One month following a national championship victory, more than a dozen Buckeyes now have their eyes set on turning pro.
Arguably one of the most important steps en route to hearing one’s name called during the NFL Draft begins this week, as 15 Ohio State players head to Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine. The combine is a week-long event that has players take medical exams, interview with teams and work out for all 32 NFL franchises.
None of the 15 Ohio State Buckeyes have Marvin Harrison Jr.-like assurances that they’ll be a surefire top-five, or even top-15 pick, in April’s draft, so it’s probably a good bet they’ll be participants for most of the workouts in an effort to boost their stock, with the obvious exception of injured hopeful draftees such as Seth McLaughlin and Josh Simmons.
What isn’t clear yet is whether all OSU players will run the 40-yard dash or fully participate in all of the events this week, seeing as they’ve only had a month since the season ended for combine training. But if they don’t do an event in Indianapolis this week, there’s still a chance they’ll do it at Ohio State’s pro day in March.
With that, we’ve put together a list of five Buckeyes who could help themselves with a strong showing at the combine this week, with the caveat that the same logic will apply if some of the workouts spill over to next month.
| Players | Media Interviews | On-Field Workouts |
|---|---|---|
| DE Jack Sawyer, DE JT Tuimoloau, DT Ty Hamilton, DT Tyleik Williams, LB Cody Simon | Wednesday (8-11 a.m.) | Thursday (3-8 p.m.) |
| CB Denzel Burke, CB Jordan Hancock, S Lathan Ransom | Thursday (9 a.m.-Noon) | Friday (3-9 p.m.) |
| QB Will Howard, WR Emeka Egbuka, RB TreVeyon Henderson, RB Quinshon Judkins | Friday (8-11 a.m.) | Saturday (1-9 p.m.) |
| OL Donovan Jackson, C Seth McLaughlin, OT Josh Simmons | Saturday (8-11 a.m.) | Sunday (1-5 p.m.) |
| Media interview coverage on Eleven Warriors, on-field workouts televised by NFL Network | ||
Will Howard
Current projected stock: Between second and fourth rounds
Breakdown: Before the College Football Playoff, Howard was widely seen as a late-round draft selection, possibly a late Day Two pick if someone fell in love with him. Following a prolific four-game postseason run, Howard has already done a lot of favors for himself and has entered the conversation to be in the mix for first quarterback taken outside of Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders and, to a lesser extent, Jaxson Dart. As we mentioned earlier, the combine isn't just pure workouts, it's also an opportunity for players to interview with all 32 NFL franchises. I've heard enough Will Howard press conferences over the past year to know he'll kill it in that setting, especially since NFL types love that "leader of men" persona.
He also boasts nice physical traits, especially his size. A strong passing performance could help bolster his draft stock, too. Between the leader of men persona, the four-game CFP run, and the fact that if nothing else, NFL teams often overdraft quarterbacks more often than they should, Howard could find himself in a good position to hear his name called in April a little earlier than expected if things go right this week.
Cody Simon
Current projected stock: Between third and fifth rounds
Breakdown: Testing will be super important for Simon if he wants to get himself into that Day Two range. In particular, Simon’s biggest question marks are if his speed and lateral quickness will translate to the next level, so agility drills and the 40 will be crucial for Simon. As Ohio State fans already know, he should kill it with off the field questioning, considering Simon was the Block O recepient and embodied a captain’s persona essentially since he set foot on campus. He also showcased his ability to rush the passer this fall, accumulating seven sacks, which is more important than ever in today’s modern NFL.
Denzel Burke
Current projected stock: Between second and fourth rounds
Breakdown: If you take away the first Oregon game from the 2024 season, Burke had a wonderful senior season for Ohio State. Especially considering he shut down the Ducks in the second go-around. But still, Burke getting torched for more than 150 yards in Eugene will probably give some talent evaluators some hesitation when considering Burke for a high draft pick. Though Burke has already proven that poor showing to be an aberration in my opinion, Burke could certainly help himself here with impressive showings in drills related to quickness. Cornerback is arguably the position that requires the most confidence (and a short memory) more than any other position on the field, and evaluators will find no shortage of that with Burke whenever they speak with him.
Ty Hamilton
Current projected stock: Day Three pick
Breakdown: Hamilton might be one of Ohio State’s more underrated prospects. The Pickerington native is a stalwart run defender who often covers his gap. Though, the knock on Hamilton is he doesn’t excite many NFL scouts as a pass rusher at this point in his career. The best thing Hamilton can do for himself this week is test well in strength drills and also give NFL scouts an indication that he’d be able to develop as a better pass rusher over the years than he currently is.
Jordan Hancock
Current projected stock: Day Three pick
Breakdown: NFL scouts will love Jordan Hancock’s versatility, as he can play both safety and as a slot cornerback. At 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, Hancock would give an NFL team excellent size in the slot, but teams may question whether he has the quickness to stay with some of the NFL’s better slot receivers, particularly in man or press coverage. In short, he’ll need to prove he’s more than capable of sticking with speedy wideouts to hear his name called early in April.
