Ohio State Buckeyes 2018 NFL Draft prospects to know

Ohio State made its second College Football Playoff appearance in three years, but this time the Buckeyes fizzled out, losing a 31-0 clunker to Clemson. Quarterback J.T. Barrett appeared to regress, and the offensive play calling stagnated late in the season. In an attempt to remedy the issue, Urban Meyer added former Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson to the offensive staff, and is expected to emphasize improvement in downfield passing. OSU’s defense should remain strong, the offense is populated with upperclassmen, and while the Bucks sent seven total draft picks to the NFL, the team has veterans to step in at every vacancy. Here’s a look at this year’s draft-eligible crew…

KEY

⭐️= potential elite prospect (size/athleticism/production)

↑= potential riser

↓= potential faller/overrated

$ = major positive

⚠️= caution

+ = injury risk

# = off-field

PB = SPARQ power ball toss score (high school)

VJ = Vertical Jump (high school)

40 = 40 (high school)

SS = short shuttle (high school)

Jerome Baker LB 6’1” 225 JR ⇡

• DOB: 12/25/96
• 4-star recruit in 2015
• PB: 35.5
• VJ: 33.6”
• 40: 4.54 $
• SS: 4.09 $

Career: 20 games 48 solo TKL 9.5 TFL 3.5 SCK 2 INT 1 TD

2016: 83 TKL (45 solo) 9.5 TFL 3.5 SCK 2 INT 1 TD

Note: Baker is cut from the same cloth as 2016 first round pick Darron Lee: an undersized, playmaking linebacker who can fly. We’ve seen guys like this come off he board in the top 40 picks recently, and Baker can continue that trend with another productive season

J.T. Barrett QB 6’2” 220 rSR +#

• DOB: 1/23/95
• 4-star recruit in 2013
• Has a history of an ACL injury in high school, and a fractured ankle in 2014⚠️
• Needs seven scores to break Drew Brees’ Big Ten record for TDs responsible for
• Holds 23 school records
• Big Ten QB of the Year in 2014 and 2016, and First Team All-Big Ten last season
• DUI arrest in October 2015⚠️
• VJ: 26.0”
• 40: 4.79
• SS: 4.34

Career: 30 starts 63% COMP% 7.6 YPA 69 TD 21 INT 31 rush TD $

2016: 233/379 (61.5%) 2555 YDS 6.7 YPA 24 TD 7 INT passing, 845 YDS 4.1 AVG 9 TD rushing

Note: Barrett’s NFL prospects have taken a hit, as his development as a passer has stagnated since his breakout freshman campaign. Unless he makes unexpected strides this season, his value lies in intangibles like leadership and toughness, and his future appears to be a backup role

Marcus Baugh TE 6’5” 250 rSR +

• DOB: 12/9/94⚠️
• 4-star recruit in 2013
• Recovering from offseason shoulder surgery

Career: 38 games 27 REC 303 YDS 11.2 AVG 3 TD

2016: 24 REC 269 YDS 11.2 AVG 2 TD

Dante Booker LB 6’3” 240 rJR +

• DOB: 10/2/95
• 4-star recruit in 2014
• Missed all but 12 snaps of the 2016 season with a sprained MCL and PCL⚠️
• PB: 45.5 $
• VJ: 33.7”
• 40: 4.52 $
• SS: 4.31

Career: 24 games 18 solo TKL 1 TFL⚠️

2016: 2 TKL (2 solo)

Parris Campbell WR 6’1” 208 JR ↑

• DOB: 7/16/97
• 4-star recruit in 2015
• PB: 36.0
• VJ: 40.1” $
• 40: 4.41 $
• SS: 4.16

Career: 21 games 13 REC 121 YDS 9.3 AVG receiving, 54 YDS 13.5 AVG 1 TD rushing, 27.8 KR AVG⚠️

2016: 13 REC 121 YDS 9.3 AVG receiving, 54 YDS 13.5 AVG 1 TD rushing, 27.8 KR AVG

Note: Campbell is all projection right now, as his production has been limited while playing behind more veteran skill players. But he won’t turn 20 for another couple of weeks, and he is one of the candidates to replace Curtis Samuel’s 2016 production as a “hybrid” receiver/slot/running back. The needle is pointing up

Michael Hill DE 6’3” 305 rSR

• DOB: NA
• 4-star recruit in 2013

Career: 32 games 15 solo TKL 4.5 TFL 1 SCK

2016: 21 TKL (9 solo) 3 TFL

Jalyn Holmes DE 6’5” 270 SR

• DOB: 1/30/95
• 4-star recruit in 2014
• PB: 41.0
• VJ: 29.0”
• 40: 4.94
• SS: 4.60

Career: 37 games 23 solo TKL 11 TFL 3 SCK 2 FF 1 PBU2016: 33 TKL (12 solo) 8.5 TFL 2 SCK 3 QBH 1 FF 1 PBU

Sam Hubbard DE 6’5” 265 rJR

• DOB: 6/29/95
• 3-star recruit in 2014
• Originally committed to Notre Dame to play lacrosse

Career: 26 games 37 solo TKL 16 TFL 10 SCK 1 FF 1 INT 3 PBU

2016: 46 TKL (21 solo) 8 TFL 3.5 SCK 4 QBH 2 PBU

Note: Hubbard’s sack numbers dipped last year, but he is still relatively new to his current position (he played safety in high school), and has been touted as a freak athlete throughout his college career

Dre’Mont Jones DT 6’3” 295 rSO

• DOB: 1/5/97
• 4-star recruit in 2015
• Started 12 games as a redshirt freshman last season $

Career: 13 games 22 solo TKL 4 TFL

2016: 52 TKL (22 solo) 4 TFL 1 QBH

Jamarco Jones OT 6’5” 310 SR

• DOB: 6/4/96
• 4-star recruit in 2014

Career: 13 starts at LT

Tyquan Lewis DE 6’4” 265 rSR ↑

• DOB: 1/30/95
• 4-star recruit in 2013
• 2016 Big Ten Conference defensive lineman of the year and First Team All-Big Ten
• VJ: 37.3” $
• 40: 4.77
• SS: 4.41

Career: 39 games 51 solo TKL 27 TFL 16.5 SCK 3 FF 4 PBU

2016: 29 TKL (17 solo) 10.5 TFL 8 SCK 5 QBH 3 FF 2 PBU

Billy Price C 6’4” 312 rSR

• DOB: 10/11/94⚠️
• 4-star recruit in 2014
• Played defensive line in high school
• Moving to center after playing guard for the past three seasons
• VJ: 25.1”
• 40: 5.01
• SS: 4.62

Career: 41 starts at guard $

Note: Price is following in the footsteps of Pat Elflein, moving from guard to center for his senior season. Price is a bigger, more athletic player, and could tie or break Elflein’s record for most games played by a Buckeye, depending on how far the team goes this year

Denzel Ward CB 5’10” 191 JR

• DOB: 4/28/97
• 3-star recruit in 2015

Career: 23 games 17 solo TKL 9 PBU

2016: 23 TKL (12 solo) 9 PBU

Damon Webb S 5’11” 195 SR

• DOB: 11/12/95
• 4-star recruit in 2014
• Experience at cornerback and safety
• PB: 32.0
• VJ: 28.1”⚠️
• 40: 4.67
• SS: 4.15

Career: 29 games 38 solo TKL 2 TFL 1 FF 1 INT 4 PBU 1 TD

2016: 57 TKL (32 solo) 2 TFL 1 FF 1 INT 3 PBU 1 TD

Mike Weber RB 5’10” 214 rSO ↑

• DOB: 8/25/97
• 4-star recruit in 2015
• Named Freshman All-American and Big Ten Freshman of the year in 2016
• Suffered a torn meniscus in 2015, and played through a sprained shoulder late last season⚠️

Career: 13 games 1096 YDS 6.0 AVG 9 TD rushing, 23 REC 91 YDS 4.0 AVG receiving

2016: 1096 YDS 6.0 AVG 9 TD rushing, 23 REC 91 YDS 4.0 AVG receiving $

Note: Weber apparently could have played in 2015 after preseason arthroscopic knee surgery, but the OSU staff opted not to burn his redshirt. His production as a first-year starter is noteworthy, and like most Buckeye running backs, Weber knows how to block. If he thrives in Wilson’s offense this season, Weber seems a likely candidate to declare for the draft early

Chis Worley LB 6’2” 230 SR

• DOB: NA
• 3-star recruit in 2013

Career: 38 games 64 solo TKL 6 TFL 1 SCK 2 FF 1 INT 4 PBU

2016: 69 TKL (43 solo) 4.5 TFL 2 QBH 1 FF 1 INT 4 PBU