Walk into the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on a Tuesday in October, and you’ll see it. It is not just a practice facility; it is a waiting room for the next level.
People love to talk about the "SEC speed" or the dominance of Georgia, but honestly, if you look at the raw numbers, the most consistent pro factory in the country sits right in Columbus. Ohio State in NFL Draft history isn’t just a legacy—it’s an ongoing, high-speed assembly line that just reset its own records.
Coming off the 2025 cycle, the Buckeyes managed to tie their all-time school record with 14 players selected. That matched the legendary 2004 class. It’s kinda wild when you think about it. Most programs hope for one or two guys to get a phone call. Ryan Day and his staff are basically handing out luggage sets to half the roster every April.
The 2025 Surge and the "National Title Effect"
Winning a national championship usually helps your draft stock. Who knew? After the Buckeyes secured their ninth title in early 2025, the NFL came knocking with a sledgehammer.
Emeka Egbuka led the charge. He went No. 19 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which feels like a steal for a guy who left Columbus with 205 receptions. But he wasn't alone in that opening night green room (well, metaphorically, since many stayed home). The first round was a scarlet and gray parade:
- Emeka Egbuka (WR) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 19)
- Donovan Jackson (OL) - Minnesota Vikings (No. 24)
- Tyleik Williams (DT) - Detroit Lions (No. 28)
- Josh Simmons (OT) - Kansas City Chiefs (No. 32)
That’s four first-rounders in one night. It’s the most under Ryan Day’s tenure, and it signals something important: the "Big Three" positions—Receiver, Offensive Tackle, and Defensive Line—are being dominated by Buckeyes.
Why the Defensive Line Record Matters
Historically, Ohio State has been "DBU" or "WRU," but 2025 was about the big boys up front. For the first time ever, the program had four defensive linemen taken in a single draft. Tyleik Williams and JT Tuimoloau (who went to the Colts in the second round) were the headliners, but seeing Ty Hamilton and Jack Sawyer go on Day 3 really showed the depth Larry Johnson has built.
Sawyer, especially, had a journey. He was a five-star kid who sort of struggled in a hybrid "Jack" role early on. Once they put his hand back in the dirt as a traditional end, he became a nightmare. The Pittsburgh Steelers snagging him in the fourth round (Pick 123) feels like one of those classic "how did he fall that far" moments we'll be talking about in three years.
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The Brian Hartline Factor: WRU is No Longer a Debate
You can't talk about Ohio State in NFL Draft circles without mentioning Brian Hartline. The guy is a magician. Or maybe he’s just a really good teacher. Either way, he’s developed five first-round receivers since 2022.
Think about that list: Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., and now Emeka Egbuka.
It has reached a point where NFL scouts don’t even ask if an Ohio State receiver can run routes. They just ask how fast the 40-time is because the technical floor is so high. Hartline, who recently took the head coaching job at South Florida, left the cupboard absolutely full.
The interesting thing about Egbuka’s draft profile was the "consistency" tag. He wasn't always the flashy highlight reel that Marv was, but he was a technician. In the NFL, being a technician keeps you employed for a decade.
Draft Trends: Where the Buckeyes are Heading
The 2023 draft was also a monster, notably for C.J. Stroud going No. 2 overall to Houston. Before Stroud, there was this weird, lingering narrative that Ohio State quarterbacks couldn't hack it in the pros. Justin Fields started to break that, but Stroud shattered it.
Now, when you see a guy like Will Howard getting drafted by the Steelers in the 6th round (2025), there's a different level of respect. Howard wasn't a world-beater, but he ran a pro-style system, won a national title, and set a school completion record at 73%. The NFL values that "floor" much more than they used to with Columbus QBs.
The All-Time Leaderboard
As of the 2025 draft, Ohio State officially holds the record for the most first-round selections in NFL history with 95.
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They passed the 90-mark in 2023 and haven't looked back. USC and Alabama are always in the rearview mirror, but the Buckeyes have a weird knack for producing high-end talent even in "down" years. Except for 1998—the only year since 1936 where no Buckeye was drafted—this has been the most reliable pipeline in sports.
What Most People Get Wrong About OSU Prospects
There is this idea that because Ohio State is so much more talented than their Big Ten opponents, their stats are inflated. "They're just better athletes playing against future insurance salesmen," critics say.
The NFL clearly disagrees.
Look at the 2025 Day 2 and Day 3 picks. Quinshon Judkins (Browns) and TreVeyon Henderson (Patriots) were both taken in the second round. Usually, when a team has two elite backs, one of them gets "lost" in the shuffle. But the NFL sees the limited mileage as a benefit. Henderson, in particular, left as one of the top five rushers in school history with 48 touchdowns. He’s fresh.
And then there's the secondary. Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock going to the Cardinals and Bills, respectively, shows that the "DBU" moniker is still alive, even if it took a backseat to the receivers for a few years. Burke started 51 games. You don't find that kind of experience often in the portal era.
The "Next Man Up" Reality
With Hartline gone to USF and several key starters now in NFL camps, the 2026 draft might look a little different, but the machine doesn't stop.
The blueprint is set. Ryan Day has maintained a 70-10 record by essentially recruiting players who view college as a three-year professional internship. If you want to track where the Buckeyes go next, watch the 2026 tackle class. With Josh Simmons and Donovan Jackson gone, the new blood on the offensive line is under immense pressure to keep the "First Round" streak alive.
If you are a fan or a bettor looking at future NFL rosters, keep an eye on these actionable insights:
- Trust the Linemen: Ohio State has moved away from just being a "skill position" school. Their interior defensive linemen are becoming high-value rotational pieces immediately.
- The "Cardinals Connection": Keep an eye on Arizona. Between Paris Johnson, Marvin Harrison Jr., and now Cody Simon and Denzel Burke, the desert is becoming Columbus West.
- Draft Capital: Ohio State's 14-player haul in 2025 wasn't a fluke; it was the result of a "stay-in-school" movement. Whenever you see high-level juniors return to Columbus, expect a massive draft surge the following year.
The talent hasn't peaked. In fact, with the way recruiting is going for the 2026 and 2027 classes, we might be seeing the 14-pick record broken again before the decade is out.