The Ohio State football program has been known for producing uber-talented NFL prospects over the years, and it will be no different in the imminent 2026 Draft.
From Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Emeka Egbuka, C.J. Stroud, and more on offense, to Nick Bosa, Denzel Ward, Jonathan Cooper, and more on defense, the Buckeyes have their fingerprints all over the current landscape of the NFL.
The NFL will be welcoming in plenty of more Ohio State alums once the Draft kicks off on Thursday.
The top of the draft will be filled with former Buckeyes, and once those names are called, it'll be hard to believe that Ohio State managed to lose twice last year.
Three defenders and one playmaker are projected to go in the top-10, while another defensive prospect has a chance of being drafted in the back-half of the first round as well.
Through the later rounds, at least four more Buckeyes will certainly be on every team's draft board, making a grand total of about 10 Buckeyes expected to be selected in the 2026 Draft.
Let's take a look at the names, along with where these guys could go.
Top Ohio State Prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft
1. Arvell Reese
Ohio State's athletically-gifted linebacker Arvell Reese is currently the favorite to go No. 2 overall (-130). Reese has stated that he'll enter the draft as a OLB/EDGE, which is where he's at his best.
Nicknamed by analysts an the "Alien," Reese's most popular comparison is Micah Parsons as they both played a blend of EDGE and off-the-ball linebacker in college, and both are freak athletes.
Reese is an extremely versatile pass rusher who will be able to line up against the tackle, guard, or center and have success.
He had several reps where he shoved o-linemen down with his strong-arm technique, showed off his blazing closing speed when he was used as a spy, and he has plenty of pass rush moves off the edge.
In his limited pass-rushing role, the Buckeye finished the season with 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. He would a home run pick and a player to build around for Aaron Glenn and the New York Jets.
2. Sonny Styles
Middle linebacker Sonny Styles is another absolute freak show coming out of Ohio State this year, and he is a +175 favorite to be selected by the New York Giants fifth overall.
Styles dominated the Combine and shot up draft boards after he ran a 4.46 40-yard dash and had a vertical jump of 43.5 inches. His film is spectacular too - he's able to diagnose run or pass quickly, is aggressive shooting through holes in the run game, and, as a former safety, covers well too.
As a blitzer, he has the speed to beat tackles off the edge, and the power to push interior linemen back. He's drawn comparisons to Fred Warner and Bobby Wagner as a do-it-all athletic middle linebacker.
3. Caleb Downs
Safety Caleb Downs has all the athletic tools to be a superstar in the NFL - along with possessing an extremely high football I.Q.
Downs is +350 to be picked No. 5 by the Giants, +450 to go No. 8 to the New Orleans Saints, and +300 to be picked No. 10 overall - again by the Giants.
Downs is a blur in the run and screen game, reacting and firing quickly towards the line of scrimmage once he figures out the play.
He's also elite in coverage, possessing smooth hips and is terrific at playing the ball. Safeties usually don't get drafted this high, but players like Kyle Hamilton, Nick Emmanwori, Derwin James Jr., and more are making the box safety popular again.
4. Carnell Tate
Carnell Tate is the next great receiver recruited by former wide receiver coach Brian Hartline to come out of the Ohio State factory, and he is a consensus top-two receiver in the draft.
Tate is favored to be picked No. 7 overall by the Washington Commanders (+225), which would form a great duo alongside quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Tate isn't exceptionally fast, but he runs great routes, has smooth and reliable hands, possesses terrific body control, and does a nice job setting up defenders to get open deep. He's a very solid high-floor type of prospect.
5. Kayden McDonald
Defensive tackle Kayden McDonald will most likely be the fifth Buckeye to be drafted in the first round of the draft tomorrow night.
McDonald, 6'2 and 326 pounds, is a stalwart in the run game, along with having quick hands and feet to shed interior offensive linemen and pressure the quarterback.
He's the No. 1 ranked defensive tackle in the class and is projected to be selected in the early-to-mid 20s (+800 to go No. 22 overall, +650 at No. 25, +600 at No. 26).
McDonald would immediately be an impact player on a defensive line, and he has been compared to players like D.J. Reader and Kenny Clark.
That wraps up the prospects expected to be selected in the first round tomorrow night. Ohio State has produced two classes in which five players have been picked in the first round (2006, 2016), and 2026 should be the next.
Here's a look at the names of the rest of the prospects that could be picked in the draft:
TE Max Klare (Proj. 3rd round)
CB Davison Igbinosun (Proj. 3rd round)
DE Caden Curry (Proj. 3rd or 4th round)
TE Will Kacmarek (Proj. 5th or 6th round)
DB Lorenzo Styles Jr. (Proj. 6th or 7th round)
Read the latest NFL Draft news on site.
All odds written in this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.
