20 Ohio State Players Who Could Be Prospects for the 2022 NFL Draft

At least seven Ohio State players have been selected in each of the last six NFL drafts, while exactly 10 Buckeyes have been chosen in each of the last two NFL drafts, and the current roster includes more than enough talented veterans that Ohio State should have a chance to continue both of those streaks next year. 

Several Buckeyes are already being projected as potential first-round picks in early mock drafts for next year, and there are plenty of others on this year’s roster who are also candidates to be selected in the 2022 NFL draft – set for April 28-30 in Las Vegas – if they perform well this year and choose to enter the draft next spring.

Because the NCAA gave all players a free year of eligibility last season, it’s harder than ever to know which Buckeyes will actually enter the draft a year from now. While Ohio State’s 2021 roster is set to include a whopping 42 draft-eligible scholarship players, 37 of them will still have at least one more year of eligibility beyond this season should they choose to use it.

That said, all of the following players are projected to play large enough roles in 2021 that they could emerge as legitimate prospects for next year’s NFL draft – if they aren’t already – and could at least have a decision to make about their Ohio State futures beyond this year.

Starting with the prospects who are most likely to be top picks and concluding with those who likely need big seasons to capture the NFL’s attention, the following 20 Buckeyes are those scouts should be watching as they begin building their draft boards for 2022.

Players are listed by their traditional year of eligibility, though all of them who are not listed as a “super senior” could still return in 2022. 

10 Likely Draft Picks

Chris Olave, WR, Senior

Olave likely would have been Ohio State’s second player drafted this year, and potentially its second first-round pick, if he had entered the 2021 NFL draft. Instead, he surprised many by choosing to stay at Ohio State for his senior season, putting his chance to become an early-round selection on hold for another year.

That said, Olave will now be in the running to be the top wide receiver in the 2022 draft class. He’s already been Ohio State’s No. 1 receiver for the past two seasons, showing both excellent speed as a deep threat and the route-running savvy to be an intermediate weapon, and NFL scouts will surely take notice of how many big plays he’s made in big moments.

If anything was going to keep Olave from being a first-round pick this year, it might be that he’s a bit lean for an NFL receiver at 6-foot-1 and 189 pounds and had some ball security issues last season with four fumbles. Olave recognizes that, though, and is making it a point of emphasis this offseason to “get a lot stronger” and improve his play strength.

Garrett Wilson, WR, Junior

As good as Olave is, it’s debatable whether he’ll even be Ohio State’s top wide receiver prospect for the 2022 draft, as Wilson also projects as a likely first-round pick if he enters the draft next spring.

Wilson has been viewed as a potential future first-rounder since he arrived at Ohio State as a five-star recruit in 2019, and he’s only strengthened his case in his first two years as a Buckeye, in which he’s caught 73 passes for 1,155 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Possessing exceptional ball skills that he’s repeatedly put on display with tough catches over the past two seasons, Wilson has also shown that he can make plays both outside and in the slot, which should make him a fit for any NFL offense. He has top-15 pick potential if he can build upon his first two college seasons with a big junior year.

Zach Harrison, DE, Junior

Harrison might have the highest draft upside of any Ohio State prospect who could be in next year’s class. At 6-foot-6 and 268 pounds with exceptional athleticism for his size, Harrison has the physical traits NFL scouts covet in elite pass-rushing prospects.

To actually become a top prospect in the 2022 draft, Harrison needs to be much more productive in his junior season. With just 5.5 sacks in his first two seasons as a Buckeye, he hasn’t yet performed to the expectations that come with being a five-star defensive end at Ohio State.

Based on the way coaches talked about Harrison this spring, however, it’s clear they’re expecting him to make a big jump in his junior season. If he can perform up to his potential this year, he could soar up boards and be one of the first defensive players drafted next spring.

Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Senior

Like Olave, Ruckert had early-round pick potential if he entered the 2021 NFL draft, but opted to stay with the Buckeyes for one more year with an eye toward continuing to develop his skill set.

At 6-foot-5 and 252 pounds with the speed to be a deep threat over the middle, Ruckert fits the prototype for a modern NFL tight end. Although he was a high school wide receiver and is best known for his playmaking ability as a pass-catcher, he’s also developed into a great blocker for the Buckeyes, though he’s still looking to become more consistent in that area.

The big question for Ruckert going into his senior season, as is always the case for Ohio State tight ends, is how much the ball will actually be thrown his way. College statistics usually don’t carry much weight with NFL scouts, though, so he doesn’t necessarily need to put up big numbers to be one of the top tight ends in next year’s draft; he just needs to take advantage of the playmaking opportunities he gets.

Thayer Munford, OT, Super Senior

Another Buckeye who surprised many with his decision to stay in school, Munford wouldn’t have even had the option to return for another season if not for the NCAA’s extra year of eligibility. Like Olave and Ruckert, though, Munford chose to remain at Ohio State for another season with the belief that he still has room to improve before going to the next level.

Munford is going into his fourth season as Ohio State’s starting left tackle with a lofty goal: To become the top offensive tackle in the 2022 NFL draft class. Whether that goal is actually attainable is uncertain, but he was one of college football’s best left tackles last year and will now look to be even more dominant as a so-called super senior.

At 6-foot-6 and 321 pounds, Munford was “moving as quick as he’s ever been” this spring according to Ohio State offensive line coach Greg Studrawa, and that could be crucial to his 2022 NFL draft stock. There’s no question that Munford has the size and strength to play at the next level, while he’ll also enter the league with a rare wealth of experience for an offensive tackle.

Nicholas Petit-Frere, OT, Redshirt Junior

Much like Olave and Wilson at wide receiver, Ohio State could also have two early-round picks in next year’s draft at offensive tackle. And although he has two fewer years of starting experience than Munford, Petit-Frere could ultimately emerge as the Buckeyes’ top prospect at the position.

Petit-Frere was the No. 7 overall prospect in the recruiting class of 2018 for a reason, and that reason is because he has exceptional quickness for an offensive tackle. He was as dominant as any pass protector in college football in his first season as Ohio State’s right tackle, and though he arrived in Columbus underweight, he’s built like an NFL offensive tackle now at 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds.

He’s working this offseason on improving as a run blocker, which is where he needs to take the next step from good to great in order to become a top NFL draft prospect.

Haskell Garrett, DT, Super Senior

At this time last year, Garrett looked like a fringe draft pick who needed a big year just to legitimize himself as an NFL prospect. He had that season and then some, but still decided to use his extra year of eligibility to return to Ohio State for a fifth year.

Garrett was one of the most disruptive defensive tackles in college football last season, earning All-American honors from multiple media outlets for his play as the Buckeyes’ starting 3-technique, yet there’s reason to believe he can still take his game to another level. Garrett missed most of last preseason after he was shot in the face in August, and while he missed this spring with a foot injury, he believes he can still become a more complete player this offseason.

If Garrett can even play as well as he did last season over the course of a full 12-game season this year, though, he should garner early-round pick consideration in next year’s draft.

Tyreke Smith, DE, Senior

Similarly to Harrison, Smith has been viewed as a potential future early-round NFL draft pick since he arrived at Ohio State as one of the top defensive end recruits in the country, but he hasn’t yet delivered that kind of production on the field.

Smith has the explosive burst off the edge that NFL scouts like to see, but he’s recorded just four career sacks in three seasons. Though he showed he could generate fairly regular pressure as a starting defensive end last season, talent evaluators will certainly want to see him make more big plays in 2021.

If the 6-foot-3, 260-pound defensive end can finally start racking up sacks this fall, he has the physical traits to be a top-100 pick next spring.

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Sevyn Banks, CB, Senior

Seven Ohio State cornerbacks have been selected in the first round of the NFL draft since 2014, and some expect the man named Sevyn to be the eighth, as evidenced by how frequently he’s appeared in the early mock drafts published online this week.

Banks didn’t play like a first-round pick or even close to that level last year, though, when Ohio State’s passing defense gave up 304 yards per game. He possesses NFL size and athleticism, but he wasn’t as consistent as he needed to be in coverage last season.

The same sentence could have been written about Damon Arnette two years ago, so Banks could make good on those first-round predictions if he makes a big jump in his second season as a starter. Right now, though, he still has to prove he can be a reliable No. 1 cornerback for the Buckeyes.

Josh Proctor, S, Senior

Proctor is another Ohio State defensive back who’s flashed physical traits and playmaking ability that could make him a coveted NFL draft prospect, but who still needs to prove he can consistently get his job done on the back end of the Buckeyes’ defense.

At 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Proctor has shown the range to make plays all over the field while also being a hard-hitting tackler. He’s seen playing time as a deep free safety, as an in-the-box strong safety and as a slot cornerback at Ohio State, and that versatility will increase his value as an NFL prospect.

On the other end of the spectrum, Proctor has also had recurring issues with missed tackles and being out of position, which isn’t what NFL decision-makers want to see in a safety prospect. If he can both make big plays and less mistakes with more consistency this fall, though, he has the talent to shoot up draft rankings.

10 Others to Watch

Taron Vincent, DT, Redshirt Junior

Because Vincent’s Ohio State career has started slowly and he’s still likely to be a backup behind Garrett at the 3-technique position this year, it might make more sense for him to stay with the Buckeyes for two more years before entering the 2023 draft. Yet it wouldn’t be a surprise if he becomes a breakout NFL prospect this season.

Ryan Day and Larry Johnson both said this spring that they’re expecting big things from Vincent this year, and he was the top-ranked defensive tackle in the recruiting class of 2018. His family already has a big presence in the NFL – his father is the league’s executive vice president of football operations – so scouts should take notice if he starts making more plays this fall.

Cameron Brown, CB, Redshirt Junior

Brown has said he can run a sub-4.3-second 40-yard dash, and if he can do that whenever his pre-draft pro day comes, he’s going to turn NFL scouts’ heads. At 6-foot and 190 pounds with elite speed, Brown has the physical traits to be a fast riser up draft boards.

He has to get fully healthy first after missing most of last season with a torn Achilles, and he’s still unproven as a cornerback. He’s not even guaranteed to start for the Buckeyes this season. If he does, though, talent evaluators will have reason to keep a close eye on his performance.

Master Teague, RB, Redshirt Junior

Right now, it’s in question whether Teague will even be Ohio State’s starting running back this season. But he is the most likely Buckeye running back to be an NFL draft prospect after this season, given that he’s the only one that already has substantial playing experience.

Teague certainly has the size and speed to be an NFL running back at 5-foot-11 and 226 pounds, but he’ll likely need to show more agility and receiving ability if he’s going to be better than a late-round draft choice.

Tyler Friday, DE, Senior

Like the aforementioned defensive ends, Friday hasn’t had a ton of production yet at Ohio State – just three sacks in three seasons – but could emerge as an NFL prospect with a late-career surge.

Though he isn’t quite as explosive an athlete as Harrison and Smith, he has been a strong run defender for the Buckeyes and could potentially be a candidate to kick inside in the NFL as a 3-4 defensive end or 3-technique defensive tackle if he can put on some extra weight.

Antwuan Jackson, DT, Super Senior

Jackson is a prime example of a player who could benefit from the NCAA giving all players an extra year of eligibility. While he would have been a long shot to be selected in this year’s draft, he’s expected to see more playing time in 2021 following the departure of Tommy Togiai, giving him a chance to make his case for NFL scouts.

Jackson’s career at Ohio State has been pretty quiet since he arrived as a highly touted junior college transfer in 2018, but he showed some playmaking ability with five tackles and a sack while playing his biggest role of the season in the national championship game against Alabama. If he could build upon that throughout the 2021 season, he could get himself drafted next spring.

Jerron Cage, DT, Redshirt Senior

Cage is in the same boat as Jackson as a nose tackle who has only played sparingly thus far in his Ohio State career, but is likely to see substantial playing time in the rotation this season – regardless of who starts between him and Jackson – which could lead to a late-career emergence.

It’s possible Cage could even be back for a sixth year at Ohio State in 2022 since he took a redshirt year, but this season will be the best opportunity he’s had yet to try to show he can play at the next level.

Harry Miller, G/C, Junior

It’s rare for an Ohio State offensive lineman to enter the NFL draft after just three seasons, and Miller’s underwhelming first season as a starter didn’t exactly make him look like a three-and-done candidate. It’s not out of the question, though, if he can make a big jump in his junior year.

A top-30 national recruit out of high school, Miller has the tools to develop into an early-round NFL prospect, while his intelligence should also impress pro teams. It’s still uncertain whether he’ll play guard or center for the Buckeyes this season – he still has to lock down a starting job in preseason camp – but his versatility to play both positions should help him whenever he goes through the NFL draft process.

Marcus Williamson, CB, Super Senior

Like Jackson, Williamson would have presumably gone undrafted this year under normal circumstances, but will now look to take advantage of his extra year of eligibility to improve his chances of becoming an NFL draft pick.

Williamson showed some versatility last season in playing both slot cornerback and safety for the Buckeyes, but he’ll need to show more playmaking ability and consistency in coverage to get himself drafted next spring. He could play a reduced role in 2021 with Lathan Ransom and Cameron Martinez making a charge for more playing time, so he’ll have to take advantage of the opportunities he gets.

Teradja Mitchell, LB, Senior

After waiting his turn for the last three years, Mitchell should finally get the chance to play regularly in Ohio State’s linebacker corps this season, and it’s very possible he could emerge as an NFL prospect in just one season.

Mitchell was a top-50 overall recruit in 2018, he’s got NFL size (6-2, 235) and he’s shown in limited action that he’s an explosive downhill playmaker who hits hard. That said, he’s still entirely unproven as an every-down player and could be a candidate to use his extra year of eligibility to get two years of substantial playing time as a Buckeye.

Dallas Gant, LB, Senior

Almost everything I wrote about Mitchell likewise applies to Gant, who is also expected to either be a starter or at least a regular in the linebacker rotation this season.

It’s been impossible to truly evaluate either of them as NFL prospects until they start playing on a more frequent basis, but Gant has flashed some playmaking ability in limited action. He’ll now have to show he can be a reliable every-down player to become a potential draft pick.