A school-record-tying 14 Ohio State players were selected in the NFL draft over the weekend, but there was still some room for disappointment.
Center Seth McLaughlin didn't hear his name called despite winning the Rimington Trophy as the nation's best at his position last year, likely due to the torn Achilles that ended his season. He signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent, but we think he should have been drafted even with his injury.
Jack Sawyer also fell to the fourth round and quarterback Will Howard to the sixth round, though they will have a reunion as the Pittsburgh Steelers selected both. The situation could be advantageous for Howard, as the Steelers' future at quarterback as they try to sign 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers is murky, while Sawyer should be a perfect culture fit in Pittsburgh.
Emeka Egbuka (No. 19, Buccaneers), Donovan Jackson (No. 24, Vikings), Tyleik Williams (No. 28, Lions) and Josh Simmons (No. 32, Chiefs) were Ohio State's four first-round selections on Thursday, the most of any team in this year's NFL draft. We think Egbuka's setup playing alongside star wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in Tampa Bay, Jackson filling a clear need for the Vikings at left guard and Simmons getting to be the blind-side protector of quarterback Patrick Mahomes will all be good fits for them.
We give our full reactions to Ohio State's 2025 NFL draft class in a new episode of Press Coverage, which you can watch at the top of the page.
The full rundown of our draft reactions edition of Press Coverage:
- 0:00 Intro
- 1:06 Seth McLaughlin Should Have Been Drafted
- 3:22 Emeka Egbuka, Donovan Jackson, Josh Simmons Land in Great Spots
- 6:08 Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson Will Be Fun to Watch
- 9:16 Jack Sawyer, Will Howard Built to Succeed with Steelers
- 16:29 Arizona Cardinals Show Their Affinity for Ohio State
- 19:58 Jordan Hancock Could Be A Steal for the Bills
- 21:52 The New NFL Buckeyes We’re Most Excited to Watch
