Four Ohio State Draft Prospects Who Could Keep the New Orleans Saints’ Buckeye Pipeline Going

By Jacob Rhee on March 10, 2023 at 1:05 pm
Chris Olave
Stephen Lew – USA TODAY Sports
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There's something special about the connection between Columbus and the Big Easy.

When the Saints used the 11th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft on Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave, it further reinforced what everyone already knew.

They absolutely love the Scarlet and Gray down in New Orleans.

The current Saints roster includes five former Buckeyes: Marshon Lattimore, Olave, Bradley Roby, Michael Thomas and Pete Werner. Their roster includes no more than three players from any other school.

Since 2000, New Orleans has spent 11 of its 146 total draft picks on Ohio State players, the most of any NFL franchise.

Buckeyes Selected In The NFL Draft (2000-22)
TEAM TOTAL
Saints 11
Colts 9
Cowboys 8
Jets 8
Steelers 8

In that same time frame, eight of the Saints' 42 selections in the first two rounds of the draft have been used to take Buckeyes, also more than any other NFL team.

Buckeyes Selected in 1st and 2nd Rounds
TEAM 1R 2R TOTAL
Saints 4 4 8
Jets 4 2 6
Colts 2 4 6
Steelers 3 1 4
49ers 2 1 3

Consider for a moment just how wild that is: Over the past 23 years, if New Orleans was on the clock in Round 1 or 2, there was a 19% chance that the guy they chose played his college ball in Columbus.

So why do the Saints love Ohio State players so much? New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis addressed the pattern back in 2021.

Loomis was again asked about his affinity for Buckeyes recently, and gave a similar response, explaining that "they're well-coached, they love football, they practice hard," and so on.

History tells us that there's a good chance at least one Buckeye ends up in New Orleans. Who could it be? Here are the top four candidates, ranked from most likely to wear black and gold to least likely.

1. DE Zach Harrison

A big reason that the normally-elite Saints defense was merely good in 2022 was the lack of stability and production from their second defensive end spot. Future Hall of Famer Cam Jordan delivered another strong season, but the rotation that New Orleans employed opposite of him – led by 2018 first-round pick Marcus Davenport – was mostly underwhelming.

Many draft experts have Harrison going in the second round, and the Saints sit in prime position to grab the former five-star recruit at No. 40 overall. With Jordan turning 34 in July and Davenport potentially bolting in free agency, New Orleans would be wise to bring in a young edge rusher to help wreak havoc on an inexperienced batch of NFC South quarterbacks.

Harrison never put up gaudy sack numbers in Columbus, but clearly had his best college season in 2022. His eye-popping build and athleticism give him a massive ceiling, and the Lewis Center native would fit seamlessly into the Saints' defensive line.

2. CB Cameron Brown

Given that Dennis Allen's scheme is heavily reliant on playing man coverage, having speed is a prerequisite to playing cornerback in New Orleans. This is evidenced by the four guys currently at the top of the Saints' depth chart at the position; Paulson Adebo, Lattimore, Roby, and Alontae Taylor were all clocked at 4.42 seconds or faster in the 40-yard dash as prospects.

Keeping up with a group of speed demons should be no issue at all for Brown, who said last week at the NFL Combine that he is looking to post a blazing 4.2 time in the same drill (though he hasn’t yet actually run the 40 to prove it). The 22-year-old has long believed that he can run with just about anyone.

Though Brown struggled to stay healthy at Ohio State, he showed flashes of promise in his time on the field. Because he was occasionally susceptible to giving up a big play and has yet to develop into a strong tackler, Brown will likely be a mid-to-late round selection in the draft, at best. But he also demonstrated the potential to survive on an island for extended periods of a game and could prove to be a valuable depth addition for a team like New Orleans.

3. WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

With the Saints holding the No. 29 pick in the first round, leapfrogging a handful of squads may be necessary to secure the services of Smith-Njigba, who most are projecting to be selected in the early 20s or higher. It just so happens that no team in the NFL trades up in the draft more often than New Orleans, who has done so 24 times in the past 16 years.

With Olave looking like a blossoming star, taking another wide receiver in Round 1 doesn't seem like the most fruitful option for the Saints on the surface. But let's consider the quarterback situation. Derek Carr will need all the help he can get; after all, Carr is coming off a season in which he was handed the best wideout in football and yet got benched for Jarrett Stidham.

Unfortunately, New Orleans simply can't rely on the health of Michael Thomas, who has played just 10 games in the past three years combined. Jarvis Landry is a free agent, and his production is declining anyway. The need for another weapon is more pressing than one might think.

Smith-Njigba mostly worked from the slot as a Buckeye, but as he recently informed NFL great Steve Smith, he can dominate from anywhere.

Here he is lined up on the outside in his legendary Rose Bowl performance against Utah.

NFL scouts have raised concerns over Smith-Njigba's perceived lack of top-end speed, but claiming that the former Ohio State star is missing the physical tools necessary to succeed in the pros is ambitious. Just take it from Olave and Garrett Wilson.

4. S Ronnie Hickman

Hickman seems to have the most polarizing stock of all the draft-eligible Buckeyes. He's been projected to go as early as the first round, while other experts have him waiting until the late rounds. The likeliest outcome is that the New Jersey native is picked in the middle rounds by a team targeting depth in its safety room.

It's understandable why the evaluations on Hickman remain mixed. He was a two-year starter in Columbus who always showcased great instincts and feel for the game. He is perhaps best-known for being a thumper in the box, but also held his own when dropping back in coverage.

Hickman's reputation as a heat-seeking missile with a nose for the football didn't always translate into game-breaking plays at Ohio State. In 28 career games for the Buckeyes, he accumulated just 2.5 tackles for loss, a single sack, three interceptions and two forced fumbles.

Hickman wouldn't step in as an immediate starter in New Orleans, but he could fill a valuable reserve role in the secondary. If the oft-injured Marcus Maye – who has missed 18 games over the past two seasons – gets hurt again, it's not difficult to imagine Hickman shining alongside Tyrann Mathieu in his absence.

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