Where Ohio State’s 2025 NFL Draft Class Ranks Among Buckeyes’ Greatest Draft Classes

The aftermath always leaves me baffled, as it inevitably appears that one of the teams gave up too much ... or too little. See what the Browns and Jaguars did in the first round of this year's draft.

Did you know that there is a formula that many of the teams use to determine the "value" of the trade? Well, there is, and an NFL Hall of Fame coach came up with it. Jimmy Johnson devised a chart imparting value to each pick.

This prompted the question, "Which year did Ohio State have its best draft?" The easy route would be to go with 2004 or 2025, since they had the most picks, 14. However, the total number of selections doesn't always equate to the best.

For example, which draft is better? A year in which all eight players selected go in the first round, or a year that produces 16 drafted players in Round 3 or later?

Using Johnson's groundbreaking formula to assign value to each pick, this year’s NFL draft ranks as Ohio State’s sixth-best draft all-time. With that in mind, we take a look at Ohio State’s six best draft classes of all-time – according to Johnson's formula – which include three of the six drafts that followed seasons in which Ryan Day was the Buckeyes’ head coach.

Each draft is listed with the number of points Ohio State’s picks were worth based on Johnson’s value chart. (Note: If a player is drafted after pick No. 224 he receives zero points.)

6. 2025 – 4,651 Points

This year's Ohio State draft class tied the program record with 14 players having their names called. This talented group was one shy of tying Georgia's all-time record of 15 and also set the program record of having seven players selected in the first two rounds.

However, the impressive number of drafted players doesn't equate to Ohio State's "best" class. Even with four first-round draft picks, the total score for this massive group isn't higher due to the four players being selected later in the opening round. 

To put things in perspective, Emeka Egbuka (No. 19), Donovan Jackson (No. 24), Tyleik Williams (No. 28) and Josh Simmons (No. 32) combined for 2,865 points, which is still 135 points less than the 3,000 earned by Orlando Pace as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft.

5. 2023 – 5,352.4 Points

The 2023 draft class made the most with the least. This group's six selections are the fewest of the five other teams making the list. How did this happen?

Three first-round selections and four players going in the first 75 picks definitely helps. C.J. Stroud was the second overall pick to the Houston Texans, Paris Johnson Jr. went sixth to the Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks took Jaxon Smith-Njigba 20th. These three players account for 5,050 of this class' 5,352.4 draft points.  

Zach Harrison, Dawand Jones and Luke Wypler were drafted between Rounds 3-6 to close out the 2023 class. 

C.J. Stroud helped make Ohio State’s 2023 draft class one of its greatest draft classes ever. (Photo:Kirby Lee – USA TODAY Sports)

4. 2006 – 5,906 Points

Five Buckeyes went in the first 29 picks. A.J. Hawk and Donte Whitner were top 10 picks, Bobby Carpenter and Santonio Holmes were top 25 and Nick Mangold went 25th. The class was loaded. 

Ashton Youboty and Anthony Schlegel were called in the third round. Ohio State’s picks were finished in the fourth with Nate Salley and Rob Sims coming off of the board.

With all of this talent leaving for the NFL, what did the Buckeyes do in the 2006 season? That's right, the team went undefeated throughout the regular season and played for a national championship. Man, we are spoiled.

3. 1997 – 6,144.8 Points

Like the 2023 draft class, the '97 class had the biggest bang for the buck. This group's seven selections took advantage of Johnson's draft value chart rewarding top-heavy picks. 

The St. Louis Rams took Orlando Pace with the No. 1 overall pick and Shawn Springs went to Seattle at No. 3, which accounts for just under 85 percent of this class' points. Early in the second round, the Cardinals selected Rob Kelly to help solidify the 1997 class' spot in the rankings. 

The other Buckeyes drafted were Ty Howard, Mike Vrabel, Nicky Sualua and Matt Finkes.

2. 2020 – 6,588.2 Points

Ryan Day's first NFL draft class was comprised entirely of players recruited by Urban Meyer. Chase Young and Jeff Okudah going back-to-back at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots supercharged this group into the second-best class in program history.

The Raiders took Damon Arnette 19th, J.K. Dobbins went to the Ravens in the second round, and in the end, seven of the 10 drafted Buckeyes in 2020 were selected in the first 100 picks.

The other players drafted in this spectacular class were DaVon Hamilton, Jonah Jackson, Malik Harrison, Jordan Fuller, K.J. Hill and Jashon Cornell.

1. 2016 – 8,479.5 Points

Ten years after the impressive showing by the 2006 class, this group blew the doors off of the draft. Like '06, this class also had five first-round selections. The difference is that this group had all five players off the board within the first 20 picks.

Joey Bosa and Ezekiel Elliott went back-to-back with picks No. 3 and No. 4. Eli Apple went 10th, Taylor Decker 16th and Darron Lee 20th. 

As remarkable as the 7,150 first-round points are, this class should have more. Michael Thomas could have been the sixth Buckeye taken in the first round. However, the talented receiver wasn't drafted until the second round and the 47th overall pick. Unreal.

In all, 12 Ohio State players were selected, and all 12 contributed to the 8,479.5 points accumulated by this impressive class that also included Vonn Bell, Adolphus Washington, Braxton Miller, Nick Vannett, Joshua Perry and Cardale Jones.