The Ohio State Buckeyes enter the 2023 season loaded with talent all across the roster. If the first edition of a 2024 NFL Mock Draft says anything, it says that OSU is loaded with next-level talent as well.
Ohio State Mock Draft: Buckeyes Place 9 in Early 2024 Mock
Despite not having the answer at quarterback like we’ve become accustomed to in Columbus, the Buckeyes are sure to dot the NFL with multiple players next year. This fall, those players return to the field to attempt to regain the Big Ten title.
OSU certainly appears to have the talent capable of reclaiming the Big Ten Championship. If all goes to plan, their next-level talent will help them accomplish such a feat before making the NFL leap.
In his latest 2024 NFL Mock Draft, Pro Football Network Draft Analyst Ian Cummings mocked nine current Buckeyes to new NFL homes.
- Round 1, Pick 2: WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (Arizona Cardinals)
- Round 1, Pick 10: EDGE J.T. Tuimoloau (Pittsburgh Steelers)
- Round 1, Pick 11: DT Michael Hall Jr. (Seattle Seahawks)
- Round 1, Pick 16: WR Emeka Egbuka (New Orleans Saints)
- Round 1, Pick 22: G Donovan Jackson (Jacksonville Jaguars)
- Round 1, Pick 29: RB TreVeyon Henderson (Cincinnati Bengals)
- Round 2, Pick 35: CB Denzel Burke (Indianapolis Colts)
- Round 2, Pick 54: DT Tyleik Williams (Jacksonville Jaguars)
- Round 3, Pick 91: EDGE Jack Sawyer (New York Jets)
The six first-round selections would tie the record for most first-round draft picks in a single draft, set twice before. Considering this mock draft was just the first three rounds, Ohio State’s expectations for the 2023 season should be sky-high.
Regarding Harrison, he was the second overall selection and the first non-quarterback after Caleb Williams of USC was selected first overall. Cummings wrote about the Cardinals’ selection:
“Harrison gives a hemorrhaging receiving corps a new top dog, and at 6’4″, 205 pounds, he has the size, athleticism, route nuance, and otherworldly instincts to be a star.”
Harrison exploded onto the stage famously at the 2022 Rose Bowl and followed that up with an even better year last fall. He’s sure to dot every single preseason award watch list in 2023 and should be in the conversation for every major award come December.
About Tuimoloau, who Cummings mocked to the Steelers, his ascension last year has pushed him to the second edge defender to be selected.
“At 6’4″, 277 pounds, J.T. Tuimoloau provides a rare mix of size, burst, flexibility, and power, but his best trait might be his penchant for playmaking. He logged 3.5 sacks and 10.5 TFLs in 2022, and the best is still yet to come.”
MORE: 100% FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator (With Trades)
Tuimoloau made highlight-reel play after highlight-reel play a season ago and returns as one of the favorites on the majority of the preseason defensive awards. But he’s not the only defensive lineman from Columbus to land in Round 1.
Cummings on Hall: “At 6’2″, 290 pounds, Michael Hall Jr. is an extremely well-leveraged DL with elite burst off the snap and heavy hands at contact.”
Hall would join former Ohio State defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones in Seattle if this mock draft were to come true.
Flipping back to offense for the next first-round selections, Egbuka’s selection at No. 16 would give Ohio State two of the first three receivers drafted.
“The Saints return to their Ohio State WR pipeline here, adding Emeka Egbuka to join forces with Michael Thomas and Chris Olave,” Cummings wrote. “With Thomas manning the boundary and Olave providing his surgical brand of speed, Egbuka can be a versatile movement Z receiver with his nuance, play strength, smooth catching ability, and utility in the RAC phase.”
Next up is Donovan Jackson, who was always destined for a life in the NFL.
“He’s a former five-star recruit who earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2022, using his athleticism, shock in his hands, and strength at 6’4″, 320 pounds to stand out,” Cummings authored.
Wrapping it up was Henderson, as the talented running back heads down I-71 to Cincinnati.
Cummings discussed the oft-talked-about running backs in the first-round topic in regards to Henderson: “The Bengals are one such team that might be in position to spend on a luxury player in the 2023 NFL Draft. Assuming they move on from Joe Mixon, TreVeyon Henderson could be a good successor.”
The talent is certainly there in Columbus — even if there isn’t an answer at quarterback just yet. One good thing about the abundance of talent for the Buckeyes is that this group can help elevate the players around them, something either quarterback may need as they adjust to life in the limelight at The Shoe.
