Across The Shield: Ohio State’s Defensive Rookies Shine, Joey Bosa and Jaxon Smith-Njigba Dominate, DaVon Hamilton Makes A Game-Winning Play

By Dan Hope and Matt Gutridge on November 4, 2025 at 7:35 am
Denzel Burke celebrates his game-sealing interception
Kevin Jairaj – Imagn Images
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Ohio State’s 2025 defensive rookie class had a breakout week in Week 9 of the NFL season.

Denzel Burke and Cody Simon both made huge plays in the Arizona Cardinals’ Monday night win over the Dallas Cowboys while Jack Sawyer made his first career interception, Jordan Hancock sealed the Buffalo Bills’ win over the Kansas City Chiefs and Lathan Ransom also had a productive performance in the Carolina Panthers’ win over the Green Bay Packers.

It was a big week for NFL veterans from Ohio State, too, as Joey Bosa and Jaxon Smith-Njigba led their teams to victories with dominant performances, DaVon Hamilton made a game-winning play for the Jacksonville Jaguars and an ankle-breaking touchdown highlighted a career night for Marvin Harrison Jr.

On the negative side, two Buckeyes went down with unfortunate injuries as C.J. Stroud suffered a concussion while Marshon Lattimore suffered a season-ending knee injury.

We recap all of that and more in Across The Shield, Eleven Warriors’ weekly look at how former Ohio State players are performing throughout the NFL.

A breakout week for Ohio State’s defensive rookies

Cody Simon, Lathan Ransom, Jack Sawyer, Jordan Hancock and Denzel Burke all had to wait until Day 3 to hear their names called in the 2025 NFL draft, but all of them showed they belong in the league with their performances in Week 9.

Each of those five starters from Ohio State’s national championship defense last season had their biggest moments as NFL players so far to help lead their teams to victories this week.

Burke – the last of Ohio State’s eight outgoing defensive starters from last season to be selected in the draft – had a monster night on Monday Night Football. First, Burke made a textbook fourth-down pass breakup against star Cowboy wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, coming in from behind to knock the ball away from Lamb. That PBU forced a turnover on downs after the Cowboys opted to go for it on 4th-and-3 from the Cardinals’ 21-yard line on the first play of the fourth quarter even though a field goal could have cut Arizona’s lead to two scores.

Burke then made another play on the ball to seal the Cardinals’ 27-17 victory when he picked off another fourth-down heave by Dak Prescott with less than two minutes to play.

Burke also recorded a career-high seven tackles in Monday night’s game, earning him our Pro Buck of the Week award as Ohio State’s top NFL performer for Week 9. 

Pro Bucks of the Week
Week Player Stats
1 Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka 4 catches, 67 yards, 2 TD; 1 rush, 9 yards
2 Bills DE Joey Bosa 2 tackles, 1 sack, 2 FF, 7 QB pressures
3 Steelers DT Cameron Heyward 6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 PD, 4 QB pressures
4 Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka 4 catches, 101 yards, 1 TD; 1 rush, 0 yards
5 Texans QB C.J. Stroud 23/27, 244 yards, 4 TD; 1 rush, 30 yards
6 Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba 8 catches, 162 yards, 1 TD
7 Browns RB Quinshon Judkins 25 carries, 84 yards, 3 TD
8 Texans QB C.J. Stroud 30/39, 318 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 7 carries, 30 yards
9 Cardinals CB Denzel Burke 7 tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD

In between those plays by Burke, Simon also came up with a massive play for the Cardinals’ defense, forcing a fumble by Cowboys running back Javonte Williams that his teammate Akeem Davis-Gaither recovered for a takeaway.

Simon also set a new career-high with three tackles in the Cardinals’ win.

Sawyer also made the first takeaway of his NFL career in Week 9, intercepting a pass off of a deflection by his Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Payton Wilson. As Wilson volleyed the ball in his direction, Sawyer shed a block from fellow rookie and former Penn State tight end Tyler Warren and plucked the ball out of the air for a pick.

Hancock made the first pass breakup of his NFL career to seal the Buffalo Bills’ win in their nationally televised clash with the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, knocking down Patrick Mahomes’ Hail Mary attempt as time expired.

Ransom recorded six tackles, his most as a pro so far, to help the Carolina Panthers earn a 16-13 win over the Green Bay Packers.

Each of Ohio State’s other three defensive rookies also saw action in Week 9. First-round pick Tyleik Williams recorded two tackles, with one for loss against former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, despite playing just 11 snaps in the Detroit Lions’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Second-round pick JT Tuimoloau made two tackles in the Colts’ loss to the Steelers. Fifth-round pick Ty Hamilton played four snaps at defensive tackle, but did not record any statistics in the Los Angeles Rams’ win over the New Orleans Saints.

Bosa lives in Chiefs’ backfield

Joey Bosa’s resurgent season in Buffalo hit a new high in Week 9.

Bosa was dominant off the edge for the Bills in their highly anticipated game against the Chiefs on Sunday, recording two tackles for loss, a sack, five quarterback hits and nine total quarterback pressures in Buffalo’s 28-21 win.

He helped make one of the most important plays of the game when he hit Patrick Mahomes to force a 3rd-and-long interception with just 4:18 remaining in the game.

Bosa’s nine quarterback pressures were the most of any NFL player in Week 9, according to Pro Football Focus.

Cut by the Los Angeles Chargers in the offseason after several injury-plagued seasons, Bosa has looked like his old self in 2025. Through his first eight games as a Buffalo Bill, Bosa has recorded 19 total tackles with five tackles for loss, four sacks and four forced fumbles, which is tied for the league lead.

JSN continues record-setting pace

Jaxon Smith-Njigba had his fourth straight 100-yard receiving game on Sunday night, and he didn’t even play in the fourth quarter.

Smith-Njigba hit triple digits by halftime, catching seven passes for 119 yards in the first two quarters as the Seattle Seahawks outscored the Washington Commanders 31-7 in the first half. 

He could have easily had another 26 yards and a touchdown, as he got wide open with a deadly double move against Commanders cornerback Trey Amos on a Sam Darnold pass that went to Elijah Arroyo for a touchdown instead.

Smith-Njigba finished the game with eight catches for 129 yards, coming out of the game early as the Seahawks cruised to a 38-14 win. With 58 catches for 948 yards this season, he’s now just 52 yards away from reaching 1,000 receiving yards for the year.

With nine weeks to go in the regular season, Smith-Njigba has 117 more receiving yards than any other NFL player (Ja’Marr Chase is second with 831 yards). JSN’s 118.5 receiving yards per game put him on pace for the first 2,000-yard receiving season in NFL history.

Smith-Njigba already set multiple Seahawks records on Sunday, becoming the first player in team history with four straight 100-yard receiving games and breaking DK Metcalf’s record for the most catches by a Seahawk in his first three NFL seasons.

Hamilton makes game-winning knockdown

Burke and Hancock weren’t the only Buckeyes to make game-sealing defensive plays in Week 9.

Former Ohio State defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton made the difference between a win and a loss for the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday with a game-winning pass breakup.

After scoring a touchdown with 16 seconds left on the clock in overtime, the Raiders opted to go for a two-point conversion and the win rather than kick a game-tying extra point. Geno Smith attempted to throw a pass to Tyler Lockett for the conversion, but Hamilton leaped up and knocked the pass down to secure a 30-29 victory for the Jaguars.

The pass breakup was Hamilton’s first of the season (though it doesn’t officially count as a pass deflection on his season stats since it was on a two-point conversion). Now in his sixth season as a Jaguar, Hamilton has started all eight of Jacksonville’s games this season as the Jaguars’ top nose tackle and recorded 17 tackles with one for loss.

Marv breaks ankles on MNF

ESPN published an article on Monday in which Marvin Harrison Sr. criticized the Arizona Cardinals’ offense. The Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver called the offense “very hard for me to watch” and said he wouldn’t have gotten a Gold Jacket if he had played his own career in that offense.

Based on how frequently Jacoby Brissett threw the ball to Marvin Harrison Jr. on Monday night, it seemed as though Cardinals coaches read that article.

Arizona got the former Ohio State star involved early and often against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night, as Harrison caught a career-high seven passes for 96 yards on 10 targets. He tied his previous NFL career-high for catches in the first half alone, hauling in six passes for 80 yards in the first two quarters.

The highlight of his night came early in the second quarter, when Harrison beat Cowboys cornerback Da’Ron Bland with his release off the line of scrimmage so badly that Bland fell to the AT&T Stadium, leaving Harrison wide open for a 4-yard touchdown.

Harrison’s ankle-breaking route drew reactions on social media from his former position coach at Ohio State, Brian Hartline, as well as current Ohio State star receiver Jeremiah Smith.

Stroud suffers concussion

One week after his first 300-yard game of the season, C.J. Stroud suffered a scary injury in the Houston Texans’ loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

As he slid at the end of a 6-yard run, Stroud took a hard hit from Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine, causing his head to slam against the turf. The former Ohio State quarterback was able to walk off the field, but was ruled out of the game with a concussion.

Fortunately, Stroud is expected to make a full recovery. His mother, Kimberly, took to social media after the game to share a positive update on her son’s health.

Stroud completed six of 10 passing attempts for 79 yards and had two carries for 12 yards before leaving the game. For the season as a whole, Stroud has completed 66.5% of his passing attempts for 1,702 yards and 11 touchdowns with five interceptions, while he’s run for 189 yards on 29 carries.

Lattimore suffers season-ending knee injury

Marshon Lattimore’s ninth NFL season came to an early end in Week 9 as he tore his ACL early in the second half of the Commanders’ Sunday night loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The former Ohio State cornerback had 27 tackles, one interception, nine passes defensed and one fumble recovery in the Commanders’ first nine games of the season before his injury.

Dre’Mont traded to Ravens

Less than 24 hours before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, the Tennessee Titans dealt Dre’Mont Jones to the Baltimore Ravens, who sent a conditional fifth-round pick that could become a fourth-round pick back to the Titans for the former Ohio State defensive lineman.

In his final game as a Titan, Jones recorded 1.5 sacks against the Los Angeles Chargers, extending a streak of four consecutive games with a sack. He had four total tackles and four quarterback hits in the Titans’ 27-20 loss.

Now, Jones will bring his pass-rushing ability to a Ravens defense that needs more production off the edge, as Baltimore is tied for second-to-last in the NFL this season with just 11 sackson the year. 

Quick Hits

  • Jonathon Cooper recorded his seventh sack of the season, taking down Texans backup quarterback Davis Mills for a 12-yard loss.
  • Chase Young recorded a sack in three straight games for the first time in his NFL career as he took down Matthew Stafford for an 8-yard loss on the final play of the first quarter of the New Orleans Saints’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
  • TreVeyon Henderson set a new career-high in yards from scrimmage for a second straight week as he ran for 55 yards on 14 carries and added four catches for 32 yards in the New England Patriots’ win over the Atlanta Falcons.
  • Cameron Heyward showed he’s still got it as he recorded four tackles, two pass breakups and a quarterback hit in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Week 9 Stats

Week 9 and season stats for every Buckeye around the NFL can be found in the table below compiled by Eleven Warriors researcher Matt Gutridge. The table only includes players who have been on an active roster for at least one game this season and who finished their college careers at Ohio State.

Buckeyes Around the NFL
PLAYER POSITION TEAM WEEK 9 STATS SEASON STATS
DAMON ARNETTE CB TEXANS Practice squad 2 tackles
JEROME BAKER LB BROWNS Bye 17 tackles, 1 sack (10 yards), 1 TFL, 1 FF
JOEY BOSA DE BILLS 3 tackles, 1 sack (9 yards), 2 TFL, 5 QB hits 19 tackles, 4 sacks (31 yards), 5 TFL, 12 QB hits, 4 FF
NICK BOSA DE 49ERS Injured reserve (knee) 17 tackles, 2 sacks (9 yards), 4 TFL, 2 QB hits, 2 FF, 1 FR
NOAH BROWN WR COMMANDERS Injured reserve (groin) 3 catches, 36 yards
BARON BROWNING LB CARDINALS 2 tackles 13 tackles, 2 sacks (13 yards), 2 TFL, 4 QB hits, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 FR
DENZEL BURKE CB CARDINALS 7 tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD 14 tackles, 1 INT, 5 PD
PARRIS CAMPBELL WR COWBOYS Practice squad 1 tackle
JONATHON COOPER LB BRONCOS 2 tackles, 1 sack (12 yards) 27 tackles, 7 sacks (52 yards), 5 TFL, 10 QB hits, 4 PD
TAYLOR DECKER OT LIONS Started at LT 6 starts at LT
J.K. DOBBINS RB BRONCOS 15 carries, 61 yards; 1 catch, -2 yards 135 carries, 695 yards, 4 TD; 10 catches, 30 yards
EMEKA EGBUKA WR BUCCANEERS Bye 34 catches, 562 yards, 5 TD; 2 carries, 9 yards
TOMMY EICHENBERG LB RAIDERS 2 tackles 10 tackles
LUKE FARRELL TE 49ERS 1 catch, 9 yards 8 catches, 67 yards, 1 TD
JUSTIN FIELDS QB JETS Bye 107/167, 1,089 yards, 5 TD; 53 carries, 282 yards, 3 TD
JOSH FRYAR OL CARDINALS Inactive 4 games played
JORDAN FULLER S FALCONS Did not play 1 tackle
MIKE HALL JR. DT BROWNS Bye 1 game played
DAVON HAMILTON DT JAGUARS 1 PD 17 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 QB hits
TY HAMILTON DT RAMS Played at DT 5 tackles, 1 QB hit
JORDAN HANCOCK S BILLS 1 PD 7 tackles, 1 PD
MALIK HARRISON LB STEELERS Injured reserve (knee) 1 game played
ZACH HARRISON DL FALCONS Inactive 17 tackles, 3.5 sacks (15.5 yards), 4 TFL, 4 QB hits, 1 FF, 1 PD
MARVIN HARRISON JR. WR CARDINALS 7 catches, 96 yards, 1 TD 31 catches, 491 yards, 3 TD
TREVEYON HENDERSON RB PATRIOTS 14 carries, 55 yards; 4 catches, 32 yards 67 carries, 283 yards, 1 TD; 20 catches, 131 yards; 9 KR, 209 yards
CAMERON HEYWARD DT STEELERS 4 tackles, 1 QB hit, 2 PD 30 tackles, 1.5 sacks (4 yards), 2 TFL, 4 QB hits, 5 PD, 1 FF
RONNIE HICKMAN S BROWNS Bye 49 tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD
JALYN HOLMES DE COMMANDERS Started at DE 13 tackles, 1 QB hit
MALIK HOOKER S COWBOYS Injured reserve (toe) 20 tackles
DONOVAN JACKSON OL VIKINGS Started at LG 6 starts at LG
JONAH JACKSON OG BEARS Started at RG 8 starts at RG
PARIS JOHNSON JR. OL CARDINALS Started at LT 7 starts at LT
CAMERON JOHNSTON P BILLS Injured reserve (knee) 7 punts, 44.0 average, 2 inside 20
DAWAND JONES OT BROWNS Bye 2 starts at LT, 1 start at RT
DRE'MONT JONES DE TITANS 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks (6 yards), 4 QB hits 26 tackles, 4.5 sacks (27 yards), 4 TFL, 9 QB hits, 1 FR
MICHAEL JORDAN LG BUCCANEERS Bye 3 starts at LG
QUINSHON JUDKINS RB BROWNS Bye 118 carries, 486 yards, 5 TD; 12 catches, 60 yards
MARSHON LATTIMORE CB COMMANDERS 2 tackles, 1 PD 25 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 6 PD, 1 FR
TYQUAN LEWIS DT COLTS Inactive 7 tackles, 3 sacks (18 yards), 4 TFL, 3 QB hits, 1 PD
LIAM McCULLOUGH LS FALCONS Played at LS 7 games played at LS
TERRY McLAURIN WR COMMANDERS Inactive 13 catches, 203 yards, 1TD
JOSH MYERS C JETS Bye 7 starts at C
JEFF OKUDAH CB VIKINGS Inactive 14 tackles, 1 FR
CHRIS OLAVE WR SAINTS 3 catches, 57 yards 55 catches, 560 yards, 3 TD; 1 carry, -3 yards; 0/1 passing, 1 INT
LATHAN RANSOM S PANTHERS 6 tackles 27 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FF
JEREMY RUCKERT TE JETS Bye 9 catches, 96 yards, 1 TD
CURTIS SAMUEL WR BILLS 1 catch, 6 yards 4 catches, 41 yards, 1 TD; 7 KR, 189 yards
JACK SAWYER LB STEELERS 1 INT 13 tackles, 1 sack (9 yards), 2 TFL, 3 QB hits, 1 INT, 2 PD
TREY SERMON RB STEELERS 1 tackle 1 tackle
KENDALL SHEFFIELD CB DOLPHINS Practice squad 1 tackle
JOSH SIMMONS OT CHIEFS Inactive 5 starts at LT
CODY SIMON LB CARDINALS 3 tackles, 1 FF 9 tackles, 1 FF
JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA WR SEAHAWKS 8 catches, 129 yards; 1 carry, 11 yards 58 catches, 948 yards, 4 TD; 4 carries, 22 yards
CADE STOVER TE TEXANS Injured reserve (foot) 4 catches, 22 yards
C.J. STROUD QB TEXANS 6/10, 79 yards; 2 carries, 12 yards 161/242, 1,702 yards, 11 TD, 5 INT; 29 carries, 189 yards
TOMMY TOGIAI DT TEXANS 3 tackles 14 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 QB hits, 2 PD
JT TUIMOLOAU DE COLTS 2 tackles 4 tackles, 3 QB hits
NICK VANNETT TE VIKINGS Played at TE 3 games played
DENZEL WARD CB BROWNS Bye 25 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 5 PD
PETE WERNER LB SAINTS 2 tackles 54 tackles, 2 sacks (1 yard), 2 TFL, 3 QB hits, 2 PD, 1 FR
TYLEIK WILLIAMS DL LIONS 2 tackles, 1 TFL 6 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, 3 PD
GARRETT WILSON WR JETS Bye 36 catches, 395 yards, 4 TD
LUKE WYPLER C BROWNS Bye 1 start at T, 8 games played
CHASE YOUNG DE SAINTS 2 tackles, 1 sack (8 yards) 10 tackles, 3 sacks (26.5 yards), 2 TFL, 6 QB hits, 3 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR
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