Ohio State's ridiculous run of first-round NFL cornerbacks continues with Marshon Lattimore, who is off to the Big Easy to join a pair of former teammates.
The New Orleans Saints selected Lattimore 11th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft on Thursday night. Lattimore is the third Buckeye corner taken in the first round over the last four years and is set to join former teammates safety Vonn Bell and wide receiver Mike Thomas in the French Quarter.
Like 2016 first rounder corner Eli Apple before him, Lattimore left Ohio State with two seasons of eligibility remaining as a redshirt sophomore. A product of Glenville High School in Cleveland, Lattimore shot up draft boards after a stellar 2016 season, his first as a starter.
At 6-foot and 193 pounds, Lattimore clocked in at 4.36 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in March. He tallied four interceptions last season for the Buckeyes and nine passes broken up. The star corner returned one of those interceptions for a touchdown, doing so in the second game of the season against Tulsa in a driving rainstorm. That pick was Lattimore's second of the game.
Lattimore then showed brilliant closing speed and athleticism the following week at Oklahoma with another interception and also nabbed one in a 62-3 win at Maryland, hardly showing any problems with his hamstrings that forced surgery and a redshirt in 2014. He ended his Ohio State career with 46 total tackles, 41 coming last season. Lattimore's nine pass breakups last season were tied for the team lead with Denzel Ward.
His pulled up lame in his second 40-yard dash attempt at the Combine but later said tightening in his hip flexor was the reason — not the hamstring. In any event, Lattimore is the fourth cornerback drafted out of Ohio State in as many years — Bradley Roby in 2014, Doran Grant in 2015 and Apple last year.
The Saints also signed former Ohio State wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. in the offseason, giving them now four Buckeyes on roster with the addition of Lattimore.
