Auditing Production of Former Buckeye Defensive Backs in the Pros as Eli Apple, Vonn Bell and Tyvis Powell Prep for the NFL

The mass exodus of Buckeyes to the NFL has been well-chronicled this offseason and no position group is better represented than the secondary where cornerback Eli Apple and safeties Vonn Bell and Tyvis Powell are all draft locks. 

Apple is getting the most love following a dazzling combine showing making him a sure-fire 1st rounder while Bell is could go in the 1st round but will more likely hear his name called in the 2nd round. 

Powell helped himself at the combine turning in a 4.46 40-yard dash but it still feels like he's a 4th rounder at present with Ohio State's Pro Day slated for March 11th. 

Regardless of how each player's draft stock continues to evolve as we inch closer to draft day, there's no telling how their NFL careers will shake out, nor do we have any idea how they will stack up against their fellow OSU secondary alumni when the dust eventually settles. 

In hopes of lending perspective to what kind of production it will take to be considered elite among the slew of former Buckeyes to play defensive back at the next level, here's a snapshot of careers turned in by past greats. 

Inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2010, London, Ohio native Dick LeBeau serves as the gold standard for all OSU defensive backs. 

LeBeau turned in a stellar 14-year career as a member of the Detriot Lions' famed secondary, appearing in three-straight Pro Bowls from 1964-66. A beast in pass coverage, LeBeau ranked in the league's top five for interceptions in five different seasons. His 62 career picks are still good for 10th in NFL history. 

Beyond his exemplary playing career, LeBeau's coaching exploits include two Super Bowl rings along with being tabbed the Godfather of the zone blitz. 

Simply put, he has no peer when it comes to former Buckeye defensive backs at the next level. 

Pound for pound the baddest Buckeye to ever live, Antoine Winfield is the best defensive back not in the Hall of Fame to have played his college ball in Columbus. 

A 1st round selection in 1999, Winfield posted a stellar 14-year career highlighted by three-straight Pro Bowl seasons from 2008-10. 

Voted one of the 50 greatest Minnesota Vikings, Winfield enjoyed nine years in the purple and gold after a five-year stint with the team that drafted him, the Buffalo Bills. 

Winfield owned the 2000's posting the second-most tackles by a DB during the decade and was one of just four players to post at least 600 tackles, 65 passes defensed, 15 interceptions and 10 forced fumbles. 

If you don't think Winfield is the best non-NFL Hall of Fame defensive back to have played his college ball for the Buckeyes then it's a safe bet your vote is reserved for Jack Tatum. 

The 19th selection in the 1971 Draft, Tatum was selected to three-straight Pro Bowls (1973-75) in addition to being a five-time All-AFC performer during a 10-year career. 

A nine-year member of the Oakland Raiders' "Soul Patrol", Tatum famously knocked out two different Baltimore Colts in his first NFL game and in his final season "The Assassin" logged a career-high seven interceptions. 

Maybe a bit of a surprise to some Buckeye fans, Donte Whitner is next on the list thanks to three-straight Pro Bowls of his own (2012-14) in what is currently a 10-year career. 

The Tarblooder out of Cleveland Glenville was the 8th pick of the 2006 Draft and kicked off his career with his first interception coming via the arm of Tom Brady. 

No less than eight other former Buckeye secondary guys earned at least one Pro Bowl nod highlighted by Fred Bruney with two though his acclaim came largely as a return man with the AFL's Boston Patriots. 

Nate Clements is another name that doesn't come up too often when discussing former Buckeye greats but the Shaker Heights product lived up to his 1st round selection carving out a 12-year career spent largely with Buffalo and San Francisco. 

Nate's lone Pro Bowl season (2004, Buffalo) saw him amass six interceptions and four forced fumbles. Clements started at least 11 games in 10 of his 12 professional seasons and when he left Buffalo for the 49ers in 2007 he briefly became the highest paid defensive player in the league (8 yrs, $80 mil). 

A much more celebrated name in Buckeye lore, Shawn Springs, is next on the list. The 3rd pick of the 1997 Draft, Springs earned Pro Bowl honors in his second professional season on the strength of seven interceptions, good for fifth in the NFL. 

After signing with Washington in 2004, Springs became the first player to lead his team in sacks (6.0) and interceptions (5) in the same season. His 33 career picks are 5th-most of all former Buckeye secondary players. 

Despite being a 10th round selection in 1984, Shaun Gayle enjoyed a 12-year career, 11 of those coming with the Chicago Bears, and was a Pro Bowler in 1991. 

Tim Fox was voted to New England's All-1970s team and was a Pro Bowl pick in 1980 while also playing with the San Diego Chargers (1982-84) and Los Angeles Rams (1985-86), 

Fan favorite Malcolm Jenkins is next with 103 games played and as an active player who just signed a new contract, he is poised to climb this list in the coming years. 

The 14th pick of the 2009 Draft, Jenkins won a Super Bowl ring as a rookie with New Orleans and finally earned a Pro Bowl selection last season as probably the league's best safety as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. A durable ball-hawk, Jenkins has played more snaps than any other NFL defender over the last two seasons. 

An unknown to most Buckeye fans due to his era, we must give a quick shoutout to Tommy James. A 17th round pick way back in 1947, James tallied 34 picks as a member of the Cleveland Browns, helping pave the way to two AAFC titles and three NFL championships. A Massillon Washington product, James played for Paul Brown in high school, college and the pros. 

A member of Ohio State's 2002 national championship squad, Will Allen leads this group with 176 games played and he's still active. Allen doesn't have the amount of starts compiled by William White and Chris Gamble but he did start 13 games for Pittsburgh just last season. 

A fellow 4th rounder, White enjoyed a solid 11 years in the pros with his best seasons coming during a six-year span in Detroit. White was 10th in the NFL in 1990 with five interceptions. 

Gamble, a two-way star at Ohio State, logged nine years with the Carolina Panthers who made him the 28th pick of the 2004 Draft. Gamble ranked third in the NFL with six picks in 2004, placed sixth in 2005 with seven interceptions and slotted third with 19 passes defended in 2008.

Doug Plank certainly isn't a household name to most Buckeye fans but he posted a solid NFL career especially when you consider his status as a 12th round pick. All of Plank's eight-year career was spent with the Bears. Notably, Plank is the only Bears defender not named Brian Urlacher to lead the team in tackles as a rookie. A seven-year starter, Buddy Ryan's "46 Defense" is named after Plank's jersey number. 

Mike Sensibaugh headlines what is essentially a Best of the Rest group thanks to 27 interceptions as a six-year starter (8 total years). Showing a nose for the ball in pass coverage, Sensibaugh is also Ohio State's all-time career interception leader (22). 

Kurt Coleman, the 244th pick of the 2010 Draft, is still writing his NFL story which was highlighted by a 2015 campaign in which he tallied seven interceptions (3rd in NFL) as a member of the Carolina Panthers. 

Vinnie Clark started 59 games for four different teams over a six-year NFL career, not quite living up to the hype of his 1st round status. 

Fellow 1st rounder Ahmed Plummer logged 68 starts over his own six-year career and his seven interceptions in 2001 were good for seventh-best in the NFL but neck, shoulder and ankle injuries did him in. 

Mike Doss is easily the most celebrated Buckeye in this grouping but a torn ACL in 2006 severely hampered what became a six-year career which did include a Super Bowl ring as a member of the Indianapolis Colts. 

Other names that failed to appear in at least 50 games include Ashton Youboty (49 games), Marlon Kerner (43), Rex Kern (41) and Ty Howard (37), among others. 

A 4th round selection in 2011, Chimdi Chekwa has a chance to climb up the list as he enters year five in the league with Miami after a four-year stint in Oakland. 

Bradley Roby will undoubtedly move up this list in the years to come. For now, he's got 32 games and just six starts under his belt since the Denver Broncos took him with the 31st pick of the 2014 Draft. 

In case you missed our previous looks at other positions, we've already covered running backs, receivers, linebackers and defensive linemen.