Who will be the second Buckeye selected in this year’s draft is less certain, but Stover has a compelling case given his stellar senior season at Ohio State.

Having started his Ohio State career as a linebacker, Stover decided to switch to tight end since he met the physical profile of an NFL tight end at 6-foot-4 and 251 pounds, with enough of athleticism for his size. Over the course of the previous two seasons, he caught 77 receptions for 982 yards and 10 touchdowns, demonstrating his ability to create mismatches as a receiving weapon. He possesses the height and strength necessary to compete in the trenches against professional defensive ends, but he will need to improve as a blocker if he is to play in the NFL every down.

Stover is rated as the third-best tight end in the 2024 draft class, behind Texas’ Ja’Tavion Sanders and Georgia’s Brock Bowers, according to the consensus big board at NFL Mock Draft Database. That ought to solidify Stover’s status as a potential second- or third-round draft selection.

Hall, who was given the nickname “Baby Aaron Donald” because to his explosiveness, showed signs of becoming a superstar in the first half of the 2022 season by recording 7.5 tackles for loss in just five games. His rise was hindered by a shoulder injury that he carried into the following season, and this past season, Tyleik Williams eclipsed him on Ohio State’s interior defensive line.

Despite this, Hall played a significant role in Ohio State’s attempt to stop the run and shown his ability to make plays with strength, speed, and dexterity. Although his primary position at OSU was nose tackle, he is more likely to play at the next level as a 3-technique defensive end, which might unleash his full potential as an interior pass-rusher.

Hall accepted an invitation to the annual pre-draft showcase in Mobile, Alabama earlier this month. The showcase is set for 1 p.m. on February 3 and will be televised by NFL Network. Hall plans to take advantage of the NFL rule change that permits non-seniors to compete in the Senior Bowl.

LB Tommy Eisenberg
Eichenberg, a 2023 Big Ten Linebacker of the Year candidate who finished his career at Ohio State, is another Buckeye who may be selected in the second round of the draft.

As Ohio State’s starting middle linebacker for the last two seasons, Eichenberg has led the team in tackles for the past two seasons and has already shown he possesses pro-level instincts. Over the previous four seasons, he has recorded 268 tackles, including 21 stops for loss.

Eichenberg’s draft stock may be greatly impacted by pre-draft testing, since he must demonstrate that he is athletic enough to play linebacker in the NFL on every play. Run-stopper and special teams player Eichenberg should have an opportunity to contribute right away at the next level; but, whether NFL teams believe he can stay on the field on passing downs could determine whether he is selected in the second or third round.

Eichenberg declined an invitation to the Senior Bowl as well, despite the fact that he was left off of the most recent roster release due to an arm ailment that kept him out of three of his final four Buckeye games.

S. Josh Producer
Proctor, a Buckeye who needed a strong season to establish his draft status going into 2023, was the one who increased his draft stock the most this past season. He lived up to expectations, making the spectacular plays that defined his six-year Ohio State career in addition to providing efficient coverage on the defensive end from his free safety position throughout the whole season.

If that breakthrough had occurred two or three years earlier, Proctor would probably be discussing early drafts now. Proctor seems to be a Day 3 draft pick as of right now. Given that he will be 25 years old before the draft, his age and injury history may work against him, but the hardships he overcame while attending Ohio State should better equip him to handle the demands of playing in the NFL.

Proctor is 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, with good speed and a contact-seeking style of play. These physical attributes may allow him to play both strong and free safety in the NFL and have an impact on special teams. It is entirely possible for him to play at the next level if he can improve on his performance from the previous campaign.

Proctor will also play in the Senior Bowl, which will provide him the opportunity to significantly boost his draft ranking after a strong practice week and NFL scout interviews.

LB Steele Chapters
After an inconsistent final season with the Buckeyes in which he led the team with 83 total tackles but made fewer impact plays around the line of scrimmage (just 1.5 tackles for loss) and was inconsistent in coverage, Chambers is probably somewhere in the middle of being a late-round draft pick or an undrafted free agent.

His 6-foot-1 height and 232 pounds give him NFL upside, and given that he switched from running back to linebacker at Ohio State in the middle of his career, there’s reason to think his best football may still be ahead of him. However, at this time, he is only projected by most draft analysts to be selected outside of the seven rounds of the 2024 selection, as he is currently listed as the 328th-best talent on the consensus big board.

Chambers will have an opportunity to improve his draft stock on February 1 when he plays in the East-West Shrine Bowl, which is scheduled for Frisco, Texas, at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on NFL Network. As of right now, Chambers is the lone Buckeye confirmed to play in the Shrine Bowl, where he will also practice in front of NFL scouts and have interviews with representatives from each team in the league.

G MATT JONES: Despite starting every game for Ohio State the last two seasons, Jones is another Buckeye who probably hangs around on the edge of being selected or not.

Although Jones was Ohio State’s most reliable offensive lineman in the previous campaign, he was never able to develop into the kind of outstanding run blocker that would have improved his draft prospects. In the Cotton Bowl, where he made his lone center start as a Buckeye, he struggled. If he had shown that he could play both guard and center, that game might have helped him climb the selection boards.

Nevertheless, Jones will have a better chance of making an NFL squad because he has experience playing all three interior offensive line positions. His track record as a pass protector will also help; according to Pro Football Focus, Jones has only given up one sack in the last two seasons. This might persuade a team to gamble on the 6-foot-4, 315-pound offensive lineman in the later rounds.

Jones played in the Hula Bowl, the first all-star game of the pre-draft season, last week, giving NFL scouts an opportunity to see him up close. Although there weren’t as many elite prospects in the game as there will be in the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl, Jones, who began for his team at right guard, may benefit from the opportunity.

RB Williams, Miyan
Williams rushed for 825 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2022, making him appear like a potential middle-round draft pick. However, things didn’t go as planned during his last year as a Buckeye. For the majority of the season, he was the backup running back. However, in late October, he had knee surgery that ended his career, which ended after just 49 carries for 158 yards and three touchdowns.

Despite the unfortunate conclusion to his Ohio State career, Williams decided to skip his final two years of eligibility and enter the 2024 NFL draft, choosing to take his chance at playing professionally now.

Although it’s unclear if Williams’ injury will make it harder for him to work out for scouts during the pre-draft process, he will need to use his pre-season performance as leverage in his draft argument.

With his combination of strength and shiftiness, Williams, who stands 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 226 pounds, has a skill set that should help him establish himself in an NFL running back rotation. Given how little he played in 2023, he’ll probably have to do that as a late-round pick or undrafted free agent.

XAVIER JOHNSON, WR/RB
NFL teams should consider using a late-round selection on Johnson despite the fact that he was a former walk-on who concluded his six-year career at Ohio State with just 682 yards from scrimmage.

Johnson’s greatest asset for perhaps making an NFL team is his versatility. He led Ohio State in special teams snaps each of the previous two seasons, demonstrating his versatility as a wide receiver and running back. As there are only 48 active players per team in the NFL, being able to fill numerous roles is highly rewarded.

Even though Johnson was never given enough offensive playing time to have a significant impact at Ohio State, scouts should be able to see from his film that he has the ability to make plays when he has the ball in his hands. The team captain and recipient of the Block O jersey should undoubtedly dazzle recruiters throughout the interview process, and Ohio State coaches will be more than pleased to attest to his emphasis on the team.

It’s unclear if that will be sufficient to have Johnson drafted, but he has already shown that all he needs is a chance to make an impression, even if it comes as an undrafted free agency. Similar to Jones, Johnson took part in the Hula Bowl last week, which allowed him to show off his abilities to NFL scouts and gain a head start on the club interview process.