Today I thought we could take our minds off of the season a little and take a look into the future to examine where our Buckeyes stand when it comes to this years NFL draft. Ohio State has had some incredible draft classes through the years, but depending on which players decide to declare for the draft, this could be the most prolific 1st round in Ohio State history
Lets go ahead and start with the obvious choice as the first Buckeye to come off of the board will most definelty be DE Joey Bosa. Bosa has proven to potentially be the most dynamic player to enter the draft in 2016. Joey’s combination of size, speed, and endless motor has propelled him to the top of every experts big board. Bosa has the potential to be the number 1 over all pick. If not, he will surely be in the top 5.
The next Buckeye most likely to be taken in the draft is RT Taylor Decker. Taylor is a 6’8″ mountain of a man at the right tackle position. With his prototypical size, strength, and athleticism for the position has NFL scouts excited for what Decker can bring to their offensive line.
Most likely to come off the board next for the Buckeyes is the legend himself, Zeke Elliot. Zeke is everything that NFL scouts are looking for in a franchise RB. Elliot has a God given ability to run strong behind his pads like any power running back, but also the extremely rare ability to pair that with breakaway speed once he gets through the pile. Combine that with great hands unbelievable blocking ability, Zeke is the real deal!
After Zeke comes off the board things could get interesting, but the next guy to fall will be DT Adolphus Washington. Washington has really come into his own this year. As a senior ,Washington had the option to leave last year and enter the draft. In doing so, he would have surely been a 3rd or 4th rd pick, but deciding to come back to school has turned out to be a good decision so far. As of now Washington has been unstoppable and for all Buckeye fans, I hope it continues.
The next guy off the board will have a lot to do with who decides to enter the draft, but if Darron Lee throws his name in the hat then I think he is the next guy to walk across the stage. D Lee is a freak of nature at the OLB position; stupid speed, crazy athleticism, and a massive chip on his shoulder makes Darron Lee a force to be reckoned with and NFL scouts love it!
The next guy is a personal favorite of mine! WR Michael Thomas is a guy that could rocket up the draft board with a big second half of the year. Thomas has the typical WR personality; a little cocky, a little arrogant, but not too much to make him unlikeable. Mike’s size, quickness, and incredible route running make Thomas a valuable commodity in today’s NFL.
The last two guys that could find themselves in the first round if they decide to come out is S Vonn Bell and (yes I’m going to say it) Cardale Jones. Bell is another guy that people are not  totally sure on whether or not he will declare for the draft, but since he has been playing so well I would say chances are high. There are still some things that he needs work on in his pass coverage, but as a pure talent and phenomenal tackler NFL teams are very interested in Mr. Bell. In the case of King Cardale it would be an understatement to say that his draft stock has drastically fallen, but this year, just like every year,there is always a team desperate for a franchise QB and Cardale has all of the flashy highlights and big arm to draw a team in. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Jones is a trap, I just don’t think he is ready for the big league.
All in all if everything worked out perfectly, the Buckeyes could have 8 first round draft picks. Chances are the NFL is going to be full of Buckeyes in the near future!
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