The linebackers could make Buckeye history.
If Baron Browning, Pete Werner, Justin Hilliard and Tuf Borland all hear their names called during this weekend's NFL Draft, it will be the first time in Ohio State history that four linebackers were selected in one draft.
At the very least, the Buckeyes will very likely see at least three linebackers come off the board this weekend with Browning and Werner projected as third-round picks and Hilliard projected as a fifth-rounder. Borland is much more on the bubble and could either be a late-round selection or go undrafted.
Even if only three are selected, however, that still puts this year's linebackers class in rare company as Ohio State's seen three linebackers selected in one NFL Draft only five times throughout history with only three of those comparable to the modern draft.
Here's a look at those five three-linebacker draft classes as we await this year's class becoming the sixth.
1971 NFL Draft
- 5th Round, Pick 124: Jim Stillwagon, Green Bay Packs
- 7th Round, Pick 165: Doug Adams, Denver Broncos
- 16th Round, Pick 405: Mark Debevc, Cincinnati Bengals
This is technically the first time Ohio State saw three linebackers selected in the NFL Draft, but that doesn't really hold up to modern standards since one of the selections came in the 16th round with the 405th pick, where the modern draft is only seven rounds with just 259 picks this year.
None of the players selected in this draft had extensive NFL careers. Doug Adams played just four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals after being drafted by the Denver Broncos. Meanwhile, Jim Stillwagon instead of elected to play in the CFL and Mark Debevc never played professionally.
1974 NFL Draft
- 1st Round, Pick 13: Rick Middleton, New Orleans Saints
- 1st Round, Pick 14: Randy Gradishar, Denver Broncos
- 12th Round, Pick 304: Vic Koegel, Atlanta Falcons
The second time Ohio State saw three linebackers taken in one draft still does not compare to the modern draft, but it's closer and was more impressive at the top.
The Buckeyes saw two linebackers selected in the first round that season with Rick Middleton selected with pick No. 13 to the New Orleans Saints and Randy Gradishar to the Denver Broncos with the No. 14 overall pick. Vic Koegel rounded out the group, going in the 12th round to the Atlanta Falcons with the No. 304 overall pick – much later than the modern draft would allow.
Gradishar obviously headlines this group, playing ten seasons with the Broncos where he earned six All-Pro selections and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1978. Middleton spent five seasons in the NFL – two with the Saints and three with the Chargers – while Koegel never played in the league.
1986 NFL Draft
- 2nd Round, Pick 51: Pepper Johnson, New York Giants
- 7th Round, Pick 176: Byron Lee, Philadelphia Eagles
- 7th Round, Pick 193: Larry Kolic, Miami Dolphins
The 1986 NFL Draft is the first time Ohio State had three linebackers selected early enough in the draft to be comparable to the modern NFL Draft with all three players selected within the first 200 picks.
Pepper Johnson was the first off the board, selected with Pick No. 51 in the second round by the New York Giants. Byron Lee came next, picked No. 176 overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round and Larry Kolic following shortly after as the 193 overall pick by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round.
Of the group, however, only Johnson had a sustained NFL career, playing 13 seasons in the league across four different teams. Lee and Kolic both played in the NFL, but not for long with Lee making the Eagles roster in 1986 and 1987, and Kolic spending just three seasons with the Dolphins.
1995 NFL Draft
- 1st Round, Pick 30: Craig Powell, Cleveland Browns
- 3rd Round, Pick 77: Lorenzo Styles, Atlanta Falcons
- 3rd Round, Pick 98: Preston Harrison, San Diego Chargers
The 1995 draft was one of the most impressive linebackers classes in Ohio State history with three linebackers all selected within the first three rounds of the draft.
Craig Powell led the way as the last pick by the Cleveland Browns before they moved to Baltimore. Lorenzo Styles was the next Buckeye linebacker off the board, selected with the No. 77 overall pick to the Atlanta Falcons in the third round. He was followed shortly by Preston Harrison, who was selected in the third round by the San Diego Chargers with the No. 98 overall pick.
Despite the high draft positions, however, none of these players had long-lasting success in the NFL. Powell played just three seasons in the league, Styles played five, and Harrison never played in the league.
2006 NFL Draft
- 1st Round, Pick 5: AJ Hawk, Green Bay Packers
- 1st Round, Pick 18: Bobby Carpenter, Dallas Cowboys
- 3rd Round, Pick 76: Anthony Schlegel, New York Jets
The 2006 NFL Draft is currently the gold standard for Ohio State linebackers classes with three players selected, all of which were among the top 76 picks with two selected in the top-20.
AJ Hawk led the way, selected with the No. 5 overall pick by the Green Bay Packers – the second-highest draft position for a Buckeye linebacker ever. Bobby Carpenter was not far behind, selected with the No. 18 overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys. Anthony Schlegel rounded out the group, going with pick No. 76 in the third round to the New York Jets.
Hawk had the longest, and most successful NFL career of the group, playing nine seasons with the Green Bay Packers where he won a Super Bowl and remains the team's all-time leader in tackles. Hawk then played two more seasons, one with Cincinnati Bengals before finishing his career with the Atlanta Falcons.
Carpenter also had a lengthy NFL career, spending seven seasons in the league between four different teams. Schlegel's career was the shortest as he spent just two seasons in the NFL, playing with the Jets in 2006 and the Bengals in 2007.
