On the Monday following Ohio State's 49-37 win over Michigan State in the 2014 season, Buckeyes wide receivers coach Zach Smith made a profound statement of what he expects from his position group.
"We obviously have a mission at my position to be the best receiving corps in the country," Smith said in November. "We took a step towards that against Michigan State."
On that night in East Lansing, the Ohio State wideouts certainly made a strong statement to be among the nation's best. The Buckeyes torched the Spartans' secondary — which dubs itself the 'No Fly Zone' — for 300 yards through the air. Devin Smith led the way with six catches for 129 yards and a touchdown while Michael Thomas also chipped in with three grabs for 91 yards and a score. Four other Ohio State players caught passes in that game, as well.
It was an ariel assault, for sure, but that performance was just a microcosm of what Buckeye wide receivers have been doing over the last decade. Ohio State has been producing strong play at the wide receiver position for years.
| YEAR | ROUND (OVERALL) | PLAYER | TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2nd (37th) | Devin Smith | New York Jets |
| 2015 | 6th (187th) | Evan Spencer | Washington Redskins |
| 2012 | 3rd (68th) | DeVier Posey | Houston Texans |
| 2009 | 2nd (36th) | Brian Robiskie | Cleveland Browns |
| 2009 | 4th (108th) | Brian Hartline | Miami Dolphins |
| 2007 | 1st (9th) | Ted Ginn Jr. | Miami Dolphins |
| 2007 | 1st (32nd) | Anthony Gonzalez | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2007 | 5th (169th) | Roy Hall | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2006 | 1st (25th) | Santonio Holmes | Pittsburgh Steelers |
It all came to fruition this weekend at the 2015 NFL Draft when Smith and fellow senior wide receiver Evan Spencer both heard their names called. Smith went in the second round (37th overall) to the New York Jets while Spencer was picked in the sixth round (187th overall) by the Washington Redskins.
Over the last 10 years, Ohio State has had nine wide receivers selected in the NFL Draft. That number is tied for second-most with USC among any college program during that timeframe, according to DraftHistory.com. LSU is No. 1 on that list with 11 wide receivers selected over the last 10 years.
In that span, three of the Buckeyes' wide receivers who were drafted went in the first round (Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez in 2007 and Santonio Holmes in 2006), while Smith and Brian Robiskie (2009) were second-round selections.
In the history of the NFL Draft, Ohio State has had 39 wide receivers selected. That number is tied for third all time with Tennessee. Only Miami (41) and USC (49) have had more wide receivers picked.
Producing at the NFL level is a different animal. While some of Ohio State's receivers drafted in the last 10 years have produced fine NFL careers (Santonio Holmes, Brian Hartline) others haven't had as much success (Roy Hall, Brian Robiskie). It just illustrates how difficult it is to make it at the next level.
The impact Smith and Spencer have at the NFL level remains to be seen. Many believe the two can have long, steady careers.
The one thing that does seem to be true, though, is Ohio State's production of NFL-caliber talent at the wide receiver position. It's getting to the point where it's hard to ignore.
