Given that we have fully reached the offseason of football and the recent blazing media narrative about the HOF Candidacy of Matt Stafford, I wanted to take a look at all of the current NFL Buckeyes and play prognosticator to see who this board thinks our future HOFers are.
Here if your list of current NFL Buckeyes:
Eli Apple Cincinnati Bengals Cornerback
Jerome Baker Miami Dolphins Linebacker
Vonn Bell Cincinnati Bengals Safety
Rashod Berry Detroit Lions Linebacker
Tuf Borland Minnesota Vikings Linebacker
Joey Bosa Los Angeles Chargers Linebacker
Nick Bosa San Francisco 49ers Defensive End
Noah Brown Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver
Baron Browning Denver Broncos Linebacker
Parris Campbell Indianapolis Colts Wide Receiver
Jonathon Cooper Denver Broncos Linebacker
Jashon Cornell Detroit Lions Defensive End
Wyatt Davis Minnesota Vikings Guard
Taylor Decker Detroit Lions Offensive Tackle
Pat Elflein Carolina Panthers Guard
Ezekiel Elliott Dallas Cowboys Running Back
Luke Farrell Jacksonville Jaguars Tight End
Justin Fields Chicago Bears Quarterback
DaVon Hamilton Jacksonville Jaguars Defensive Tackle
Johnathan Hankins Las Vegas Raiders Defensive Tackle
Malik Harrison Baltimore Ravens Linebacker
Dwayne Haskins Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback
Jake Hausmann New York Giants Tight End
Cameron Heyward Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Tackle
Jalyn Holmes New Orleans Saints Defensive End
Malik Hooker Dallas Cowboys Safety
Sam Hubbard Cincinnati Bengals Defensive End
Jonah Jackson Detroit Lions Guard
Malcolm Jenkins New Orleans Saints Safety
Cameron Johnston Houston Texans Punter
Jamarco Jones Seattle Seahawks Offensive Tackle
Dre'Mont Jones Denver Broncos Defensive End
Michael Jordan Carolina Panthers Guard
Marshon Lattimore New Orleans Saints Cornerback
Corey Linsley Los Angeles Chargers Center
Austin Mack San Francisco 49ers Wide Receiver
Terry McLaurin Washington Commanders Wide Receiver
Jake McQuaide Dallas Cowboys Long Snapper
Josh Myers Green Bay Packers Center
Andrew Norwell Jacksonville Jaguars Guard
Billy Price New York Giants Center
Malcolm Pridgeon Pittsburgh Steelers Guard
Isaiah Prince Cincinnati Bengals Offensive Tackle
Bradley Roby New Orleans Saints Cornerback
Curtis Samuel Washington Commanders Wide Receiver
C.J. Saunders Carolina Panthers Wide Receiver
Trey Sermon San Francisco 49ers Running Back
Kendall Sheffield Atlanta Falcons Cornerback
John Simon Pittsburgh Steelers Linebacker
Tommy Togiai Cleveland Browns Defensive Tackle
Nick Vannett New Orleans Saints Tight End
Binjimen Victor Baltimore Ravens Wide Receiver
Shaun Wade New England Patriots Cornerback
Denzel Ward Cleveland Browns Cornerback
Pete Werner New Orleans Saints Linebacker
Obviously a lot of youth, as the Urban Meyer era supercharged the OSU -> NFL pipeline. That said, I do not think there are any current Buckeye's who have already had a HOF career. The two closest guys IMO are Cam Heyward and Malcolm Jenkins. I think Jenkins has a long, long way to go and will never get the required accolades- but Heyward is an interesting case. He already has longevity and the last 5 years of his career have been amazing. He has amassed 5 pro bowl selections, 3 1st team AP selections and a 2nd team AP. I think he is fringe now at 32, but if he can get 2-4 more pro bowls and 2 more 1st team APs he would be a shoe in. He has also averaged 8+ sacks per year over the last five, and 3 more seasons of that production would give him over 90 for his career (somewhere in the neighborhood of Howie Long).
Other than Heyward, there are some shining young Bucks who need to continue their production and have long, healthy careers. Joey Bosa, Nick Bosa, and Chase Young all boast a DROY selection and Nick has 5 pro bowls in 6 years. (Nick has 2 in 3 years and Chase has 1 in 2 years.) Denzel Ward has 2 pro bowl selections, but he needs to be much healthier and more productive in my opinion.
Who else do you think could get there? Call your shot in the comments.
