Five of the 16 players attending the 2026 NFL Draft are from Ohio State.
Former Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, linebackers Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles, wide receiver Carnell Tate and defensive tackle Kayden McDonald will all be attending the 2026 NFL draft to hear their names called in Pittsburgh two weeks from today.
No other individual school will have more than two players in attendance. Alabama (Ty Simpson and Kadyn Proctor) and Miami (Reuben Bain Jr. and Francis Mauigoa) are the only other schools with multiple attendees.
The 16 prospects who will be at the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh!
— NFL (@NFL) April 9, 2026
2026 NFL Draft April 23-25 on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/rmVcAli4sI
Per NFL Network, Ohio State’s five draft attendees tie the record for the most from one school. Ohio State also had five players attend the draft in 2016, while Alabama had five draft attendees in 2012.
Their invitations to the draft reflect their standing as projected first-round picks. Assuming all five are drafted in Round 1, Ohio State will tie its school record for first-round picks, which was previously set at five in 2006 and 2016.
Downs, Reese, Styles and Tate are all projected to be top-15 picks. Most mock drafts have all four of them being drafted in the top 10, which would mark the first time since Michigan State in 1967 – and only the third time ever – that a school has had four top-10 picks in one year.
McDonald is projected to be a late first-round pick. It’s possible he could fall into early Round 2, but his invitation to the draft suggests that he’s expected to hear his name called during the first round of the draft on Thursday, April 23.
The opportunity to attend the draft in person was one that both Tate and Styles said they couldn’t pass up when asked about it after Ohio State’s pro day last month.
“I'm going to go to Pittsburgh. Me and my family decided it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to all go, so why not go?” Tate said.
“I’ll definitely go if I get invited. It's a special moment.” Styles said.
The 2026 NFL draft will be held in downtown Pittsburgh outside Acrisure Stadium, the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, from April 23-25. Stay tuned with Eleven Warriors for coverage of all of Ohio State’s 2026 NFL draft selections as they happen.
| Date | Rounds | Start Time |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, April 23 | 1 | 8 p.m. |
| Friday, April 24 | 2-3 | 7 p.m. |
| Saturday, April 25 | 4-7 | Noon |
| All rounds televised by ABC, ESPN, NFL Network and ESPN Deportes | ||
