9 things to know about Ohio State and the NFL Draft

Here are a few more:

1. The 2019 draft officially closes the book on Ohio State’s signing class of 2014.

The class produced 10 draftees, a total the trails the 1998 (11) and 2002 (12) recruiting classes for most for an Ohio State class in since the draft was reduced to seven rounds in 1994.

Forty-three percent of the 23-man class was drafted, which also trails the ’98 group (69 percent) and the 2002 group (48 percent).

The ’14 group, which was ranked No. 5 nationally, outpaced the 2013 group that was ranked No. 1 and produced eight draft picks and had 33 percent of its members selected.

2. The 2015 is off to a nice start.

The average number of recruits per recruiting class since 1990 is 6.2 and the average percentage of draft picks from each class is roughly 30.

The 2015 class has already produced six draft picks (representing 22 percent of the class) with more than a handful of members still having eligibility remaining for this fall.

Receiver K.J. Hill headlines that group after choosing not to enter this year’s draft.

3. So is 2016.

Just three years removed from high school, three members of the 2016 class have already been drafted (Nick Bosa, Dwayne Haskins and Michael Jordan).

Seven members of the class already have significant starting experience and could be in this position next year while a handful more came out of spring looking like they will be starters this fall, including receivers Austin Mack and Binjimen Victor.

4. The position to produce the most NFL players in the common era remained the same.

Although no linebackers were taken this time around, no other position can touch the 52 draftees that position has produced since 1967.

The next group is receiver (43) followed by cornerback (33), running back (31), safety (27), offensive tackle (25) and defensive end (20).

5. Three positions are tied for the most Urban Meyer signees drafted.

With a pair of receivers taken (Parris Campbell and Terry McLaurin), that position moved into a tie with cornerbacks and defensive ends for most Ohio State Urban Meyer signees drafted so far with five apiece.

(A cornerback, Kendall Sheffield, and a defensive end, Nick Bosa, were also drafted.)

This draft produced the second Meyer quarterback (Dwayne Haskins) and second Meyer running back (Mike Weber) while we are still looking for the first tight end, offensive guard, kicker or punter.

6. Playing center at Ohio State is a good way to get drafted, too.

With Michael Jordan, who moved to center last year after two years at guard, being taken by the Bengals, three Ohio State Meyer signees have played their way into the draft at that spot, matching the number of tackles (which is impressive since twice as many tackles play at a time).

Overall, 12 Ohio State centers have been drafted in the common era, including eight since 2002.

7. The Cleveland Browns have still drafted more Ohio State players (34) than any other team.

But that is not thanks to recent history. Denzel Ward, the No. 4 overall pick last year, is the only Buckeye picked by the Browns in the last 10 drafts. Beyond that, they have only five Ohio State draftees since 1978.

Credit: Tim Warner

Credit: Tim Warner

8. Overall the Bengals are 10th in the league in total Ohio State draftees with 20.

Since the Bengals came into existence in 1969, Cincinnati has drafted twice as many Ohio State players as the Browns (10) in the same time period.

The other teams in the top 10 for drafting Buckeyes — Bears (30), Rams (27), Lions (24), Packers (24), Eagles (23), Colts (22), Steelers (22) and Giants (21) — predate the Bengals by more than a decade.

9. All but two NFL teams have taken at least one Ohio State player in the last 15 years. 

The exceptions are the Titans and Buccaneers.

Tampa last tapped a Buckeye in 2004 — Wayne graduate Will Allen — while Tennessee’s team took Robert Reynolds in the same draft.

Both of them have taken more Buckeyes in the last 30 years than the Lions, though. The state of Michigan’s NFL team (stolen from Portsmouth, Ohio, two years before the first draft took place in 1936, FWIW) has only drafted one Ohio State player since 1990.

That was Butler High School graduate Taylor Decker in 2016.

Credit: Jon Durr

Credit: Jon Durr