Ohio State’s 2024 NFL draft class could have been much bigger than it is.
Denzel Burke, Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson, JT Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer, Tyleik Williams, Donovan Jackson, Jordan Hancock and Lathan Ransom all would have been strong candidates to be drafted this year, but all of them decided to stay at Ohio State for another year.
Had all or even most of them gone pro, Ohio State would have been in line to have one of its largest draft classes ever this year. Instead, those Buckeyes will be trying to help Ohio State achieve its goals of beating Michigan and winning Big Ten and national championships in 2024.
Ohio State is certainly happy to have all of them back for another year, and it sets up the possibility for the Buckeyes to have a massive NFL draft class in 2025. But their crop of NFL draft hopefuls is smaller than usual this year as a result.
Still, Ohio State has a chance to have as many as nine players drafted after having only six players selected in each of the last two drafts. The actual number might prove to be lower, as the Buckeyes’ total pool of draft prospects features only nine players who saw significant playing time at OSU, but all of them should at least warrant consideration as late-round picks or free-agent signings.
Only one Buckeye is likely to be a first-round pick this year. That Buckeye, Marvin Harrison Jr., is expected to be Ohio State’s highest-drafted wide receiver ever. But there are three other Buckeyes who should be well within the Day 2 conversation and five others with at least a chance to be drafted on Day 3.
We take a closer look at all nine of Ohio State’s potential 2024 NFL draft picks and how they could stack up as pro prospects.
WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
The clear headliner of Ohio State’s 2024 draft class, Harrison is considered to be a generational wide receiver prospect. He has a shot at being the No. 1 overall pick – if the Chicago Bears choose to stick with Justin Fields at quarterback and don’t trade down – and is universally projected to be a top-five overall pick, with most mock drafts slotting him to be the first non-quarterback off the board.
The two-time unanimous All-American has just about everything an NFL team could want in a wide receiver. He demonstrated his talent time and time again in his 26 games as an Ohio State starter, averaging more than 100 yards per start and catching 31 touchdown passes. He has exceptional physical traits at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds and should excel in pre-draft workouts. He’s gotten lots of tutelage on what it takes to succeed in the NFL from his father, Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison, and he pairs his talent with a work ethic that was legendary inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Given all of that, Harrison looks like a virtual lock to become the first Ohio State wide receiver ever selected in the top six picks of an NFL draft. Terry Glenn holds the current record for the highest draft selection ever for an Ohio State wideout as the No. 7 overall pick in the 1996 NFL draft.
TE Cade Stover
It’s less certain who will be the second Buckeye off the board in this year’s draft, but Stover has a strong argument in his favor after his excellent final season at Ohio State.
At 6-foot-4 and 251 pounds with plenty of athleticism for his size, Stover fits the physical prototype for an NFL tight end, which was a big factor in his decision to move to tight end after starting his Ohio State career as a linebacker. He proved over the past two years that he could be a mismatch-creating receiving weapon, catching 77 passes for 982 yards and 10 touchdowns between those two seasons. He’ll need to become a more consistent blocker to be an every-down player in the NFL, but he has the size and strength needed to hold up in the trenches against pro defensive ends.
Per the consensus big board at NFL Mock Draft Database, Stover is ranked as the third-best tight end in the 2024 draft class behind Georgia’s Brock Bowers and Texas’ Ja’Tavion Sanders. That should put Stover firmly in the conversation to be a second- or third-round draft pick.
DT Mike Hall
One of just two members of the 2021 class along with Harrison to enter the NFL draft after just three years at Ohio State, Hall potentially could have benefitted from another year at the collegiate level after recording only two tackles for loss in 2023. But while he didn’t have the production he needed as a redshirt sophomore to become a first-round pick, his upside is still likely to make him a second- or third-round pick.
Nicknamed “Baby Aaron Donald” in reference to his explosiveness, Hall exhibited superstar potential in the first half of the 2022 season when he recorded 7.5 tackles for loss in just five games. A shoulder injury that plagued him for the rest of that season slowed his ascent, and he was overshadowed by Tyleik Williams on Ohio State’s interior defensive line this past season.
Still, Hall was a key player in Ohio State’s run-stopping efforts and flashed his ability to blow up plays with his quickness, power and strong hands. While he primarily played nose tackle at OSU, he’s likely to be a 3-technique DT at the next level, which could unlock his potential to make a more consistent impact as an interior pass-rusher.
Hall will take advantage of the NFL rule change allowing non-seniors to participate in the Senior Bowl as he accepted an invitation earlier this month to the annual pre-draft showcase in Mobile, Alabama, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. Feb. 3 and will be televised by NFL Network.
Mike Hall projects as a likely Day 2 draft pick after declaring for the 2024 NFL draft.
LB Tommy Eichenberg
Another Buckeye who could be a Day 2 draft pick is Eichenberg, who capped off his Ohio State career by winning Big Ten Linebacker of the Year honors in 2023.
The leader of Ohio State’s defense for the past two years as its starting middle linebacker, Eichenberg already has pro-level instincts and had plenty of production over the past four years to demonstrate his tackling ability, recording 268 tackles with 21 tackles for loss.
Pre-draft testing could be crucial to Eichenberg’s draft stock, as he will need to prove he’s athletic enough to be an every-down linebacker in the NFL. Whether NFL teams believe Eichenberg can consistently stay on the field on passing downs could make the difference between being a Day 2 draft choice or a Day 3 pick, but he should have a chance to contribute immediately at the next level as a run-stopper and special teams player.
Eichenberg also accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl, though he was not included on the Senior Bowl’s most recent roster release after missing three of his final four games as a Buckeye with an arm injury.
S Josh Proctor
The Buckeye who improved his draft stock the most this past season was Proctor, who entered the 2023 season needing a big year just to prove he should be drafted at all. He delivered, providing effective coverage on the back end of the defense all year long from his free safety spot while continuing to make the flashy plays he was known for throughout his six-year Ohio State career.
Had that breakout happened two or three years earlier, Proctor would likely be in the early-round draft conversation. As it stands, Proctor appears likely to be a Day 3 draft choice. His age and injury history could be held against him, as he will be 25 years old before the draft, but the adversity he battled through at Ohio State should have him well-prepared for the challenges that will come with playing in the NFL.
Proctor has the physical makeup of an NFL safety at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds with good speed and a contact-seeking style of play, which could give him the versatility to play either free or strong safety in the NFL and make an impact on special teams. If he can build upon his performance from this past season, he’s fully capable of playing at the next level.
Proctor will also participate in the Senior Bowl, giving him a chance to further improve his draft stock with a good week of practices and interviews with NFL scouts.
LB Steele Chambers
Chambers likely sits on the fringe between being a late-round draft pick or an undrafted free agent after an up-and-down final season with the Buckeyes in which he led the team with 83 total tackles but made fewer impact plays around the line of scrimmage (only 1.5 tackles for loss) and was inconsistent in coverage.
His athleticism at 6-foot-1 and 232 pounds gives him NFL upside, and there’s reason to believe his best football could still be in front of him considering he made a mid-career switch from running back to linebacker at Ohio State. But he’s only ranked as the 328th-best prospect in the 2024 draft on the consensus big board right now, which means most draft analysts project him to fall outside of the draft’s seven rounds.
Chambers will have a chance to elevate his draft stock when he participates in the East-West Shrine Bowl, which will be played at 8 p.m. Feb. 1 in Frisco, Texas, and will also be televised by NFL Network. Chambers is currently the only Buckeye set to participate in the Shrine Bowl, where he’ll also go through practices in front of NFL scouts and interview with representatives from every NFL team.
G Matt Jones
Jones is another Buckeye who likely finds himself on the fringe of being drafted or going undrafted even though he started every game for Ohio State over the past two seasons.
While Jones was Ohio State’s most consistent offensive lineman this past season, he never became the dominant run blocker he needed to be to elevate his draft stock. He struggled in his only start at center as a Buckeye in the Cotton Bowl, a game that could have moved him up draft boards if he had proved he had the versatility to play both guard and center.
Still, the fact that Jones has experience playing all three interior offensive line spots will help his chances of making an NFL roster. So will his history as a pass protector, as Jones allowed only one sack over the past two seasons per Pro Football Focus, which could convince a team to take a chance on the 6-foot-4, 315-pound offensive lineman in the late rounds.
NFL scouts got a chance to get a closer look at Jones last week when he participated in the Hula Bowl, the first all-star game of the pre-draft season. While the game did not feature as many premier prospects as the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl will, the opportunity could nevertheless be a boost for Jones, who started for his squad at right guard.
RB Miyan Williams
Williams looked like a future middle-round draft pick after he ran for 825 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2022, but his final season as a Buckeye didn’t go according to plan. He was the third-string running back for most of the season until he underwent season-ending knee surgery in late October, ending his year after just 49 carries for 158 yards and three touchdowns.
Even so, Williams opted to forgo two remaining years of eligibility and enter the 2024 NFL draft, opting to take his shot at playing professionally now despite the disappointing finish to his Ohio State career.
It’s uncertain whether Williams’ injury will limit his ability to work out for scouts during the pre-draft process, but Williams will have to build his draft case on the strength of what he was able to do before this past season.
At 5-foot-9 and 226 pounds with a good blend of power and shiftiness, Williams has a skill set that should give him a chance to stick in an NFL running back rotation. He’ll likely have to do that as a late-round pick or undrafted free agent, though, because of how sparingly he played in 2023.
Miyan Williams demonstrated NFL ability in his earlier years at Ohio State, but his draft stock is uncertain after his injury-shortened 2023 season.
WR/RB Xavier Johnson
A former walk-on who finished his six-year Ohio State career with only 682 yards from scrimmage might not stand out as an NFL draft prospect, but there are plenty of reasons for NFL teams to consider using a late-round selection on Johnson.
Johnson’s versatility will be his biggest calling card to potentially making an NFL roster. He proved at Ohio State that he could be effective as both a wide receiver and running back while also leading OSU in special teams snaps for each of the past two seasons. The ability to play multiple roles is highly valued in the NFL, where teams can only have 48 active players for each game.
While Johnson never got the consistent playing time on offense to put up big numbers at Ohio State, his film should show scouts that he can be a playmaker with the ball in his hands. The team captain and Block O jersey recipient should certainly impress teams during the interview process, and he’ll have no shortage of Ohio State coaches happy to vouch for his team-first approach.
Whether that will be enough to get Johnson drafted is uncertain, but he’s already proven that all he needs is an opportunity – even if that comes as an undrafted free agent – to make a notable impact. Like Jones, Johnson participated in last week’s Hula Bowl, giving him a chance to put his skills on display for NFL scouts and get a jump-start on the team interview process.
