Before the season even starts for the Ohio State football team, they have three top fifteen prospects for next year’s NFL draft. I do a lot of work covering the NFL draft every year and I tend to start pretty early in the season. This year, I started looking at prospects and the Buckeyes have three players I would consider to be near the top of many “Big Boards.”
It’s no secret that Ohio State is a venerable NFL factory that sends gobs of players to the next level on an almost yearly basis. The Buckeyes also crank out first-round draft widgets second to none, and we’ll likely see the same thing for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Let’s roll through the three OSU players that will likely go in the first round.
Next … QB1
Quarterback Justin Fields
The first of course is Justin Fields. Ohio State’s signal-caller is easily one of the top two quarterbacks in this draft (some might argue Trey Lance, but I have Fields and Lawrence as the top two). Fields has the talent to be a next-level quarterback and while no prospect is perfect, he is considered one of the better prospects. This season should cement his case to be picked at the top of the draft for some quarterback-needy team.
Next … A lockdown corner
Cornerback Shaun Wade
The second player is fairly obvious as well with cornerback Shaun Wade as one of the top two or three corners. Some boards currently have him a little lower, but there is no doubt Wade is one of the best defensive backs in all of college football. Corners are highly valued in the NFL and Wade will provide excellent coverage at the next level.
NEXT … An anchor on the offensive line
Right Guard Wyatt Davis
The third player is offensive lineman Wyatt Davis. Davis is the best guard in this draft, with Creed Humphrey, the Oklahoma center, as the only other interior lineman who could go higher. The value of tackles could push him a little lower, but as far as the boards go, Wade is an absolute talent worthy of top fifteen positionings.
The Buckeyes have some other players who could go in the first few rounds of the draft and with the season starting in two weeks, it could help some of them get pushed up the boards. Baron Browning, Josh Myers, Chris Olave, and Tyreke Johnson all could strengthen their cases for teams’ boards.
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