Rounding up where Buckeyes land in early NFL mock drafts

COLUMBUS — Ohio State had one of the most talented rosters in recent memory this season on its way to a national championship win.

Now eight defensive starters and an incredible group of offensive weapons are heading to the NFL Draft following their storied Buckeyes careers.

Lettermen Row has rounded up some various mock drafts to find out where experts have Buckeyes stars landing at the next level. Let’s dive in with some of them early in the process.

Blake Brockermeyer, CBS Sports

WR Emeka Egbuka — No. 22 overall to the Los Angeles Chargers

Why: Emeka Egbuka was a consistent weapon for Ohio State, excelling as a route runner with exceptional hands and situational awareness. He’s a versatile player who can take short passes to the house or stretch the field. The Chargers could use his playmaking ability to bolster their offense. This could be a really promising wideout corps with Egbuka. -Brockermeyer

LT Josh Simmons — No. 31 overall to the Philadelphia Eagles

Why: Josh Simmons has a high ceiling with upper-body strength and athleticism, though he comes with technique concerns and is recovering from a knee injury. He’s a fluid mover with excellent recovery ability and the power to dominate in the run game. If healthy, Simmons could become a key contributor on the Eagles’ offensive line. -Brockermeyer

Max Chadwick, ProFootball Focus

DE Jack Sawyer — No. 17 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals

Why: Sawyer became an Ohio legend by helping lead the Buckeyes to a national championship, and he gets to stay in his home state here. His 92.0 PFF overall grade since 2023 ranked second among Power Four edge defenders to only Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr.

Sawyer is strong both as a pass-rusher and run defender, posting 80.0-plus grades in each facet over the past two seasons. He’s a high-floor player who would immediately help a Bengals defense that kept the team from making the playoffs this season. -Chadwick

WR Emeka Egbuka — No. 21 overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers

Why: Outside of George Pickens, the Steelers don’t have much at wide receiver. The reliable Egbuka would fill in perfectly as their No. 2 option. He was open on 87.6% of his career targets in college, which places him in the 98th percentile of FBS wideouts. -Chadwick

LT Josh Simmons — No. 29 overall to the Washington Commanders

Why: Washington’s tackles combined for the sixth-lowest PFF grade this past season. While he’s coming off a torn ACL, Simmons should be an immediate starter when healthy. His 82.4 PFF pass-blocking grade on true pass sets this past year placed him in the 98th percentile for FBS tackles. -Chadwick

Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network

LT Josh Simmons — No. 29 overall to the Washington Commanders

Jeremiah only has one Ohio State player in his first-round mock draft. Simmons is basically in everyone’s first-round prognostication. The Commanders need an offensive tackle to protect Jaylen Daniels, and Jeremiah says Simmons is the man for the job.

Mel Kiper’s QB rankings

Will Howard — 6th best QB

Howard is behind Sheduer Sanders of Colorado, Cam Ward of Miami, Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and Syracuse’s Kyle McCord, who started for a season at Ohio State back in 2023 and went 11-1 as a starter before transferring to the Orange.

Howard began the season as a potential draft pick, but now he’s one of the best quarterback on the board — per Kiper. That’s remarkable for the national championship-winning quarterback of the Buckeyes.

Kiper’s top 25 players

LT Josh Simmons — No. 14 on Big Board

Ohio State didn’t have Simmons for the title run following his knee injury in October, but he’s still among the very best tackle prospects on the board. Kiper has him as the No. 3 overall tackle — behind only Texas’ Kelvin Banks and LSU’s Will Campbell.

WR Emeka Egbuka — No. 24 on Big Board

Only three receivers — Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Arizona’s Tet McMillan and Missouri’s Luther Burden — are ahead of Egbuka on Kiper’s big board before the NFL Scouting Combine. The Buckeyes’ all-time receptions leader should easily be a first-round pick with a good showing in the pre-draft process.