Six Buckeyes land in Daniel Jeremiah's latest list of top 50 draft prospects

COLUMBUS — A total of 15 Buckeyes players were invited to the NFL Combine, which will take place later this week in Indianapolis. Ironically, that’s the same number of draft picks that Georgia had in 2022 — the record for most players drafted from one school in a single draft.

Of course, Ohio State has the most players invited to the combine of any program. That’s more than Georgia and Texas, which each will have 14 players, Oregon with 13, Ole Miss and South Carolina with 11, Miami and Alabama with 10, Michigan with nine, and then Notre Dame and LSU, which each have eight invitees. Ohio State beat the Fighting Irish, Ducks and Longhorns on their way to the national title, showing how talented the teams that Ohio State beat along the way to the title were this past season.

Among those 15 Buckeyes going to Indy this week, six made the updated list of Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50 draft prospects. Lettermen Row has them here.

WR Emeka Egbuka — No. 23

Jeremiah has Emeka Egbuka as the No. 4 wide receiver on his big board, behind Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan and Texas’ Matthew Golden.

Here’s what Jeremiah said about Egbuka:

Egbuka is a strong, physical receiver with the ability to play inside or outside. He’s quick in his release, and he can fight his way through press coverage. He is more of a one-speed route runner, but he’s very comfortable working in traffic. He attacks the ball in the air in the middle of the field. On vertical routes, he tracks the ball well and has a knack for utilizing late hands to prevent defenders from playing the pocket and poking the ball away. He has a great feel for working in zones and adjusting his route if the play is prolonged. After the catch, he relies more on toughness than pure speed to create extra yards. Overall, I view Egbuka as an impact slot receiver in the mold of former Buckeye Jaxon Smith-Njigba.  

– Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network  

OT Josh Simmons — No. 31

Jeremiah has Josh Simmons as his third-best offensive tackle available, trailing LSU’s Will Campbell and Texas’ Kelvin Banks.

Here’s what Jeremiah said about Simmons:

Simmons is a gifted left tackle prospect. He was having an outstanding 2024 campaign before suffering a season-ending knee injury in October. He has excellent size, movement skills and balance. In the passing game, he has a smooth/fluid set. He can easily redirect and plays with a wide/firm base. He uses a sharp punch before steering and controlling defenders. He will overset on occasion, but he’s nimble enough to redirect and recover. In the run game, he plays under control, stays on his feet and maintains leverage/position. He can adjust in space on combos. The main question with Simmons is health. What he put on tape this fall should generate plenty of optimism about his chances of becoming a quality starting left tackle in the NFL. 

– Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network  

OT/OG Donovan Jackson — No. 32

Jeremiah has Donovan Jackson behind three other interior offensive linemen: North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel, Missouri’s Armand Membou and Alabama’s Tyler Booker.

Here’s what Jeremiah said about Jackson:

Jackson has ideal size, strength and bend as an interior offensive lineman. He is best suited at guard, but he stepped up to play left tackle after the Buckeyes lost their starter at the position in the middle of the 2024 season. In the pass game, he sets with a firm anchor, bends his knees and stays attached. He can slide and redirect smoothly. He is keenly aware on twists and stunts. In the run game, he creates movement on down blocks. He has the quickness and athleticism to kick out defenders on outside pulls. He has enough foot speed to reach and seal on the back side. His overall hand placement is excellent in both the run and pass game. He had a couple tough reps against Abdul Carter, but I was impressed with his overall competitiveness at tackle. He is more than functional at that position, but I see him as a top-tier guard.

– Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network  

RB TreVeyon Henderson — No. 35

Jeremiah has TreVeyon Henderson as his third-best running back available, behind only Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty and North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton.

Here’s what Jeremiah said about Henderson:

Henderson is a muscled-up runner with elite speed and versatility. He is patient to the hole before exploding through with high knees. He has long speed to destroy pursuit angles once he gets into the open field. He needs to improve his contact balance, though. Too often, his feet stop when met at or near the line of scrimmage. He has the lower-body strength to power through if he keeps driving his feet. In the passing game, he runs a wide variety of routes with quickness and savvy. He has strong, reliable hands. He’s an elite pass protector. He is quick to identify blitzers and attack them. He strains to finish, sometimes well after the ball has been caught down the field. Overall, Henderson is a three-down weapon, brimming with big-play potential. 

– Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network

RB Quinshon Judkins — No. 37

Jeremiah has Quinshon Judkins as his fourth-best running back available, behind only Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton and Henderson.

Here’s what Jeremiah said about Judkins:

Judkins is a powerful, compact runner with outstanding career production. He is very decisive and aggressive on inside runs. He runs low to the ground and hunts the unblocked defender with a thirst for violence. He has a vicious stiff-arm, provided he doesn’t simply lower his shoulder and run through the defender. On perimeter runs, he usually looks to square up and get vertical as soon as possible. He isn’t as polished in the passing game as Ohio State teammate TreVeyon Henderson, but he’s competent as a screen/checkdown option and he’s aware in pass protection. He’s at his best in the four-minute offense. He closed out the Penn State game with one punishing run after another. Overall, Judkins has areas to improve, but he is a natural runner and he’s built to carry a full load as a starter.  

– Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network

DE Jack Sawyer — No. 48

Jeremiah is high on Jack Sawyer, listing him as the No. 8 EDGE available behind Penn State’s Abdul Carter, Georgia’s Jalon Walker, Georgia’s Mykel Williams, Marshall’s Mike Green, Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr., Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart and Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku

Here’s what Jeremiah said about Sawyer:

Sawyer is a big, rugged edge defender with excellent production. Against the run, he’s a bully at the point of attack. He jolts blockers with his hands before discarding and pursuing the ball. He consistently collapses tight ends. He plays with excellent effort to chase plays from the back side. He will drop into coverage on occasion. He’s tight in his change of direction, but his instincts put him in position to make plays. As a pass rusher, he relies mostly on power. He runs his feet on contact, generating a push with his bull rush. He also has a violent club move. Overall, Sawyer is a dominant edge-setter in the run game and he will test the brakes of opposing tackles in the pass game.

– Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network