SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Do a quick search of 2016 NFL mock drafts and you will find a common trend: Ohio State’s Joey Bosa and Notre Dame’s Ronnie Stanley each seem like locks to be top-10 selections.
The Buckeyes’ star defensive end against the Fighting Irish’s All-American left tackle is a dream matchup for NFL scouts and it is one that will take place New Year’s Day when Ohio State takes on Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.
“One team’s best player against the other team’s best player; that’s exactly what you want to see,” CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler told Eleven Warriors. “Both of these guys are going to be starting in the league next year.”
Bosa, the Buckeyes’ terrorizing defensive end, has not had the statistical output he did last season as a sophomore as he has been the recipient of consistent double- and, and times, triple-teams which has diminished his production a bit. Bosa has 16 tackles for loss and five sacks this season.
But anybody who has watched him play this season knows Bosa has been as disruptive as ever. He commands constant attention by opposing offenses and that slight dip in his production hasn’t hurt his NFL Draft stock one bit. Bosa is going No. 2 overall to the Cleveland Browns in Brugler’s latest mock draft; ESPN analyst Todd McShay has him going No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans.
“[Bosa is] a great player, he makes plays,” Stanley said. “I look at it as an opportunity; that’s all it is to me. I’m trying to take full advantage of all those opportunities I get. Especially at a critical moment in my life like this where it’s leading into my future outside of college, you’ve just got to take advantage of every opportunity and this is a big one.”
Stanley is listed at 6-foot-5.5 inches and 315 pounds, but he does not move like your average offensive tackle. Both Brugler and McShay have Stanley currently pegged to go No. 8 overall in their latest mock drafts.
“Just watching [Stanley] move, he’s a freak athlete,” Bosa said. “He’s got really long arms, he’ll clamp onto you, he can run you out of there. He can definitely move for a big guy so he’s up there for a reason.”
With Adolphus Washington suspended and Tommy Schutt sidelined with a broken foot, Ohio State will be without both of its starting defensive tackles for this matchup with the Fighting Irish. That means Bosa may slide inside and play on the interior a little more than usual. As a result, there may not be as many one-on-one matchups with Stanley.
But that doesn’t mean the ones that still take place will be any less exciting.
“It’s an opportunity for me to really set myself apart from all the other offensive linemen out there,” Stanley said. “That’s how I look at and I’m just trying to take advantage of it.”
Bosa said while he welcomes the challenge of going one-on-one against Stanley, he doesn’t necessarily look at the matchup as an individual task.
“I’m just focusing on going out there and playing hard and to the best of my ability,” he said. “I’m not really thinking of it as an NFL showcase, I’m just trying to win the game.”
There is a slight chance either Bosa or Stanley could return to school next season, but that’s not likely with both projected to be top-10 selections. Bosa is only a true junior while Stanley is a fourth-year junior. Both technically have one year of eligibility left, but again, it’s highly unlikely.
So the battle between the two on Jan. 1 will likely be the final time each will don their respective college uniform. It’s a true test of where each stands and how each guy fares could go a long way in determining when each hears his name called during the NFL Draft.
“That’s definitely going to be one of the best matchups, maybe the best matchup to watch all of bowl season,” Brugler said.
You may want to tune in.
