Build Your Buckeye Draft Squad: Which Ohio State Players Would You Pick If You Could Only Take Five?

That’s not an easy question to answer this year, as Ohio State is projected to have 15 players selected in the 2025 NFL draft – a number that would tie Georgia’s record for the most picks in a seven-round draft – with more than half of them projected to be top-100 selections.

As we count down the hours until the NFL draft begins Thursday, we’re challenging you to build your squad of Ohio State draft prospects – with a couple of restrictions.

To simulate a realistic draft experience in which you’d have to make tough choices on which of Ohio State’s top prospects to pick, we’ve separated Ohio State’s 15 projected selections into five tiers based on their average draft projection in mock drafts entering draft week. The players who are most frequently projected to be first-round draft picks are in the $5 tier, while the projected draftees with the lowest average draft projection are in the $1 tier, as seen in the graphic below.

You’re allowed to select any five players, but the total value of your five picks cannot exceed $15. Which five Buckeyes are joining your team?

Let us know who you’re picking and why in the comments below. To get the conversation started, here’s who each member of the Eleven Warriors beat team would take.

Dan Hope

Donovan Jackson ($5)
TreVeyon Henderson ($4)
Jack Sawyer ($3)
Will Howard ($2)
Jordan Hancock ($1)

Jackson gets my slight nod over Simmons as the Buckeye I’d draft first because of his proven versatility to play both guard and tackle at a high level. While Simmons might be the better NFL tackle prospect, I feel most certain that Jackson will be a longtime quality starter on an NFL offensive line at one position or another.

Henderson’s home-run playmaking ability paired with his ability to be an asset as both a blocker and receiver in the passing game gives him the upside to become one of the NFL’s most dynamic running backs, so I couldn’t pass up that potential.

I remain as bullish on Sawyer having a successful NFL career as any other Buckeye in this year’s draft, so taking him was a no-brainer value selection for me. So too was drafting Howard, who I personally expect to be one of the best NFL quarterbacks out of this year’s draft based on his excellent play at Ohio State last season as well as his NFL-ready mental makeup and intangibles.

With just one dollar left to spend, I used my final pick on Hancock because of the versatility he can bring to an NFL secondary with his ability to play both cornerback and safety. Considering how well he tested at Ohio State’s pro day, he’s another Buckeye who I believe should be drafted higher than most mock drafts project.

Chase Brown

Emeka Egbuka ($5)
TreVeyon Henderson ($4)
Jack Sawyer ($3)
Will Howard ($2)
Jordan Hancock ($1)

Dan and I have the same five, except for one, as I chose Egbuka over Simmons and Jackson. While The Blind Side taught me that left tackle is one of the most important positions in the National Football League – thanks, Lawrence Taylor – I cannot pass on Egbuka, the latest model to come from Ohio State’s wide receiver production line. Egbuka doesn’t have a standout trait like Marvin Harrison Jr.’s frame, Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s hands, Chris Olave’s speed or Garrett Wilson’s athleticism, but he’s perhaps the most well-rounded receiver to ever come through Columbus. I need him on my team.

Henderson’s exploits are legendary. In 47 appearances for Ohio State, he collected 667 touches for 4,614 yards and 48 touchdowns. Oh, and in those 667 touches, he never lost a fumble. I repeat: he never lost a fumble. Those electric stats as a ballcarrier and pass catcher, combined with his blocking, make Henderson a complete back who can make a difference at the next level.

As Dan stated above, Sawyer and Howard were no-brainer selections. Both had phenomenal Ohio State careers – the former over four seasons and the latter over one season in which he set a school record for single-season completion percentage – and I expect their success to continue in the NFL. I see the same for Hancock, who became a true “defensive back” throughout his time in Columbus, thriving at cornerback, nickel and safety in four years with the Buckeyes.

Andy Anders

Donovan Jackson ($5)
JT Tuimoloau ($4)
Quinshon Judkins ($3)
Will Howard ($2)
Jordan Hancock ($1)

My approach to selecting this squad was to put on my NFL GM hat and figure out who I'd authentically like to build a team around. I think these five cover a lot of ground in that area.

Versatility when constructing a roster can be a huge boon and Jackson has shown NFL-caliber play at both offensive guard and tackle. He was an excellent, all-Big Ten stalwart at the former but stunningly emerged as one of the nation's best tackles when filling in for Simmons earlier this year. That's the kind of piece that I can not only craft my offensive line around, but it also gives me more flexibility in doing so.

Getting after the opposing quarterback is the No. 3 priority for a team (after finding a quarterback and protecting said quarterback), and I see Tuimoloau racking up the most sacks in his NFL career out of all Buckeyes in the NFL draft. Judkins provides a steady, powerful tool to my ground game.

Taking Howard at quarterback for $2 feels like a steal, even if there are those out there saying he won't ever be a starter at the NFL level. With his accuracy, desire to learn, football acumen and mobility, I think his ceiling is that of a B-tier starter in the league, which I'm more than happy with here. Hancock's versatility can be the backbone of any secondary (as I wrote earlier this week) and the nickel position is vital for the modern defense.

Garrick Hodge

Emeka Egbuka ($5)
TreVeyon Henderson ($4)
Jack Sawyer ($3)
Ty Hamilton ($2)
Seth McLaughlin ($1)

This exercise was interesting because you had to approach it from a "who's best equipped to help me win in the NFL" perspective, not necessarily solely thinking about their college contributions.

If we were doing this exercise on the latter, I'd pick Jackson over Egbuka due to his positional versatility and selflessness to step in where his team needed him. But at the next level, I'm going with Egbuka here, who reminds me a ton of former NFL wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. We're adding a dynamic player to our offense in the slot and resting easy knowing we have a future 1,000-yard per season wideout secured. Simmons is also tempting, but his injury and limited history turning in elite reps lead me to go with Egbuka. 

One of the most surefire ways to win games in the NFL is with explosive plays, and nobody on the board is more equipped to do that than TreVeyon Henderson. We're just going to pair him with Mystery NFL Running Back No. 3 to ensure he doesn't accrue too much wear and tear.

Another must-have in the NFL is a pass rusher, so we're swooping in and adding Jack Sawyer in the $3 category, which seems like a steal. Sawyer has a knack for picking the right lanes to rush, and we'll still be watching the scoop-and-Sawyer highlights 20 years from now. We're banking on him doing more of the same at the next level.

I like Will Howard a lot and think he'll play in the NFL for a long time, but he seems like he's going to have a career journeyman backup QB career archetype and shine as a spot starter here and there. Instead, I'm going with Ty Hamilton, who may be OSU's most underrated draft-eligible prospect. Hamilton is elite at stopping the run, and while the NFL is predominantly a passing league, we're taking Hamilton with confidence and sleeping better knowing we have an answer for strong rushing attacks.

Seth McLaughlin's Achilles injury was extremely unfortunate, but he still was the best center in the country despite the setback. Only needing to spend a single dollar in this exercise to secure the guy who was the best center in the country? Yeah, mark me down for wanting to gamble on that upside.