Not one, not two, but three Ohio State offensive linemen are all but guaranteed to hear their names called in Kansas City this week.
And given the mock draft grades on Paris Johnson Jr., Dawand Jones and Luke Wypler, the entire trio may be off the board before the end of the third round Friday. Nearly a third of the Buckeyes to receive mock draft projections in Eleven Warriors’ latest roundup were full-time starters for Justin Frye’s unit this past season, and that’s no small feat – even for a program that routinely churns out as much NFL talent as Ohio State.
In fact, the Buckeyes haven’t seen three offensive linemen selected in the same year since 2004, when Ohio State set a program record with 14 total draftees. But in terms of draft position for Buckeye offensive linemen, even that year pales compared to what Ohio State is expected to achieve at the 2023 NFL draft.
Alex Stepanovich, Shane Olivea and Adrien Clarke all came off the board before the end of the draft in 2004, but none of the three were selected before the fourth round. Stepanovich was the highest pick of the bunch, going 100th overall to the Arizona Cardinals in round No. 4, while Olivea and Clarke went 209th (San Diego Chargers) and 227th (Philadelphia Eagles) overall, respectively. Both of the latter two were seventh-round picks.
This year, the Buckeyes are expected to have a first-round lock at offensive tackle, as Johnson was projected to fall no lower than No. 17 overall in last week’s mock draft roundup. In fact, 19 prognosticators predicted that Johnson will be a top-10 pick, and there’s even been speculation that the Arizona Cardinals could take Johnson off the board as early as the No. 3 pick.
A five-star prospect out of high school, Johnson only had one full year of collegiate starting experience at left tackle, having spent his sophomore season as a starting guard for the Buckeyes. But that hasn’t stopped him from becoming ESPN’s second overall tackle prospect in the draft.
After wowing NFL personnel in attendance at Ohio State pro day with his athleticism and mobility, Johnson quickly credited the Buckeye program for developing him into the top-level prospect that teams at the next level are sure to be salivating over on draft night.
“It’s awesome to be a part of this team, be a part of this organization. Honestly, the reason why Ohio State produces the way it does, it’s not just because we wear the logo and we’re gonna go to the NFL,” Johnson said. “I think it’s the people like Coach (Mickey Marotti), Coach (Justin) Frye, Mike Sollenne, Coach (Ryan) Day. It’s all the coaches in here. The logo does change a little bit, it’s that standard. It’s the standard you have to keep. So I think the coaches, the way they’ve done things, they’ve kept that standard up. When you come here, you gotta keep that standard of the guys that came before.”
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Ohio State could have a second offensive lineman join Johnson as a first-round pick. Jones, who held down the starting right tackle position for the scarlet and gray for each of the past two seasons, has impressed scouts and executives with his sheer size alone during the pre-draft process. Measuring in at 6’8 1/4” and 374 pounds with 11 5/8” hands, 36 3/8” arms and an 87 7/8” wingspan at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last month, Jones registered the largest numbers of all participants in every category.
Couple that with his experience blocking for a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist in C.J. Stroud, and Jones received a first-round placement in eight different mock drafts in our most recent roundup. More mocks have Jones going in the second round, but none had him falling lower than No. 60 overall.
“I’ve been hearing 31st to late second. Just wherever would be a blessing, honestly,” Jones said at Ohio State pro day. “I feel good, but there’s always work for improvement.”
Jones said NFL draft evaluators have questioned him about his passion for the game but said he just tells them to “turn on the film.”
“That was one of my main things from this past season was just to make sure that the scouts knew when they turn on the film, they see me dominating,” Jones said. “That kind of like speaks for itself (in terms of) my passion for the game.”
Wypler may be the third of the bunch to be drafted, but he isn’t expected to be far behind. With multiple second-round draft grades, it’s possible Wypler – ESPN’s fourth-rated center prospect in the 2023 draft class – could even go ahead of Jones, depending on how things shake out. Most view Wypler as a third-round pick, but wherever he lands, the New Jersey native is confident he can contribute to a winning environment.
“Anytime you’re gonna offer somebody a million-dollar job, they want to see the type of person you are, the type of character you have and the personality you possess and what they’re bringing into their building to help their team win,” Wypler said at pro day. “At the end of the day, I think I can help a lot of clubs do that, and it’s been exciting going through this process.”
Beyond 2004, you’d have to go back to 1990 to find the next most recent year in which the Buckeyes had three offensive linemen drafted. And in the 20 years prior, it only happened three other times.
Justin Frye may not have been around for all of Johnson, Jones and Wypler’s development, but his room will have a major feather in its cap after presumably landing three players in the early rounds of the NFL draft following his first year in the program.
