Ohio State has the most all-time first-round NFL draft picks of any school. That lead should only grow on Thursday night.
Going into this week’s NFL draft, Ohio State has 87 all-time first-round picks, three more than second-place USC. The Buckeyes will become the first school ever to have 90 first-round draft choices when C.J. Stroud, Paris Johnson Jr. and Jaxon Smith-Njigba – all projected top-15 overall picks – are officially selected during the draft’s first round.
Ohio State could have four first-round picks; Dawand Jones is widely projected to be a second-round pick, but some mock drafts have him going in the back half of Round 1. It’s not entirely out of the question that the Buckeyes could have five first-round picks, as Zach Harrison has drawn occasional first-round projections, though it would come as more of a surprise if he was selected on Thursday night.
By comparison, USC is expected to have only one first-round pick on Thursday night: Wide receiver Jordan Addison, who is expected to be either the second, third or fourth receiver off the board (along with TCU’s Quentin Johnston and Boston College’s Zay Flowers) after Smith-Njigba.
Among the other three teams who rank in the top five in all-time first-round picks, the only one that could make up ground on the Buckeyes – or at least keep pace with them – is Alabama. Quarterback Bryce Young is expected to be selected by the Carolina Panthers with the No. 1 overall pick, while edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. is also expected to be one of the first players off the board. Brian Branch is a safe bet to be a first-round pick as the draft’s top safety, and running back Jahmyr Gibbs is also a candidate to join them in Round 1.
| School | First-Round Picks |
|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 87 |
| USC | 84 |
| ALABAMA | 75 |
| NOTRE DAME | 70 |
| MIAMI | 65 |
The only other team projected to have three or more first-round picks this year is Georgia, who has just 43 all-time first-round picks. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter, edge defender Nolan Smith and offensive tackle Broderick Jones are all projected top-15 picks while cornerback Kelee Ringo and/or tight end Darnell Washington could also potentially join them in the top 31 picks.
With Stroud, Johnson and Smith-Njigba all sure bets to be picked on Thursday night, Ohio State will have at least three players drafted in the first round for the 11th time ever and the first time since 2020. If they all go inside the top 15, it would be the fourth time ever and the first time since 2016 Ohio State has had three top-15 picks.
It would also be just the fourth time ever and the first time since 2016 Ohio State has had four first-round picks if the Buckeyes end up having four go in the top 31. Ohio State has had five first-round picks twice, in 2006 and 2016.
| Year | Picks | Players |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 4 | JOHN BROCKINGTON (9), JACK TATUM (19), TIM ANDERSON (23), LEO HAYDEN (24) |
| 1974 | 3 | JOHN HICKS (3), RICK MIDDLETON (13), RANDY GRADISHAR (14) |
| 1975 | 3 | KURT SCHUMACHER (12), DOUG FRANCE (20), NEAL COLZIE (24) |
| 1995 | 3 | JOEY GALLOWAY (8), KOREY STRINGER (24), CRAIG POWELL (30) |
| 1996 | 3 | TERRY GLENN (7), RICKEY DUDLEY (9), EDDIE GEORGE (14) |
| 1999 | 3 | DAVID BOSTON (8), ANTOINE WINFIELD (23), ANDY KATZENMOYER (28) |
| 2004 | 3 | WILL SMITH (18), CHRIS GAMBLE (28), MICHAEL JENKINS (29) |
| 2006 | 5 | A.J. HAWK (5), DONTE WHITNER (8), BOBBY CARPENTER (18), SANTONIO HOLMES (25), NICK MANGOLD (29) |
| 2016 | 5 | JOEY BOSA (3), EZEKIEL ELLIOTT (4), ELI APPLE (10), TAYLOR DECKER (16), DARRON LEE (20) |
| 2017 | 3 | MARSHON LATTIMORE (11), MALIK HOOKER (15), GAREON CONLEY (24) |
| 2020 | 3 | CHASE YOUNG (2), JEFF OKUDAH (3), DAMON ARNETTE (19) |
Ohio State (477 all-time draft picks) isn’t going to catch Notre Dame (522) or USC (516) for the most draft picks ever for some time, but the Buckeyes will continue to move closer to becoming the third-ever school with 500 NFL draftees.
At least seven Ohio State players are expected to be drafted this year: Stroud, Smith-Njigba, Johnson, Jones, Harrison, Luke Wypler and Ronnie Hickman. That will make it the eighth straight year Ohio State has had at least six players drafted.
| Year | Picks | Players |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 12 | DE JOEY BOSA (1st), RB EZEKIEL ELLIOTT (1st), CB ELI APPLE (1st), OT TAYLOR DECKER (1st), LB DARRON LEE (1st), WR MICHAEL THOMAS (2nd), S VONN BELL (2nd), DT ADOLPHUS WASHINGTON (3rd), WR BRAXTON MILLER (3rd), TE NICK VANNETT (3rd), LB JOSHUA PERRY (4th), QB CARDALE JONES (4th) |
| 2017 | 7 | CB MARSHON LATTIMORE (1st), S MALIK HOOKER (1st), CB GAREON CONLEY (1st), WR CURTIS SAMUEL (2nd), LB RAEKWON MCMILLAN (2nd), C PAT ELFLEIN (3rd), WR NOAH BROWN (7th) |
| 2018 | 7 | CB DENZEL WARD (1st), C BILLY PRICE (1st), DE TYQUAN LEWIS (2nd), LB JEROME BAKER (3rd), DE SAM HUBBARD (3rd), DE JALYN HOLMES (4th), OL JAMARCO JONES (5th) |
| 2019 | 9 | DE NICK BOSA (1st), QB DWAYNE HASKINS (1st), WR PARRIS CAMPBELL (2nd), DT DRE'MONT JONES (3rd), WR TERRY MCLAURIN (3rd), CB KENDALL SHEFFIELD (4th), G MICHAEL JORDAN (4th), OT ISAIAH PRINCE (6th), RB MIKE WEBER (7th) |
| 2020 | 10 | DE CHASE YOUNG (1st), CB JEFF OKUDAH (1st), CB DAMON ARNETTE (1st), RB J.K. DOBBINS (2nd), DT DAVON HAMILTON (3rd), G JONAH JACKSON (3rd), LB MALIK HARRISON (3rd), S JORDAN FULLER (6th), WR K.J. HILL (7th), DT JASHON CORNELL (7th) |
| 2021 | 10 | QB JUSTIN FIELDS (1st), LB PETE WERNER (2nd), C JOSH MYERS (2nd), G WYATT DAVIS (3rd), RB TREY SERMON (3rd), LB BARON BROWNING (4th), DT TOMMY TOGIAI (4th), TE LUKE FARRELL (5th), CB SHAUN WADE (5th), DE JONATHON COOPER (7th) |
| 2022 | 6 | WR GARRETT WILSON (1st), WR CHRIS OLAVE (1st), OT NICHOLAS PETIT-FRERE (3rd), TE JEREMY RUCKERT (3rd), DE TYREKE SMITH (5th), OT THAYER MUNFORD (7th) |
Wypler and Harrison are widely projected to join Stroud, Johnson, Smith-Njigba and Jones as top-100 picks. If that happens, it would be the eighth time Ohio State has had six players drafted in the top 100.
| Year | Top-100 Picks | Players |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 7 | KURT SCHUMACHER (12), DOUG FRANCE (20), NEAL COLZIE (24), PETE CUSICK (66), STEVE LUKE (88), CHAMP HENSON (89), BRUCE ELIA (100) |
| 1995 | 7 | JOEY GALLOWAY (8), KOREY STRINGER (24), CRAIG POWELL (30), CHRIS SANDERS (67), MARLON KERNER (76), LORENZO STYLES (77), PRESTON HARRISON (98) |
| 2004 | 8 | WILL SMITH (18), CHRIS GAMBLE (28), MICHAEL JENKINS (29), BEN HARTSOCK (68), TIM ANDERSON (74), B.J. SANDER (87), DARRION SCOTT (88), ALEX STEPANOVICH (100) |
| 2006 | 7 | A.J. HAWK (5), DONTE WHITNER (8), BOBBY CARPENTER (18), SANTONIO HOLMES (25), NICK MANGOLD (29), ASHTON YOUBOTY (70), ANTHONY SCHLEGEL (76) |
| 2016 | 10 | JOEY BOSA (3), EZEKIEL ELLIOTT (4), ELI APPLE (10), TAYLOR DECKER (16), DARRON LEE (20), MICHAEL THOMAS (47), VONN BELL (61), ADOLPHUS WASHINGTON (80), BRAXTON MILLER (85), NICK VANNETT (94) |
| 2017 | 6 | MARSHON LATTIMORE (11), MALIK HOOKER (15), GAREON CONLEY (24), CURTIS SAMUEL (40), RAEKWON MCMILLAN (54), PAT ELFLEIN (70) |
| 2020 | 7 | CHASE YOUNG (2), JEFF OKUDAH (3), DAMON ARNETTE (19), J.K. DOBBINS (55), DAVON HAMILTON (73), JONAH JACKSON (75), MALIK HARRISON (98) |
Ohio State isn’t likely to reach double-digit draftees this year, but the Buckeyes could have eight or nine players selected with Cameron Brown and Tanner McCalister looking like the strongest candidates to join the other seven among the 259 selections in this year’s draft.
All of that is to say Ohio State will have plenty to celebrate once again during the 2023 NFL draft, which begins Thursday at 8 p.m. (Round 1), continues Friday at 7 p.m. (Rounds 2-3) and concludes Saturday beginning at noon (Rounds 4-7). All seven rounds of the draft will be televised on ABC, ESPN, NFL Network and ESPN Deportes, and Eleven Warriors will have coverage of every Buckeye selection as it happens.
