With just one day to go until the 2025 NFL draft, it’s time for us to make our final predictions for where each of Ohio State’s draft prospects will end up.
Ohio State is expected to have a record-tying 15 players drafted this week – along with two additional undrafted free agent signings – but there’s no clear consensus on where any of them will be selected.
Josh Simmons, Emeka Egbuka, Donovan Jackson, TreVeyon Henderson, Tyleik Williams, JT Tuimoloau and Quinshon Judkins have all drawn some first-round projections in mocks leading up to the draft, yet none of them are considered locks to go in Round 1. Projections for Jack Sawyer and Will Howard have ranged from as high as Round 2 to as low as Round 5. Denzel Burke, Lathan Ransom, Jordan Hancock, Ty Hamilton, Seth McLaughlin and Cody Simon are all widely projected to be Day 3 picks, though it wouldn’t be shocking to see any of them sneak into Round 3 either.
With that in mind, Eleven Warriors’ Dan Hope and Garrick Hodge have each made their projections for where all 17 of Ohio State’s NFL draft hopefuls will end up in this week’s draft, which begins Thursday with the first round, continues Friday with Rounds 2 and 3 and concludes Saturday with Rounds 4-7.
RB TreVeyon Henderson
Hope: Round 1, No. 20, Denver Broncos
There’s been a lot of smoke this week that the Broncos are interested in Henderson and that Henderson is trending toward being a first-round pick. Given that the Broncos need to upgrade at running back and that Henderson has the potential to be a Jahmyr Gibbs-esque weapon in Sean Payton’s offense, I’m choosing to believe those rumors.
Hodge: Round 1, No. 20, Denver Broncos
I made this prediction on Tuesday and I’m sticking to it. Denver pretty clearly wants a running back, and this essentially might boil down to their preference between Henderson or North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton, assuming both are on the board at this time.
WR Emeka Egbuka
Hodge: Round 1, No. 23, Green Bay Packers
Personal bias aside that I’m wrestling with putting a really talented player on a team I’ve hated my entire life, it’s no secret that the Packers could use another weapon for Jordan Love. Egbuka makes perfect sense for Green Bay and he’ll get a nice ovation in the draft’s home city, even if he won’t be there to see it.
Hope: Round 2, No. 36, Jacksonville Jaguars
While I believe Egbuka is worthy of going in Round 1, the Packers haven’t drafted a receiver in the first round since 2002 and there isn’t another obvious fit for Egbuka in the late first round. That said, he won’t be on the board long if he falls into Round 2. The Jaguars need a No. 2 receiver to pair with Brian Thomas Jr., and Egbuka would be a perfect fit if he’s still on the board.
G Donovan Jackson
Hope: Round 1, No. 24, Minnesota Vikings
Left guard is the Vikings’ most glaring need, and they’ve shown clear interest in Jackson by bringing him in for a pre-draft visit. They could look to trade down as Garrick projects, but I think Jackson’s hometown Houston Texans will snap him up if the Vikings don’t, so I have Minnesota staying put and taking the three-time All-Big Ten offensive lineman.
Hodge: Round 2, No. 34, Minnesota Vikings (Projected trade with New York Giants)
There's a consensus going around draft circles that Minnesota would like to trade back if possible, considering it only has four picks in this year’s draft. So I’m forecasting the New York Giants, quarterback rumors flying and all, pull off a trade with the Vikings for pick No. 24 to come up and draft either Jaxson Dart or Shedeur Sanders. But the relevant part to this pick is the Vikings have been connected to Jackson throughout the predraft process and I’ve got the feeling they’d love to snag him here.
OT Josh Simmons
Hope: Round 1, No. 31, Kansas City Chiefs
Simmons could come off the board much earlier than this – I wouldn’t be shocked to see him drafted as high as the 10th overall pick, as I believe he’s the truest left tackle prospect in this draft – but his decision not to attend the draft after initially accepting an invite, in tandem with the knee injury he’s still recovering from, has me thinking he could slide into the late first round. But I don’t think he gets past the Chiefs, who could clearly use a tackle like Simmons after struggling mightily to block anyone in the Super Bowl.
Hodge: Round 2, No. 35, Tennessee Titans
The Titans are projected to draft who they hope is their franchise quarterback in Cam Ward. With pick 35, I’ll forecast they try to give him some protection. Perhaps it’s a stretch that Simmons falls this far, but with him opting not to go to the NFL Draft after originally planning to and his injury history, a slight slide on draft night could be possible.
DT Tyleik Williams
Hope: Round 1, No. 32, Philadelphia Eagles
Williams has been projected as a second-round pick in most mock drafts, but the fact that six teams picking in the final 10 slots of the first round hosted him for pre-draft visits – including the Eagles – makes me think he’s got a real shot to go in late Round 1. The Eagles have consistently placed a premium on drafting defensive linemen in recent years, and Williams would be a good fit to replace Milton Williams after the latter left Philadelphia for the New England Patriots in free agency.
Hodge: Round 2, No. 46, Atlanta Falcons
It’s pretty easy to envision Atlanta going pretty defensive line heavy early with its first couple of picks. Grady Jarrett anchored the team’s interior defensive front for what seems like forever, but the Falcons and Jarrett parted ways before free agency began. Naturally, they’d need a replacement and Williams certainly fits that mold.
DE JT Tuimoloau
Hodge: Round 2, No. 41, Chicago Bears
Despite multiple additions to their defensive line in free agency this offseason, the Bears still lack a consistent pass rush under new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Tuimoloau can change that right away after leading the Buckeyes in sacks with 12.5 en route to winning a national title.
Hope: Round 2, No. 46, Atlanta Falcons
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tuimoloau come off the board earlier in Round 2 or even in late Round 1, but I think he’d be an obvious target for the Falcons – who I have drafting Michigan cornerback Will Johnson instead of an edge rusher in Round 1 – if he’s still on the board at the 46th pick. Upgrading the pass rush is a big need for Atlanta, and Tuimoloau would project to be a three-down player right away in the Falcons’ defense.
We’re both predicting that JT Tuimoloau will be an early second-round draft pick.
RB Quinshon Judkins
Hodge: Round 2, No. 44, Dallas Cowboys
While this draft is lauded for its depth at running back, the Cowboys might be running out of options here to snag a highly valued running back, assuming they go wide receiver with their first-round pick. Ashton Jeanty, Hampton, Henderson and Kaleb Johnson could feasibly all be off the board this point, and Dallas could use a running back early in the draft, so I’m predicting Judkins to be the perfect fit here.
Hope: Round 2, No. 44, Dallas Cowboys
Once again, Garrick and I are projecting an Ohio State running back to land in the exact same spot. Henderson going in Round 1 could start a run on running backs between the late first and early second rounds, and the Cowboys are one of the teams projected to draft a RB in Round 2 after parting ways with Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott. They’ve shown plenty of interest in Judkins in the pre-draft process, so I don’t think they pass him up unless Henderson or Hampton is surprisingly still available.
DE Jack Sawyer
Hope: Round 2, No. 49, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals drafting Sawyer feels like a selection that’s meant to be. They need a defensive end following the retirement of Sam Hubbard, and Sawyer is a lifelong Ohioan who visited the Bengals during the pre-draft process and has a similar skill set to Hubbard. It’s possible the Bengals could wait until Round 3 and still land Sawyer, but I have them drafting him in Round 2 to ensure they land the former Buckeye.
Hodge: Round 3, No. 69, New England Patriots
You didn’t think Mike Vrabel was going to make it through his first draft in New England without selecting one Ohio State player when there are more than a dozen solid Columbus prospects available, did you?
QB Will Howard
Hodge: Round 3, No. 80, Indianapolis Colts
I’m admittedly higher on Howard than most mocks are projecting, and finding a fit for him can be tricky considering you have to factor in projected quarterback movement from teams either trading into the late first round or snagging signal callers up in the early second round. So, I’m putting Howard with the Colts, a place where he won’t be asked to start right away (or even at all year one) but could be in contention to by the end of the year or heading into his second season depending on how he impresses the team brass and if Anthony Richardson/Daniel Jones fall on their asses.
Hope: Round 3, No. 90, Los Angeles Rams
I think Howard is worthy of consideration as early as Round 2, but the projected slide of Shedeur Sanders into the late first round could push the rest of the quarterback class down in turn. That said, I believe Howard will get the call from the league by the end of the night on Friday, and I think the Rams would be a good fit. While he’d begin his career as a backup to Matthew Stafford, he’d have the chance to position himself as the successor to the Rams’ 37-year-old current starter and he’d be plenty comfortable in Los Angeles after handling the Ohio State spotlight with ease.
S Lathan Ransom
Hodge: Round 3, No. 90, Philadelphia Eagles
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman loves players who attended big colleges and played in big games (or maybe he just loves Georgia) and Lathan Ransom just seems like the type of hard-nosed player the Eagles and their fans would get behind. I’m predicting Ransom joins the reigning Super Bowl champions and gets to go to a place where he can be developed.
Hope: Round 4, No. 107, Jacksonville Jaguars
While I don’t have Ransom going on Day 2, I expect him to be scooped up early on Day 3, and Jacksonville would be a good landing spot as he would have an opportunity to compete for early playing time on a depth chart that’s fairly thin at the safety position.
CB Denzel Burke
Hope: Round 4, No. 115, Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals could use another starting-caliber cornerback but could prioritize the trenches in the early rounds, so this would be a natural fit if Arizona waits until Round 4 to draft a CB. It would be a homecoming for Burke, an Arizona native, and the Cardinals will have plenty of insight on Ohio State’s draft prospects after hiring Justin Frye as their offensive line coach.
Hodge: Round 4, No. 119, Cincinnati Bengals
Last time I checked, the Bengals need no shortage of help on the defensive side of the ball. One unfortunate contest against Oregon aside, Burke has a proven track record of shutting down opposing wideouts and could immediately bolster Cincinnati’s secondary.
DT Ty Hamilton
Hodge: Round 4, No. 115, Arizona Cardinals
I think Hamilton might be my pick for most underrated Buckeye in this year’s draft. Some team is going to get an established run-stopping defensive tackle, and I’m projecting that to be the Cardinals.
Hope: Round 5, No. 151, Indianapolis Colts
The Colts need defensive tackle depth, and Hamilton’s ability to play both DT spots in a four-man front would make him a good fit for Indianapolis’ defense under new coordinator Lou Anarumo.
CB Jordan Hancock
Hope: Round 4, No. 129, Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens need depth across their secondary, which could make Hancock an appealing middle-round target with his ability to play both cornerback and safety. I expect him to be selected by the end of the fourth round after his excellent showing at Ohio State’s pro day, and the Ravens have two late fourth-round picks.
Hodge: Round 6, No. 192, Cleveland Browns
Admittedly, the Browns have pretty solid cornerback depth already, but Cleveland has loved drafting Buckeyes the past few draft cycles and Hancock could provide solid depth even as a rookie with his measurables.
LB Cody Simon
Hope: Round 4, No. 130, Detroit Lions
I believe Simon is a better NFL prospect than Tommy Eichenberg was a year ago, and Eichenberg was a fifth-round draft pick, so I have Simon going in the fourth round based on that simple calculation. The Lions need linebacker depth, and last year’s “Block O” wearer would fit in well with the hard-nosed approach Dan Campbell wants from his players.
Hodge: Round 6, No. 185, Pittsburgh Steelers
At this point in the draft, we’re just going on vibes alone. And Simon seems like a perfect Steeler based on his stoic personality and someone Mike Tomlin would love to add to his linebacker room.
C Seth McLaughlin
Hodge: Round 5, No. 142, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars signed Robert Hainsey in free agency to be their starting center, but they could definitely use more offensive line depth on the roster. Snagging the best center in college football last season seems like good value here for Jacksonville.
Hope: Round 5, No. 149, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys are expected to add to their interior offensive line at some point in this year’s draft, and McLaughlin could prove to be a great value choice if he slides into the later rounds due to the Achilles injury he suffered in November. He’d give the Cowboys a reliable backup center behind Cooper Beebe while also giving them the option to move Beebe to guard – the position he played at Kansas State – if McLaughlin demonstrates he can be an NFL starter.
TE Gee Scott Jr.
Hodge: Undrafted Free Agent, Seattle Seahawks
Making undrafted free agent guesses are throwing darts at the wall and seeing what sticks (even more so than guessing actual NFL draft picks), so I’m just going to align Scott with his hometown Seahawks.
Hope: Undrafted Free Agent, Seattle Seahawks
I’m using the same logic as Garrick here. Scott’s dad works for the Seahawks as a gameday host, so it’s logical to assume Seattle might have the upper hand in a bidding war for Scott’s services as an undrafted free agent. Their tight end depth is limited, too, so Scott would have a chance to earn a roster spot in Seattle should he sign there.
OT Josh Fryar
Hope: Undrafted Free Agent, New England Patriots
While I don’t have Mike Vrabel drafting any Buckeyes in his first year as Patriots head coach, he could still add a member of last year’s national championship team by signing Fryar if he goes undrafted. The Patriots have a severe lack of NFL-caliber offensive tackles on their current roster, so New England could be an appealing destination for undrafted offensive tackles even if the Patriots draft a couple of OTs.
Hodge: Undrafted Free Agent, Indianapolis Colts
Using the same formula I did for Scott, Fryar stays local and gets a tryout with the Colts.
