Ohio State’s NFL draft hopefuls kept busy over the last several weeks visiting teams who could be interested in picking them next week.
With the first round of the 2025 NFL draft just one week away, Wednesday was the deadline for NFL teams to host prospects on pre-draft visits. Before that deadline arrived, many of Ohio State’s top draft prospects traveled around the country visiting NFL teams after their facilities, allowing those teams to get to know those former Buckeyes better as they consider whether they should draft one – or more – of last year’s college football national champions.
Each NFL team is permitted to host up to 30 players on formal pre-draft visits. Teams are also allowed to host players who either grew up in their local region or played college football at local colleges at their local pro days, whose participants are typically players projected to be later-round draft picks or undrafted free agents.
NFL teams are not required to publicly reveal their pre-draft visitors, so there isn’t a definitive list of every prospect that each team hosted. That said, we’ve compiled a list from interviews with Ohio State’s draft prospects and reports from various NFL reporters of the known pre-draft visits for former Buckeyes, giving us some insight into possible landing spots for Ohio State’s top prospects. (Note: Although they are all projected to be drafted, JT Tuimoloau, Denzel Burke and Cody Simon have not publicly revealed any pre-draft visits.)
OT Josh Simmons: Bengals, Cardinals, Chiefs, Colts, 49ers, Packers, Ravens, Saints
Unsurprisingly, the Buckeye who made the most reported pre-draft visits is the Buckeye who’s widely projected to be the first Ohio State player selected this year. Simmons – the lone Buckeye who will be attending next week’s draft in Green Bay – reportedly visited eight of the league’s 32 teams in recent weeks.
The teams picking highest among them are the New Orleans Saints (who hold the No. 9 overall pick) and the San Francisco 49ers (No. 11). A reunion with former Ohio State offensive line coach Justin Frye could be on the table if the Arizona Cardinals select him with the No. 16 overall pick, while the Cincinnati Bengals could be a candidate to draft him one pick later if he gets past Arizona. The Kansas City Chiefs, who hold the No. 31 overall pick, are viewed by many draft analysts as the floor for Simmons’ draft stock as the Chiefs look to improve the offensive line that cost them a Super Bowl last season.
DT Tyleik Williams: Bills, Eagles, 49ers, Lions, Packers, Ravens, Texans
Williams made the second-most publicly reported pre-draft visits of any Buckeye as he went to see seven different teams this month, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
The former Ohio State defensive tackle is projected to be either a late first-round or second-round draft pick, so it’s notable that six of the seven teams who hosted Williams – all except the 49ers – are set to draft within the final 10 picks of Round 1, giving Williams plenty of potential landing spots to hear his name called late next Thursday night.
OL Donovan Jackson: Eagles, Giants, Raiders, Texans, Titans, Vikings
Jackson told reporters at Ohio State’s pro day that he had visits lined up with the Las Vegas Raiders, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants, while it’s also been reported that Jackson visited the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans.
Like Williams, Jackson is projected to be either a late first-round or early second-round pick. The Vikings (who hold the No. 24 overall pick), Texans (No. 25) and Eagles (No. 32) could all be candidates to draft Jackson late in Round 1, while the Giants (No. 34), Titans (No. 35) and Raiders (No. 37) could all target him with their picks within the first five selections of Round 2.
RB Quinshon Judkins: Bengals, Broncos, Browns, Cowboys, Giants, Texans
Judkins is another Buckeye who kept during the pre-draft visit process as he made trips to see six different teams, including both of Ohio State’s in-state NFL counterparts, the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns.
Judkins is widely projected to be selected in either the second or third round. All six teams who hosted him on visits have picks in both rounds, with the Texans, Browns and Giants each holding two third-round choices.
RB TreVeyon Henderson: Bengals, Broncos, Cowboys, Panthers, Steelers
As one might expect, several teams who hosted Judkins for pre-draft visits also hosted Henderson, with the Bengals, Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys each bringing both Ohio State running backs to their respective team facilities.
Henderson is viewed as a candidate to be drafted as high as the late first round, with the Broncos (who hold the No. 20 overall pick) and Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 21) looming as possible candidates to draft him in Round 1. The Cowboys (No. 44), Bengals (No. 49) and Panthers (No. 57) would all be more likely to target Henderson in Round 2, barring a trade up or down the board.
CB Jordan Hancock: Bears, Bengals, Browns, Falcons
Hancock took advantage of his opportunities to impress NFL teams during the pre-draft process. After a standout performance at Ohio State’s pro day, Hancock was hosted by the Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns for visits while the Georgia native also participated in local pro days for the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons.
While Hancock is widely projected to be a Day 3 draft pick, his visit schedule suggests the versatile defensive back – who played both slot cornerback and safety for the Buckeyes last season – could be a sleeper candidate to come off the draft board earlier than expected.
WR Emeka Egbuka: Cowboys, Packers
There are likely far more than two teams interested in drafting Egbuka, Ohio State’s second-most-widely projected first-round pick for this year’s draft class, but the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers are the only two teams who have been publicly confirmed as hosting Egbuka for pre-draft visits.
It’s not out of the question that the Cowboys could draft Egbuka with the No. 12 overall pick, as they’re expected to target a wide receiver early in the draft, though most mock drafts have Egbuka as a late first-round choice. The Packers’ No. 23 overall pick aligns with his draft stock, so they could be a team to watch for Ohio State’s all-time receptions leader as they look to add another weapon for Jordan Love.
QB Will Howard: Raiders
Howard’s lone confirmed pre-draft visit came with the Las Vegas Raiders, allowing the former Ohio State quarterback to catch up with former OSU offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Chip Kelly, who left Ohio State in February to become the Raiders’ new offensive coordinator.
Howard wouldn’t be in line to start if drafted by the Raiders, who signed Geno Smith to a contract extension through the 2027 season after acquiring him in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. Given the success Howard and Kelly had together at Ohio State last season, though, it would come as no surprise if the Raiders drafted Howard to be their backup quarterback and possible future successor to Smith.
DE Jack Sawyer: Bengals
Sawyer told reporters at Ohio State’s pro day that he would visit Cincinnati, which stands out as one of the most logical landing spots for Sawyer. He’d be a natural replacement for fellow former Ohio State defensive end Sam Hubbard, who retired from the NFL in March.
Most mock drafts have Sawyer coming off the board at some point on Day 2, so he could be a target for the Bengals with either their second-round pick (No. 49) or third-round pick (No. 81).
DT Ty Hamilton: Bengals
Fellow Ohio State defensive lineman Ty Hamilton also made a pre-draft visit with the Bengals, revealing his trip to Cincinnati in an Instagram post earlier this month. Defensive tackle is considered one of the Bengals’ top positions of need, which could make Hamilton – who’s been projected to go anywhere from the third to seventh round – a target for Cincinnati in the middle to late rounds.
S Lathan Ransom: Browns
Ransom told the Bobby Carpenter Show earlier this week that he was visiting the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday, setting up the possibility that Ransom could remain in Ohio as he makes the jump from college to the NFL. Ransom has been mostly projected as a third- or fourth-round draft pick, so the Browns could theoretically target him with either the No. 94 overall pick late in Round 3 or the No. 104 overall pick early in Round 4.
If the Browns were to draft Ransom, he’d join his former Ohio State teammate Ronnie Hickman in Cleveland’s safety corps.
C Seth McLaughlin: Falcons
A Georgia native like Hancock, McLaughlin also attended the Atlanta Falcons’ local pro day, though he was unable to work out as he continues to recover from the torn Achilles that ended his final season at Ohio State. The Falcons have more reason than just his local roots to be interested in McLaughlin, as they’re still in need of a new center to replace Drew Dalman, who left the Falcons for the Chicago Bears in free agency.
While this article is focused on physical trips that prospects made to visit teams, McLaughlin told The Draft Network that he also had virtual visits with the Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints, so each of those teams are also worth monitoring as possible suitors for the Rimington Trophy winner.
OT Josh Fryar: Bengals, Colts
While Fryar wasn’t invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, the Indiana native took the opportunities he could to get face time with NFL teams as he participated in the Cincinnati Bengals’ and Indianapolis Colts’ local pro days in addition to Ohio State’s pro day.
Fryar isn’t widely projected to be drafted, but told FOX59’s Mike Chappell after the Colts’ local pro day that he just wants an opportunity to play football, whether that comes as a late-round draft choice or as an undrafted free-agent signee.
TE Gee Scott Jr.: Bengals, Seahawks
Like Fryar, Scott wasn’t invited to the combine but participated in Ohio State’s pro day as well as multiple local pro days, attending the Bengals’ workout for prospects with Ohio roots as well as the local pro day for his hometown Seattle Seahawks.
Scott isn’t projected as a likely draft pick either, but making those trips in addition to his strong showing at Ohio State’s pro day could give him an outside shot of being selected in the late rounds or at least increase his options for quickly landing with a team as an undrafted free agent.
