Breaking down the Buckeyes top-five undrafted free agents

COLUMBUS — Ohio State had six players selected in this year’s NFL Draft, most notably a trio of top-20 picks.

But there’s a handful of other Buckeyes prospects who have a good chance of sticking with NFL teams as undrafted free agent (UDFA) signings.

Lettermen Row is highlighting the Buckeyes’ top-five UDFAs.

1) S Ronnie Hickman

Safety Ronnie Hickman was projected as a late Day Three selection, but he went undrafted. It shouldn’t take long for Hickman to land with an NFL team as a UDFA. In 2021, he became the first Buckeyes player in six years with 100 or more tackles in a season. Hickman finished his Ohio State career with 158 total tackles across three seasons, posting 10-plus tackles on six different occasions. Whether he was the “bullet” (hybrid linebacker/safety) in Kerry Coombs’ system or the “adjuster” (middle safety) in Jim Knowles’ system, Hickman frequently dropped down into the box and showed great short-area tackling ability. He struggled more in the open field. The former two-way DePaul Catholic star quietly recorded some of the best coverage numbers on the team last year. Hickman was one of seven Ohio State players targeted a total of at least 30 times in 2022. Of that group, he gave up the fewest catches: 13.

2) S Tanner McCalister

Safety Tanner McCalister really should have been invited to the NFL Combine. McCalister’s Pro Day results showed why. The 5-foot-10, 191-pound defensive back logged 22 reps on the bench, which would have been tied for fourth among participating safeties at the combine. McCalister ran a 4.44 40-yard dash. Granted that time’s unofficial, but it would have been second in his position group at the combine. And his 37-inch vertical would have been seventh. McCalister went from Oklahoma State to Ohio State with defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. In his lone season with the Buckeyes, he picked off a team-high three passes and defended another. McCalister finished the year with only 291 receiving yards allowed and zero touchdowns given up, according to Pro Football Focus. He did have an 18.2% missed tackle rate, though.

3) CB Cam Brown

If only Cam Brown could have stayed healthy. Injuries limited the athletic cornerback throughout his Buckeyes career, including in 2022 when he missed five games because of a knee issue. Brown was relatively strong in his return, however — the underlying blemish on that stretch being his missed tackle on a 69-yard, game-changing catch-and-run touchdown by Michigan wide receiver Cornelius Johnson in the regular season finale. That was talked about a lot. What wasn’t was the fact that Brown allowed only two receptions for 33 yards on seven targets in the Peach Bowl against Georgia, per PFF. Despite missing close to half the season, Brown was tied for second on the team with five passes defended. He only ran a 4.53 at Ohio State’s Pro Day, but the former high school wideout does have some wheels.

4) DT Taron Vincent

Defensive tackle Taron Vincent played a career-high 489 defensive snaps in 2022, according to PFF. With explosive interior pass rusher Mike Hall hobbled, Vincent got his chance to shine, and he did in moments. That was par for the course for Vincent, who made a habit of flashing, albeit inconsistently, at Ohio State. He even had a sack as a true freshman in the 2018 Big Ten Championship. Two years later, he recorded a tackle for loss and half a sack in the conference title game, once again versus Northwestern. He capped the 2021 season, during which he started eight contests, with a six-tackle performance against Utah in the Rose Bowl. Vincent is best in a three-technique role. He has a good first step and can penetrate through gaps. Keep in mind, much of his work doesn’t show up in the box score.

5) DT Jerron Cage

Similar to Vincent, defensive tackle Jerron Cage plays with good pad level and is great at getting leverage on offensive linemen. But he never produced consistently, and he started just five of the 42 games he appeared in with the Buckeyes. That said, Cage did go out on a high note. He registered a career-high 80.5 PFF defensive grade in 2022, making three starts along the way. The Cincinnati native notched a career-high 12 tackles, 1.5 sacks and six pressures generated. Cage’s best game, numbers-wise at least, came against Iowa when he posted five tackles.

Honorable mention: FB/TE Mitch Rossi

Are fullbacks extinct in the NFL? No, not yet. But they are dwindling, and not every offensive scheme at the next level is conducive to the position. That makes things harder for Mitch Rossi, a former preferred walk-on who played a hybrid fullback/tight end role for the Buckeyes. Rossi’s hands help his case, though. He caught six passes for a pair of touchdowns across the last two seasons and looked great reeling in passes from quarterback C.J. Stroud during Ohio State’s Pro Day in March. His calling card, though, is his run blocking. At 6-foot-1, 250 pounds, Rossi has a stocky frame that helped him notch the second-best PFF run blocking grade (82.6) on the team last year. What’s more, he was penalized only once in 169 run blocking snaps. If Ohio State made room for Rossi in its star-driven offense, an NFL team might do the same. Besides, his special teams experience alone can go a long way on a pro roster.

Other former Buckeyes players to keep an eye on…

A pair of former Ohio State special teamers could be on the radar of NFL teams: place kicker Noah Ruggles and longtime long snapper Bradley Robinson. Despite missing the potential game-winner against Georgia in the Peach Bowl, Ruggles converted 90.2% of his field goals at Ohio State. Robinson, meanwhile, was with the program seven years, and Buckeyes long snappers have enjoyed recent success at the next level.

Linebacker Palaie Gaoteote IV is looking for a chance as well. Limited by injury at Ohio State after transferring from USC, Gaoteote finished his Buckeyes career with just 129 defensive snaps, per PFF. Gaoteote worked out at linebacker, defensive back and up front on the D-Line during Ohio State’s Pro Day.