The 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone but the action doesn’t stop there. With just 257 selections and a draft pool of over 1,000 athletes, the undrafted free agent market is almost as exciting.
Which players from the Ohio State Buckeyes are set to make a splash in their new homes?
Ohio State Football Draft Picks
Below is the full list of Ohio State’s picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Included are the player, their position, their draft slot, and the NFL team that selected them.
The round and position numbers indicated are the round and overall pick numbers. For instance, 5.175 is Round 5, Pick No. 175, or 3.92 is Round 3, Pick No. 92, etc.
- Emeka Egbuka, WR – 1.19, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Donovan Jackson, OG – 1.24, Minnesota Vikings
- Tyleik Williams, DT – 1.28, Detroit Lions
- Josh Simmons, OT – 1.32, Kansas City Chiefs
- Quinshon Judkins, RB – 2.36, Cleveland Browns
- TreVeyon Henderson, RB – 2.38, New England Patriots
- J.T. Tuimoloau, EDGE – 2.45, Indianapolis Colts
- Cody Simon, LB – 4.115, Arizona Cardinals
- Lathan Ransom, S – 4.122, Carolina Panthers
- Jack Sawyer, EDGE – 4.123, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Ty Hamilton, DT – 5.148, Los Angeles Rams
- Jordan Hancock, CB – 5.170, Buffalo Bills
- Denzel Burke, CB – 5.174, Arizona Cardinals
- Will Howard, QB – 6.185, Pittsburgh Steelers
Ohio State Football UDFA Signings
Below is the full list of Ohio State’s undrafted free agent signings. This list will be updated as soon as signings become official.
To view every team’s undrafted free agent signings: 2025 NFL Draft UDFA Signings by School
- Josh Fryar, OT – Arizona Cardinals
- Seth McLaughlin, OC – Cincinnati Bengals
Ohio State Football Draft Grades
Thanks to our friends at Pro Football & Sports Network, we can take a look at how the Ohio State players were graded with their landing spots. Below is the letter grade and subsequent analysis when provided for each pick.
- Round 5, Pick 148
Ty Hamilton, DT | Los Angeles Rams
Grade: A - Round 5, Pick 170
Jordan Hancock, CB | Buffalo Bills
Grade: B - Round 5, Pick 174
Denzel Burke, CB | Arizona Cardinals
Grade: A- - Round 6, Pick 185
Will Howard, QB | Pittsburgh Steelers
Grade: A
Emeka Egbuka NFL Draft Grade
- Round 1, Pick 19
Emeka Egbuka, WR | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Grade: A
Almost every mock in April had the Buccaneers investing in their defensive line, but they subverted all the prevailing expectations by selecting Emeka Egbuka at 19th overall. While the need for additional pass-rush help and cornerback talent remains on defense, Egbuka makes a dangerous offense even more so.
The only question regarding the Egbuka selection is how much Tampa Bay truly needed him. They brought back Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillan showed promise as a WR3 down the stretch in 2024. But there’s no disputing the value Egbuka can bring as a high-level movement-Z WR.
At 6’1”, 205 pounds, Egbuka can carve through zone-coverage looks with his fluidity, explosiveness, and spatial IQ. He can operate out of the slot with his physical RAC ability and soft hands, and his ability to work multiple levels can help him weave between Evans and Godwin and function as a safety blanket. Tampa Bay’s entire operation runs through a high-powered passing offense, and now Baker Mayfield has the best WR trio in the league.
Donovan Jackson NFL Draft Grade
- Round 1, Pick 24
Donovan Jackson, OG | Minnesota Vikings
Grade: B+
The Minnesota Vikings had a plethora of options to improve the secondary at 23rd overall, but instead, they decided to further bolster their offensive line, filling the final starting spot with Donovan Jackson. It’s not a flashy move, but you can’t fault the Vikings for choosing to protect J.J. McCarthy, and they couldn’t have picked a better remaining player.
At 6’4”, 315 pounds, with near-34” arms, Jackson has a picture-perfect combination of natural leverage, compact mass, and proportional length, and he closed out his career on a high note in 2024, winning a national championship and producing high-level film at both guard and tackle.
Guard is where Jackson will slot in for Minnesota, and he profiles best there with his stout, squatty build and heavy hands. In a phone booth, he stays square and gathers rushers with ease, and he can cover ground and drive punishing power in the run game. This is a high-floor pick first and foremost, but it accomplishes a goal and fills a pressing need for Minnesota.
Tyleik Williams NFL Draft Grade
- Round 1, Pick 28
Tyleik Williams, DT | Detroit Lions
Grade: A-
The expectation was that the Lions would address not just the defensive line but also EDGE in particular. There’s still a need for a true starter opposite Aidan Hutchinson, but the Lions managed to bolster their interior defensive line at 28th overall, selecting Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams.
Williams’ placement on boards varied, but he was a top-25 talent on mine and a sure-fire first-round DT with exciting three-down upside. At 6’3” and 334 pounds, he’s a slab of marble in run defense with unique alignment versatility, and he has the energized build-up speed and power capacity to make an impact as a rusher.
Interestingly enough, Williams profiles similarly to the Lions’ own Alim McNeill, who has developed into a star. Williams has the versatility to line up at 0-tech and 1-tech in odd fronts or at 3-tech and 4i in even fronts, and he’s even taken reps as a play-side 5-tech in run defense. Simply put, Williams is a role-diverse DT with a complete skill set and exciting early value.
Josh Simmons NFL Draft Grade
- Round 1, Pick 32
Josh Simmons, OT | Kansas City Chiefs
Grade: A+
The Chiefs have always excelled at playing the board, and that’s no different this year. After moving back a spot and adding a mid-day three pick, the Chiefs added a top-20 talent at offensive tackle in Josh Simmons. Simmons will presumably replace Jaylon Moore at left tackle, shoring up the Chiefs’ line for the long term.
At 6’5”, 317 pounds, there’s a case to be made that Simmons is the best athlete in the OT class. His space blocking is a sight to behold on tape, and his range at the second level is rivaled only by his hyperactive matching athleticism and elite flexibility, both on recovery and in power absorption.
On top of his athletic gifts, Simmons’ technical tape in 2024 was incredibly clean before a torn patellar tendon ended his season prematurely. But the Chiefs’ selection reaffirms his clean bill of health moving forward, and he has the upside to be a high-level starter in time. Patrick Mahomes will be much more comfortable in the pocket, and that’s a scary thought.
Quinshon Judkins NFL Draft Grade
- Round 2, Pick 36
Quinshon Judkins, RB | Cleveland Browns
Grade: C+
We knew the Browns were going to target a running back on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft. But at No. 36 overall, there’s a strong argument to make that they took the lower-graded, less-versatile of the two Ohio State RBs with Quinshon Judkins.
TreVeyon Henderson’s medicals might’ve been a concern for Cleveland, but Judkins doesn’t have nearly as much passing-down utility, which the Browns will have to reconcile with the rest of their RB rotation.
Having said all this, Judkins has the ideal volume-back build; he’s incredibly physical and can function as an explosive carving knife with his speed, vision, and bend. He can be a good player, but better options might’ve been available.
TreVeyon Henderson NFL Draft Grade
- Round 2, Pick 38
TreVeyon Henderson, RB | New England Patriots
Grade: B
The Patriots had more pressing needs at both WR and EDGE, with solid value on the board at both spots, so taking an RB early in a deep RB class will have its downsides. But Antonio Gibson is on a short-term deal, and Rhamondre Stevenson’s consistency has been an issue at times. TreVeyon Henderson improves the rotation’s floor, and he can offer much more than that.
At around 5’10”, 202 pounds, Henderson is a compact, low-to-the-ground runner with stellar slashing explosiveness, one-cut agility, finishing physicality, and receiving versatility.
He’s a ready-made pass-catching threat and a bouncer as a pass blocker – a trait that’ll help improve Drake Maye’s security. The Patriots will need to address remaining needs later on, but Henderson is nothing but a quality addition.
J.T. TuimoloauNFL Draft Grade
- Round 2, Pick 45
J.T. Tuimoloau, EDGE | Indianapolis Colts
Grade: C+
It was expected that perhaps the Colts would target their interior offensive line, an area of significant need entering Day 2. Instead, the Colts spent their first Day 2 selection on an edge defender to complement Kwity Paye and Laiatu Latu. Having high-end depth at a premier position group is valuable; Tuimoloau no doubt provides that and more.
At 6’4”, 265 pounds, with nearly 34” arms, Tuimoloau’s power profile is elite, as is his playmaking instinct off the edge. He can rush from 3-point stances or as a stand-up player, and his force output downhill can be overwhelming. He’s a good player who fits Lou Anarumo’s stylistic preferences, but the decision to pass on interior OL could come back to bite Indianapolis.
Cody Simon NFL Draft Grade
- Round 4, Pick 115
Cody Simon, LB | Arizona Cardinals
Grade: B-
There aren’t too many issues with Cody Simon as a player here. He has good size, great athleticism, and he’s coming off a career-best campaign in which he showed true upside a a productive MIKE linebacker. He can manage hip leverage in coverage, he can crash downhill, and he can blitz. In time, he should become a solid starter for Arizona.
The opportunity cost here, however, is that the Cardinals passed up several receivers who would’ve improved their middling receiving corps. Beyond Marvin Harrison Jr., the Cardinals have very little dependable ammunition, and that offensive construction hurt them in 2024.
Lathan Ransom NFL Draft Grade
- Round 4, Pick 122
Lathan Ransom, S | Carolina Panthers
Grade: A
Safety was a huge need for the Panthers, even after signing Tre’von Moehrig to the richest safety deal in this year’s free agency class. Lathan Ransom is a burly box safety who should pair nicely with Moehrig, as the ex-Raiders DB has played a lot of deep centerfield snaps in his career.
Ransom broke out as a fifth-year senior for the national champs in 2024, recording 9 TFLs and three forced fumbles. He shines against the run but has some coverage limitations and needs to clean up his tackling to be a truly effective starter. Still, given how thin the Panthers were at safety apart from Moehrig, Ransom should have a chance to play immediately.
Jack Sawyer NFL Draft Grade
- Round 4, Pick 123
Jack Sawyer, EDGE | Pittsburgh Steelers
Grade: B
This just feels like a Pittsburgh Steelers pick. Jack Sawyer is a well-built defender with a strong frame. He’s not going to wow you with his athleticism, and he lacks the length and bend that you typically prefer from an edge rusher, but he’s built Ford-tough. He brings plenty of experience against high-level competition, so it’s not hard to envision him thriving under Mike Tomlin.
This is somewhat of a luxury pick for the Steelers, as they have a strong duo of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith on the edge. That’s what makes this an ideal situation for Sawyer, who can learn behind two of the best in the game. Sawyer’s physicality, instincts, and high motor skills will be valuable assets for a team that wants to beat up its opponents.
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