NFL Rookie Jersey Numbers: Carnell Tate Wearing No. 14 in Honor of Mother, Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese Are Both No. 52 and Caleb Downs Starts As No. 13

The Buckeyes’ top draft pick, Carnell Tate, will wear No. 14 for the Tennessee Titans. The No. 4 overall pick is doing so for a special reason: To honor his late mother, Ashley Griggs, whose birthday was Nov. 14. Tate also chose No. 14 because it corresponds with his draft selection at Round 1, Pick 4.

Carnell Tate rocking 14 in Tennessee

(via @Titans) pic.twitter.com/GnO5QN6VeK

— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) May 2, 2026

Both Ohio State linebackers who were selected in the top seven picks of the draft, Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles, will wear No. 52 for their respective teams – Reese with the New York Giants and Styles with the Washington Commanders.

What a sight pic.twitter.com/S7LgjUgZQP

— New York Giants (@Giants) May 8, 2026

first look in 52 @sonnystyles_ | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/0Y9DCYbwEH

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) May 8, 2026

Ohio State’s other first-round pick, Caleb Downs, is wearing No. 13 for the Dallas Cowboys – at least initially. Downs’ father, Gary, told the DLLS Cowboys Podcast that Downs eventually wants to switch back to No. 2, but he wasn’t going to take that number away from someone else; Cowboys cornerback Cobie Durant is currently wearing that number. 

Gary Downs on his son Caleb and the #2:

"I believe he's wearing 13 for the OTAS, 2 is still a work in progress...he understands that if someone else has that number he's not going to go and just take it away from him..." @DLLS_Sports | #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/3B3lItIBvj

— DLLS Cowboys (@DLLS_Cowboys) May 7, 2026

“Ball is the main thing; the number is a third-order thing. When he gets a chance to get 2, I’m sure he’ll get it, but he’s not focused on it,” Gary Downs said. “My wife, his mom, she’s serious about that No. 2, but he’s like, ‘Mom, that don’t matter.’”

The only one of Ohio State’s 2026 draft picks who will wear the same number as an NFL rookie that he wore for the Buckeyes is Max Klare, who’s keeping No. 86 for the Los Angeles Rams. Each of Ohio State’s other 2026 NFL rookies will have new numbers to start their pro careers.

The full list of rookie jersey numbers for Ohio State’s 2026 NFL draft picks: