All signs continue to point toward a historic 2026 NFL draft for Ohio State.
Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles and Carnell Tate have a chance to become just the third quartet of players from the same school (Michigan State in 1967 and Notre Dame in 1946) to all be selected in the top 10 picks of the same NFL draft. Some draft projections have all four of them going in the top seven picks, which would be a first for four players from one school in NFL draft history.
Kayden McDonald will join them at the NFL draft in Pittsburgh and is also projected to be a first-round pick, which would tie Ohio State’s school record (previously set in 2006 and 2016) with five first-rounders and bring Ohio State’s all-time record for most first-round selections to an even 100.
Ohio State could have double-digit draft selections for the second year in a row and 10th time in school history as Davison Igbinosun, Max Klare, Caden Curry, Will Kacmarek and Lorenzo Styles Jr. are also projected to be drafted. CJ Donaldson, Tywone Malone Jr. and Ethan Onianwa should land opportunities as either late-round picks or undrafted free agents, while John Ferlmann is also getting a look from the league as one of the long snappers who participated in this year’s specialist showcase at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Over the past two months, we’ve put together several mock draft roundups looking at where each of Ohio State’s draft prospects have been projected to be selected in mock drafts by analysts who cover the NFL draft for other media outlets. Now that the start of the draft is less than three days away, I’m making my own best guesses at where each Buckeye will land during this week’s selection meeting.
LB Arvell Reese: Round 1, No. 2, New York Jets
Reese has been viewed as a favorite to be the No. 2 overall pick throughout the pre-draft process, and New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey sure looked interested in Reese as they watched the former Buckeye linebacker go through his workout at Ohio State’s pro day last month.
Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey is also in play to be the first player not named Fernando Mendoza drafted on Thursday night. Ultimately, the Jets’ decision could come down to whether they want a more polished pass-rusher in Bailey, or a playmaker with supreme versatility and upside in Reese, who is expected to primarily play on the edge in the NFL but could also play off-ball linebacker like he did at Ohio State.
Ultimately, Reese’s ability to line up all over the field makes him the projected choice for the Jets, who use a multi-front defensive scheme. If he goes second, he’ll be the fifth No. 2 overall pick from Ohio State all-time and the fourth since 2019, joining C.J. Stroud, Chase Young, Nick Bosa and Jim McDonald. If the Jets go with Bailey instead, the Arizona Cardinals would likely draft Reese at No. 3.
S Caleb Downs: Round 1, No. 5, New York Giants
The New York Giants could potentially find themselves deciding between three Buckeyes, as Downs, Sonny Styles and Carnell Tate would all fill needs for New York. In the end, I don’t see John Harbaugh passing up the opportunity to draft a two-time unanimous All-American who immediately projects to be one of the NFL’s top safeties.
Harbaugh knows the value of having an elite safety anchoring the back end of his defense; he won a Super Bowl in Baltimore with future Hall of Famer Ed Reed leading the Ravens’ defense, and his final defenses in Baltimore were built around arguably the NFL’s best safety in Kyle Hamilton. Harbaugh and Giants general manager Joe Schoen spent time with Downs at Ohio State’s pro day, and Harbaugh is on record calling Downs “a potential future Hall of Fame safety.”
The Ravens were known for their best-player-available draft strategy during Harbaugh’s lengthy tenure with the team, and no prospect in this year’s draft was a more consistently elite college football player than Downs. So while some mock drafts have Downs falling as far as the No. 10 overall pick, which the Giants just acquired from the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for Dexter Lawrence, I don’t see them taking the risk of missing out on the Jim Thorpe Award winner.
LB Sonny Styles: Round 1, No. 6, Dallas Cowboys
The Cleveland Browns currently hold the No. 6 overall pick, but they’ve made it no secret that they’re open to trading down. The Dallas Cowboys, meanwhile, are rumored to be exploring a trade up for one of the draft’s top defensive playmakers – which likely means one of Reese, Bailey, Styles or Downs.
With two first-round picks to work with, I have the Cowboys trading the No. 12 and No. 20 overall selections to the Browns, as well as their fourth-round pick (No. 112), in exchange for the sixth and 39th overall picks. In a scenario where the top five picks are Mendoza, Reese, Bailey, Jeremiyah Love and Downs, that would allow the Cowboys to draft Styles, addressing a major need for a playmaking linebacker in the middle of their defense, which allowed an NFL-worst 30.1 points per game last season.
If the Cowboys don’t move up, chances are good their NFC East rival Washington Commanders would pounce on Styles with the seventh overall pick to be a replacement for Bobby Wagner in the middle of their defense.
WR Carnell Tate: Round 1, No. 8, New Orleans Saints
Already having one star wide receiver from Ohio State (Michael Thomas) didn’t stop the Saints from drafting Chris Olave with their first-round pick in 2022, and it won’t stop them from drafting Carnell Tate this year. Olave is the only receiver on the Saints roster who had more than 300 receiving yards last season, leaving them with a major need for another downfield weapon to pair with Olave.
Tate could easily come off the board before the eighth pick, as the Giants, Browns and Washington Commanders (who hold the No. 7 pick) are all candidates to draft him, too. But I’d be surprised if the Saints passed up the chance to select the draft’s top receiver if he’s still on the board when they’re on the clock, especially considering the fondness longtime Saints GM Mickey Loomis has had for drafting Buckeyes throughout his tenure.
Tate projects to be the sixth Ohio State wide receiver drafted in the first round since 2022 and the second-highest selection among those receivers behind only Marvin Harrison Jr., who went fourth overall to the Arizona Cardinals in 2024.
DT Kayden McDonald: Round 1, No. 25, Chicago Bears
Personally, I’d draft McDonald in the top 15 if I were an NFL general manager. Defensive tackle has become an increasingly valued position in the league, and McDonald is the best defensive tackle in this year’s draft after earning unanimous All-American honors last season. Most draft intel, however, favors McDonald going in the twenties due to his lack of proven pass-rush production.
The most logical fit for McDonald in that range of the draft is Chicago, who hosted the Ohio State DT for a pre-draft visit and are expected to target defensive linemen early in the draft. The Bears have had one of the NFL’s worst rushing defenses for two straight years, so they shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to select the draft’s best run-stopper if he’s still on the board at their 25th overall pick.
Other potential landing spots in the second half of Round 1 for McDonald could include the Minnesota Vikings (who hold the No. 18 overall pick), Los Angeles Chargers (No. 22), Buffalo Bills (No. 26), Houston Texans (No. 28), Miami Dolphins (No. 30) and New England Patriots (No. 31).
Kayden McDonald is projected to become Ohio State’s 100th all-time first-round draft pick.
CB Davison Igbinosun: Round 3, No. 77, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Igbinosun’s well-documented penalty issues will likely keep him out of the first two rounds of the draft, but his NFL starter upside if he can continue improving his technique should get him drafted in Round 3.
The Buccaneers are likely to be in the market for a cornerback on Day 2 after losing former Ohio State commit Jamel Dean in free agency to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles has typically sought cornerbacks with size and length. At 6-foot-2 with 32 7/8-inch arms and a demonstrated ability to make a big impact as a perimeter run defender, Igbinosun fits the mold Tampa Bay is likely looking for at his position.
TE Max Klare: Round 3, No. 83, Carolina Panthers
Expected to be the third tight end drafted after Oregon’s Kenyon Sadig and Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers, Klare also appears likely to be drafted somewhere in the third round.
Tight end is one of the positions where the Panthers could most use an upgrade in this year’s draft – particularly in the passing game, where Klare is at his best – and he’s reportedly “met extensively” with the Panthers (along with the Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams and Houston Texans) in the pre-draft process, according to KPRC’s Aaron Wilson.
After Ohio State played Purdue in 2024, former Ohio State safety Lathan Ransom told Buckeyes tight end coach Keenan Bailey that he should pursue Klare if the then-Purdue tight end entered the transfer portal. Two years later, Klare could end up joining Ransom in Carolina after the Panthers drafted Ransom in the fourth round last year.
DE Caden Curry: Round 4, No. 129, Chicago Bears
Curry is a comparable prospect to Jack Sawyer, the No. 123 overall pick in last year’s draft, so the mid-to-late fourth round seems like the probable draft range for the former Ohio State defensive end.
The Bears have needs at both defensive end and defensive tackle, so if they address their interior need first by drafting McDonald, they could double up on Ohio State defensive linemen if Curry’s available with their fourth-round pick. His combination of edge-setting ability against the run and production as a pass-rusher would address the Bears’ need for a DE who can both bolster their struggling run defense and improve the pass-rush rotation around Montez Sweat.
Other teams with late fourth-round picks who would be logical candidates to add a defensive end like Curry include the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints. Another team to watch could be Curry’s hometown Indianapolis Colts, as Ryan Day revealed earlier this month that Colts general manager Chris Ballard called him to rave about Curry when Curry was a recruit coming out of nearby Center Grove High School.
TE Will Kacmarek: Round 5, No. 171, New England Patriots
Mike Vrabel praised the depth of this year’s tight end draft class during his interview session at the NFL Scouting Combine, noting that there are “a bunch of fourth- and fifth-round tight ends that end up starting and playing and contributing.” From the moment I heard that while waiting at his podium to ask him about Arthur Smith, I’ve thought that New England could be the eventual landing spot for Will Kacmarek.
Kacmarek’s blocking ability makes him a similar prospect to former Ohio State tight end Luke Farrell, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft, so I expect Kacmarek to be drafted in Round 5 as well. The Patriots are likely to look for tight end depth in the draft, and Kacmarek’s strength as a run blocker and special teams background fit what they need most to complement starter Hunter Henry.
DB Lorenzo Styles Jr.: Round 6, No. 194, Tennessee Titans
Picking an exact destination for a projected sixth-round pick is like trying to find a needle in a haystack, but the Titans make sense on paper as a team that could draft Styles. They enter the draft with a need for secondary depth, but they also have many other needs to address. That could make Styles an appealing late-round target with his versatility to play both cornerback and safety and elite speed, and the Titans have two early sixth-round picks.
While Styles was on the fringe of going undrafted entering the NFL Scouting Combine, his 4.27-second 40-yard dash time at the combine – the fastest of any defensive player this year – should get him drafted in Round 6 as a high-upside prospect who can contribute on special teams at a minimum.
RB CJ Donaldson: Undrafted Free Agent, Cincinnati Bengals
Donaldson isn’t widely projected to be drafted despite being invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, but the 6-foot-2, 230-pound running back should get multiple offers to sign as a free agent if he goes undrafted.
According to Essentially Sports’ Tony Pauline, the Bengals are among the teams that have been showing the most interest in Donaldson during the pre-draft process. If they don’t draft a running back, Cincinnati would likely be an appealing destination for Donaldson, as the Bengals don’t have a well-established third running back behind Chase Brown and Samaje Perine.
OL Ethan Onianwa: Undrafted Free Agent, Green Bay Packers
Onianwa likely won’t be drafted after failing to earn a starting job at Ohio State last season, but the same talent he demonstrated at Rice that made the Buckeyes pursue him in the transfer portal will land him an opportunity to compete for an NFL roster spot as an undrafted free agent.
The Packers used one of their 30 allotted pre-draft visits to host Onianwa, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which likely served as their pitch for Onianwa to join them if he has free-agent offers to choose from. Green Bay has a long history of turning undrafted rookies into successful NFL players, and they have a need to improve their offensive line depth, which would leave a realistic path for Onianwa to make the team as a backup tackle and guard.
DT Tywone Malone Jr.: Undrafted Free Agent, New York Giants
Malone also looks like a long shot to be drafted after he wasn’t invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, but he’ll get a free-agent opportunity after a solid season starting on Ohio State’s defensive line last year.
The Giants have a massive need to reload at defensive tackle after trading Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals, so they’d have good reason to bring in Malone to compete for a roster spot, and they’d likely be a favored destination for the New Jersey native.
LS John Ferlmann: Undrafted Free Agent, Arizona Cardinals
Long snappers are rarely drafted, but Ferlmann will likely get a shot to participate in one or two rookie minicamps after a successful three-year run as Ohio State’s long snapper. The Cardinals would be a preferred destination for Ferlmann, an Arizona native, and they could look to bring in a young long snapper to compete with offseason free-agent addition Casey Kreiter, who will turn 36 in August.
