The first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night provided testimony to the development of players in Ryan Day's Ohio State program.
Four Buckeyes were selected in the top 11 picks of the draft, the first time that's happened for one school since the NFL/AFL merger. Day went straight from celebrating his players' accomplishments in Pittsburgh to his hometown of Manchester, New Hampshire for an event with the Kids' Mental Health Foundation, where he spoke to students. After the event, the coach jumped on Zoom for a press conference with the media, in which he discussed both the draft and the importance of such mental health events.
"We're proud of what they've done," Day said of Ohio State's first-round draftees. "We're proud to say that these guys are ready to go on to the NFL, because it's not just getting to the NFL, it's being able to stay once they're there. And to hear the feedback of general managers and head coaches saying that some of the best interviews they've ever had with young men were some of these guys that got drafted last night is rewarding."
Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese was initially expected to be the second or third player taken in the draft, but the New York Giants ended up selecting him with the No. 5 overall pick. As upside goes, Day doesn't think there's a prospect with more.
"I think to find somebody that truly can set the edge like he can in a five-down front or what we call an 'Okie' front and then rush the passer, but also play off the ball in a four-down front is unique," Day said. "And the more that he plays and the more he learns what they want to do with him, the better he's going to be. So I think of all the guys in this draft, I still think he might have the biggest ceiling because of just his talent and where he's going."
"I think of all the guys in this draft, I still think he might have the biggest ceiling."– Ryan day on Arvell Reese
Day was Zooming in for his press conference live from Manchester, New Hampshire, the hometown of both he and his wife, Christina, or Nina as Ryan Day calls her. The Kids' Mental Health Foundation (KMHF) and the Christina and Ryan Day Fund for Pediatric and Adolescent Mental Wellness have worked side-by-side since the KMHF's founding six years ago, making major impacts in Columbus by providing mental health awareness and resources. Now, the Days and KMHF want their impact to expand beyond the local community.
“This is going national now,” Day said. “I think the goal early on was to be an example for others, and you're just seeing this thing spread, and quite honestly, Nina and her sister both really wanted to do something back home for a long time, and we finally got that done today. We had just under 1,000 kids, high school, middle school, teachers, coaches here, and the energy was great. It was in what's called the Palace Theater here, which is a really cool venue. It's been here for over 100 years.”
Former Ohio State and current New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson, Buckeye quarterback Julian Sayin and safety Caleb Downs, drafted from Ohio State to the Dallas Cowboys at No. 11 overall on Thursday, all had personalized video messages for the youths in attendance. Day, of course, spoke in person at the event.
"Most of the talk was about resilience," Day said. "Telling the story about the national championship run and the adversity that our team hit, but then being able to respond, that's life. And building resilience up in your life is a part of mental health. It's just like lifting weights. It's like bench pressing. The only way to do that is to stress your muscles out, to get stronger. Well, it's the same thing mentally. You have to be uncomfortable. You have to push yourself. You have to go through some tough times in order to build and grow."
Over the course of his 20-minute Zoom call, Day also talked about how James Laurinaitis has brought “Linebacker U” back to Ohio State and Caleb Downs’ slide out of the top 10 picks, and said he expects the Buckeyes to be fully healthy for summer workouts even though several key players missed time with injuries this spring.
Ryan Day says everyone who missed time with injuries this spring will be healthy for summer workouts.
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) April 24, 2026
There's nobody on the team that won't have a full summer. pic.twitter.com/IWTGSkmWAW
Ryan Day told James Laurinaitis when he became Ohio States linebackers coach that his job was to make Ohio State Linebacker U again.
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) April 24, 2026
And look how quickly he did it, Day said after Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles were selected in the top seven picks of the 2026 NFL draft. pic.twitter.com/IICiED7fQS
Ryan Day on NFL teams who passed on Caleb Downs: I wonder where they're going to be in five to 10 years looking back on this draft and if they have any regrets. I don't know, but I know the Cowboys got a great one. pic.twitter.com/Jn29dCXpIJ
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) April 24, 2026
Ryan Day wants Ohio State recruits to expect to be first- or second-round NFL draft picks.
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) April 24, 2026
We expect to win every game. Does it always happen? No. Does everybody become a first or second rounder? No. But the mindset is that way, and that's been here for a long time. pic.twitter.com/gYrDjVIKcn
You can watch the full video at the top of the page to hear everything Day had to say.
